Agency

We finally got to put some faces to names today. Alex and I had a meeting with our agency and got to meet these wonderful people that are working so hard behind the scenes. I must say the office was very well organized and everyone was so friendly. You could tell that they all love what they do and were so patient in answering our bazillion questions. We still don't know when we will be travelling. It could be as late as May. We are the only family with a proposal from the Go Vap orphanage so they really can't provide timelines and they would need our son's documents before they could even provide a guess. On another note, we did receive some good news. There is another apartment type hotel (Pacific Garden) available and it's half the price of the one we were likely going to stay at, plus it has a pool. (A very important feature for my two little fishes, Alex & Portia.) We also found out that although most prefer to travel with Air Canada/Cathay Airlines, there is another airline (Eva Airlines) that offers cheaper flights (approx. $300/pp cheaper) or you can pay about the same price if you upgrade to a deluxe seat. We haven't done any research on this airline yet but at least there is another option to keep costs down. I'm just thinking of stretching our dollar since I really want to take Portia to Hong Kong Disneyland and apparently the hotels cost $300/nt. I ordered a Frommer's Vietnam guide which I'm finding to be helpful in planning out some of the things we want to see and do. Note to self: We are allowed to freely take pictures in Vietnam, as long as we don't take pictures of any military/police or pictures in the passport office. We definitely do not want to repeat history after what happened to us in China.

So what else? We have an electrician coming tomorrow and a plumber on Wednesday. Just two more steps closer to getting renovations completed.

I'm currently reading "The Lost Daughters of China." As Portia is getting older, I feel more compelled to reach out, understand and prepare myself for some of the questions she will inevitably ask. We have always gone at her pace and never provide her with more information than we feel she can handle. One of her favorite books "I Love You Like Crazycakes" states on the last page "...The tears were for your Chinese mother, who could not keep you. I wanted her to know that we would always remember her. And I hoped somehow she knew you were safe and happy in the world." When we get to this part, I can see in her eyes that the wheels are turning. She occasionally has questions, but nothing too deep, yet. She understands that she didn't grow in my tummy and will often say that she wishes she had. I reassure her that I couldn't have loved her more if I had given birth to her. She always smiles, kisses me and tells me how happy she is that we went to China to get her. The true fact is that I've never loved anyone as much as I love this precious child and am so grateful for the priviledge of being her mom.