I've got a golden ticket!

I still haven't gotten around to telling the complete story of the paperchase, which I still want to do, but in the meantime, there is a BIG NEWS:

I HAVE TA!

TA, for people who don't speak China Adoption, is TRAVEL APPROVAL, the last piece in the paper chase puzzle that started almost a year ago!  China says "Come and get her!!"

So, here is the travel plan:
2/22/ (yes, in just over 2 weeks, if you are counting) -- Depart Dulles for Beijing.  You fly non-stop for 14 hours and arrive the next afternoon, because of the time difference.
2/23 - 2/25 -- Sightseeing (and adjusting to the time change) in Beijing - Forbidden City, Great Wall, etc.  (Much to Joy's disappointment, not the Terra Cotta warriors, which are far away in Xi'an).

2/26 -- Fly to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.  Bundle up -- temperatures in the single digits!  Brrrrr!

2/27 (three weeks from today!) -- Getting Gracie Day!!

2/28 -- Paperwork to make us a family forever!
3/2 -- Fly to Guangzhou (southern China) for the US part of the paperwork.
3/6 - Consulate appointment -- Grace's "swearing in" that allows her to become a citizen
3/7 - Pick up Grace's visa and head out for an overnight in Hong Kong, then fly home, arriving approximately 3 hours after we left (after about 16 hours of flying, including a quick layover in Tokyo and a 13 hour time difference).

WOW!  It's really, really happening!