We have finalized our International flights! YIPEEEEEE

We are leaving LAX 12:10pm on 12/5/07 United flight #867 and returning 8:35 am on 12/21/07 United flight #856 to LAX (terminal 7). We have an extra night in Hong Kong so I booked us at Disney's Hollywood Hotel in Hong Kong. Disneyland is 4 miles from the airport. Hopefully, we will see the park!

Travel dates are set

We are leaving the 5th and coming home the 20th. I still have not completely finalized our airline plans but hopefully tomorrow I think we will be all set. We are planning on direct nonstop flights on United from LAX. Our consulate appt. has been booked, travel approval received, and the passports recd by the consulate for visas. Our agency CCAI is working on our in country travel plans. I think there are ten families going to our province and about 35 families meeting in Hong Kong and then going off with their separate groups. I think we are staying at the Regal Kowloon in Hong Kong. The Regal i believe is just down the street from the Shangri La hotel where we stayed last time we were in Hong Kong. I don't know which hotel we are using in Nanchang. Its hard to believe we are leaving a week from tomorrow.

All of sudden it is really busy at work. I received two new packages and Mike has said no more...we are at capacity. So this probably ends up being an excellent time to take a leave. I have taken care of my xmas card list and gift baskets for my VIP bank customers. On friday my neighbor Jan and I are having a session at Dream Dinners. We are assembling fresh ingredients for 3 entrees that will be frozen and eaten when we return from China. Now thats a good idea!

Our Travel Approval arrived.

We will be joining the group on Dec 6th in Hong Kong and leaving on Dec 5th. We just have to see if United Airlines will help make this happen, we need to move up our travel a week! I am trying not to finalize until we have our consulate appt.

We are so relieved to have this done. Hopefully, we will get our appointment on monday. I think we will return around the 21st or 22nd, maybe even the 20th.

I have put in my paperwork to take time off work till 2/4/08. I am lucky that I saved all my personal and vacation time for this!

Sienna's "100 Good Wishes quilt" is done!

The finishing touches for Brooke's room

Welcome to our wild ride!!!

Our agency called again today to indicate that travel approvals had arrived for a majority of the group, and ours was one of a handful that were missing....

What does this mean, well the large group is aiming to travel now by 12/6 as our agency has requested appointments from the US Consulate in Guangzhou for them. The agency says they are hopeful and optimistic that we can expect our travel approval anytime within the next 2 working days. If that is the case we will remain with the group and travel by 12/6 as well. Like I indicated in an earlier post this is a week earlier than I predicted. The group has been told not to finalize their flights to/from Hong Kong until the Consulate Appt. is obtained. So we may only have a week to maybe a week and a half to get our flights finalized before travel.

This is going to be a very very very long couple of days. I just want some certainty.

On the positive side work is okay with me being gone until 2/4, and I have to rush now to tidy up and close the office, fill out leave paperwork, expense reports, finish loans, order holiday gifts for clients, send gifts to the staff and prepare cards for mailing. We will miss all the holiday festivities leading up to Christmas and Hanukah but be home by they think...the 21st.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!! Gooble Gooble

OH MY GOD!!!!!

WE COULD BE LEAVING AS EARLY AS 12/5, IN TWO WEEKS!!!!!

Our agency called to find out if our paperwork was in order and to find out if we were open to traveling by 12/6. They said if they received travel approvals from CHINA this week they were going to push for that date! I didn't really think it was possible and now two agencies are reporting to their families that TAs were signed in China on 11/18 and may be received here by FRIDAY.

I checked airline availability for our seats and it looks tight.

Lets see how this pans out! I am in panic mode right now!!!