We made it!

Good grief, was that ever stressful! But, God is faithful and got us through it!
On Wednesday, December 28, both sets of parents as well as my sister, Jenn, and Ben's brother, Joel, came to see us off (and to help us get our 13 bags and 7 carry-ons and a stroller into the airport). Come on, what do you expect, we're moving to China! Anyway, our first flight was scheduled to leave GR at 0747. We were at the airport at 0630 and still barely had time to say our goodbyes bc TSA had to check EVERY bag we brought and it took forever. We had first class seats (to Chicago- woo hoo!) and were all strapped in and taxiing out when Sophie declared she HAD to pee, right then. Good grief! After much distraction, we made it until we were safely in the air so she could go.

We had a quick layover in Chicago which consisted of large amounts of stress for Ben bc they changed our plane, and therefore our seats, and Ben was worried the new set up would be bad.
However, we got really lucky and had this great little cove of our 4 seats that were tucked away from everyone else.
We discovered that our flight would only be 14 hours instead of 15- I was thrilled! The kids really did quite well. Movies, some snacking, a little meds to help get some sleep, some more snacking, more movies, a bit of walking around, more sleeping...you can see where I'm going with this. The only hangups were that I got a really bad cold about 2 hours into the flight (that I'm still dealing with) and that the kids only got about 5-6 hours of sleep total. The worst part of the flight- the part where I left my IPad in the back of the seat pocket. We were in such a hurry to get out of the plane that I totally forgot it. It makes me sick just thinking about it...

Oh, the way we flew was up and over Alaska, through Siberia and then into China. Here's what Siberia looks like (in case you ever wanted to know)...

Super interesting, isn't it? :)
Anyway, we got all of our bags, loaded them onto 2 tiny carts, slooooowly made our way to customs (but got right through, thankfully!) and met our 2 drivers who drove us the 45 min to the Shanghai Racquet Club, our temporary home for the next month. We got to our apartment only to find that the electricity was shut off and we couldn't find the main switchboard bc it was so dark. After about 30 min we figured it out but it was just one more thing and we were just done.We were all very tired but I felt like a bus had hit me, and then backed over me, and then hit me again. Ben got some food from SRC's clubhouse, we fed the kids and got them to bed by 8. I was in bed by 830 and alseep by 831.

The first night was rough- Ben and the kids really struggled to sleep. Sophie was up from 0100-0330, Cooper was up from 0130-0430 and cried a lot. Ben was up and down for most of the night. I was able to get some sleep except for an hour where I tried to help with the kids but was worthless.

Friday morning I had a medical exam at 0830 (part of the process to get a residency visa here- Ben had his in November). It was supposed to be a 40 min drive but our driver (who doesn't speak or really understand english) was SOOO lost and it was very hard to get him to A) admit he was lost and B) follow our directions and C) stop just driving onto highways in random directions. After an hour and a half we made it to the clinic where my blood pressure promptly read 139/113. Seriously. It's normally 90/60. The doctor goes- "OH! You blood pressure high!" I was like, yup, under a bit of stress here... The rest of the exam consisted of a blood draw (at least they used sterile technique!), an ultrasound of my liver, an eye exam, a chest x-ray, and EKG. It was all done in about 20 minutes. They are very efficient here...

Then off to the local RT Market to get some food and supplies. And by local, I mean, LOCAL. We were definitely the only Westerners in there. Several women came up to Sophie and Cooper and touched their heads and would smile and nod. We were warned this would happen bc our kids are so blonde they become a bit of a circus show. Almost every single person there stared at us and some would try to practice their english with us by showing us where the Tide brands and Coke brand products were. We were only there about 30 minutes but were exhausted by the time we left. The products here are quite different as well. For instance, in the juice aisle we found this...

I have no idea how that could be tasty so we did not try this. We did buy a few other random things and have been pleasantly surprised so far.

We ended Friday with a swim in the pool at the Clubhouse and then dinner. Needless to say, Sophie didn't quite make it through...

Well, that's our first day and a half here. The weekend shows to be much slower- unpacking, church and swimming more. Hopefully the kids sleep tonight- they were both in bed and alseep by 730. Ben's been nodding off next to me since then and it's just 9. :) He's really been amazing- I've lost it several times (esp when I discovered the lost IPad) and he's really been a rock.

Ok, prayer requests- if you would be so kind as to pray for my cold to go away, for the kids to sleep (at night) and maybe that Sophie could meet/make a friend. Today in the car she made up a song asking if there were any little kids in China. :) She also did remind me that any friends she does make here would still never be her best friends because her best friends were Ava and Gerrit. :) What her little mind must be dealing with...

Thanks for reading and I'll post again soon with pics of our place (once we've actually unpacked and it doesn't look like a bomb went off in here...)

3 weeks...

It's really setting in for me, finally.
3 weeks from today we will be in the air, on our way to Shanghai.
Things keep moving and falling into place. The movers came out on Tuesday and we will be able to take pretty much everything we had hoped to bring to Shanghai- minus Cooper's slide. But, really, that was kind of a reach... :)
The house packing has begun and I am blown away by the things I'm finding as I pack! Seriously, I own a coffee grinder, a tiny crock pot for dips, an espresso machine, all these random little plates... these are things I've owned for years and had totally forgotten about. How does this happen???
Anywho, Sophie's school orientation is set and I'm already trying to set up a babysitter for Cooper so I can go. See, things aren't so different there... Sophia's teacher has already been emailing us and setting things up to help her transition be easier. We've been really impressed with the school and how much they are wanting to be involved in every aspect of our family coming to Shanghai. It has relieved a lot of stress I've been feeling about the school situation ever since we found out there were no openings at the Shanghai American School.
We've also had some issues with getting Cooper to and from his school but we're hoping our back up plan of hiring a car and driver ourselves will work out. I'll be bringing him and picking him up for a while until things feel more comfortable there. Keep us in your prayers as these details get worked out.
Other prayer requests- we are realizing that Sophia is starting to figure out something big is happening. She has known for months that we are moving to China but you never know how much she really understands. In these last few weeks friends are starting to tell her they will miss her and grandparents are getting sad when talking about the move. The way this is manifesting isn't so great, however. She is regressing some and acting out more which has been elevating the stress level in the house. Please pray that we are all more patient with each other and more understanding that we are all under huge amounts of stress. Also pray that we are able to give these stresses to God who can effortlessly take care of them!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers that continue to be felt daily!

If you are interested in knowing more about Sophie and Cooper's schools, here are their websites: http://www.bisspuxi.com/ (Sophia's school) and http://www.theessentiallearninggroup.com/ (Cooper's school/therapy place).

We have our moving date set!

It's official.
On December 28, 2011, we are moving to China.
Who moves to China? Seriously!
Little did my sister know that when she gave me the Dr. Suess book, Oh, The Places You'll Go! for my college graduation that I'd be moving a world away with my husband, 4 yr old daughter and 2 yr old autistic son.
Buyers remorse, anyone? :)
No, I think I'm glad we're going. I'm scared to death but excited at all we will see and experience. God has a plan for me and my family and I know He will use this in His plan.
A wise man told me once that God takes any choice we make and uses it to His glory and will mold it and shape it so that we may have the best life- the life He planned for us.
So, here we go!
Now I just need to convince others that this is ok. :)