The calm before the storm...

An eerie calm had taken over me this morning. Actually it happened last night as I read an email from my cyber friend Debbie...(LiLi's mom) LiLi and Anna were together in Guiping and then also together in Mother's Love. Anyway, I've been trying to find a way to deal with my tension, frustration and grief at not having received TA yet. Debbie shared with me what helped her. She said she finally put LiLi's needs first.....as in perhaps LiLi needed more time in China before the life-changing event. So I started thinking about Anna. I thought about how she might need more time to heal her heart....both literally and figuratively. It was amazing....the calm that literally washed over me after I absorbed that email. It was really weird. And even more weird feeling this morning as I was getting ready for work....I felt so calm....and I started composing this email. I'm so gratefuly to my friends who have helped me get thru each miserable day.

So anyway, I'm driving Natalie to school this morning and REALLY enjoying the new peaceful, relaxed me, listening to Bear in the Big Blue House & singing along with Pip and Pop..."L-O-V-E Loooovveee, just can't get enouuuuugh"....(gotta hear otters rapping this song :-) My cell phone rings. Uh oh. OMG! It is a call from Atlanta I see! YES! It was Young calling from our agency....we just got our travel approval!! So much for my calm :-) I was a complete blubbering idiot & couldn't talk thru the tears....plus I was just driving up to the carline & cell phone use us strictly verboten...don't want to run over any kiddies! So I told Young I'd call her back.... So yes, we do actually finally have that treasured piece of paper and we should have a consulate appt. date on Monday. We're hoping for mid-October, so if that happens, we should depart for China sometime the last week of September. It is just amazing how good I feel today! I'll keep you posted on our flurry of travel arrangements that will be made next week. L-O-V-E Looooovveee :-)