We finally have a few minutes to post some pictures. Internet is a minimun of 600 Rupees per day. That's about $15. It doesn't seem like a lot but when you add it all up for each day... and you only have an hour or so to use it, it really adds up.
There really is no order to these but I know everyone has been waiting to see some. I miss my boys sooo much it's not even funny. I'm glad that we were able to do all of the things that we have but it's too long to be away from home. :) Not to mention we have actually spent more time either on a plane or in a car than doing anything to exciting.
Some of the children at the Compassion site
Dilshad presenting me with flowers at our arrival to Compassion
Arrived in Cochin last night. Our driver was a no show. Had to stay in a hotel here and waiting to hear from my nieces orphanage about meeting today. Wish us luck. Using hotel computer so no pics. Sorry guys!! It's much hotter and more humid here than it is in Delhi. It's also a little bit cleaner and the people are much much friendlier!! Hope to post later today!
Had an absolutely amazing day with our Compassion child. If you sponsor a child I would highly encourage you to visit him/her. Shad and I both agree that it was a day to remember. Wonderful staff, the kids were great... the visit was beyond our expectations!! Compassion is a wonderful organization!!! Even had my first experience with a squat toilet. :)
Hi everyone!!! We made it to India about 2am this morning after many delays!!! First off, our flight from Buffalo was cancelled and there weren't anymore flights available. After 2 hours of trying to get us out of there and me not backing down... United sent us by taxi to Rochester to catch a flight to Chicago. We wound up with a totally different flight itinerary but I didn't care. I was going to get to Delhi Monday night!! In Chicago we had some issues with the plane as well!! After being on the plane for almost 2 hours we had to deboard due to a fuel leak!! Thank goodness this was noticed by the attendant loading the luggage!!! American brought in another plane and about an hour or so later we were on our way. We left Chicago around 11pm instead of 7pm. Lay and behold... we are now in Delhi, tired as all get go but we are plugging along. We are waiting for our driver from Compassion to meet us in the lobby so I will update with pics later tonight.
All of our arrangements are made and confirmed!! YEAH!! Compassion was so great to work with. Even with all of the unknowns they managed to schedule a day for us!! Everything fell into place the way it was supposed to. I should have had more faith!!
Our trip in a nut shell...
Sun 11/15 leave US Mon 11/16 arrive New Delhi Tues 11/17 visit our Compassion child Wed 11/18 travel to Kerala Thur 11/19 visit my niece/ help out at orphanage Fri 11/20 travel to Kolkata Sat 11/21 Miss PEA Day/ visit SICW Sun 11/22 travel to Delhi meet up with Kristy (another Dillon family) and possibly another family Mon 11/23 Embassy Day Tues 11/24 Taj trip if all goes well at the Embassy Wed 11/25 Fly home!!! Thur 11/26 Arrive back in US in time for a blessed Thanksgiving with my boys!!!
As long as we have internet we will be blogging!!! We have a full itin so there isn't much time for site seeing. Our travel agent is awesome!! Thank you for suggesting him Kristy!! He listened to what I wanted and then made everything work!! Thanks to the 2 free night that we earned when we went to Iowa, we are even a little under budget!! Thats always nice! Sign up for every free travel rewards card that you can... you never know where it'll take you. Most airlines and hotel chains have them. We earned 2 free nights at the Inter Continental- Nehru Place (5 star rating) for staying at a Holiday Inn Express in Iowa last spring through Priority Club!! The 2 hotels are like night and day!! :) Doing another check of everything today so I can relax and enjoy tomorrow with my boys!!
This Thanksgiving is going to be a Thanksgiving we will never forget!! We will be bringing our daughter home!!! Yes... we have travel approval and will be leaving this Sunday for India!!! I was beginning to think our turn would never come!! Tickets are bought and I'm looking at hotels right now!! We leave on the 15th and will arrive back in Buffalo at 8:10am Thanksgiving morning!!
My sister Kate blessed me with a nephew last night... after a very long and exhausting day for her she wound up having a C-Section around 9pm. Cameron weighed in at 8.08 lbs and 20 1/2 inches long. If you know my sister, she is 5' 1" and 105lbs soaking wet. Cam was a big baby for her first!! I kept telling her to hurry up and have him!! I couldn't leave until she did!! Well, he was finally born last night and Tami called this morning... God's timing is everything!! :)
Today we got a new picture of Pala delivered to my inbox. We haven't had a new once since late August... funny thing... she is wearing the same outfit. :) She is 17 lbs and 26" tall and walking... yes, walking!!!
Little update on the passport situation: According to Ms. Roy (Orphanage Director) the passport office computers are down and they will not issue passports until it back up and running. She is hopeful that Pala's passport will be issued next week. There are 5 other families that are waiting in limbo like we are. Please pray that this issue will be resolved quickly!! Our plans are to leave for India on November 8th and visit our Compassion child on the 10th. We had to make arrangements well in advance so I really don't want to cancel. Dilshad (and Shad & I) will be very disappointed if we can't make this happen.
Just thought I'd throw a thought out there for any future travelers. I was really worried about what to pack for Shad and found some great pants and shirts at TJ Maxx. The pants are very light weight and a khaki color by Calvin Klein ($25) and the shirts are light weight ones that wick away sweat (starting at $9). There are many different brands. BonTon had Columbia ones on clearance but not in Shad's size. Glad I picked a couple up last month when I was in there. I found some Body Glove water sandals at Olympia for $25. Crocs were NOT an option for him... I tried!! Everything is already packed neatly in our suitcase otherwise I would post pictures. Sorry... I thought about it afterwards. :) Summer clothes are now on clearance so plan ahead!!
I WILL be blogging during our trip as much as I can. Internet and electricity can be a bit sketchy in India. Right now the plan is to fly to Delhi, visit our Compassion child and prefile our paperwork, then fly to Kerala and spend time with my niece, then hopefully make it to Chennai to meet up with my high school friend Sarah (she's a teacher there... how cool is that?!), then up to Kolkata to vistit "R" and of course to pick up Miss PEA, then back to Delhi for Embassy Day and a day trip to the Taj in Agra, then home home home!!! A lot to cram in, I know! A couple of things are still in the air and they depend entirely on when Pala's passport comes through. We plan to throw a little local site seeing in there depending on how Pala is doing and airport delays, etc. Yes, we are waiting to see the Taj AFTER getting Pala. This has been discussed at length and we feel this is an opportunity we don't want to miss. After all... if we can handle driving to Iowa and Myrtle Beach with our 3 BOYS then the trip to Agra with PEA will be a piece of cake...I think it's me that Shad is more worried about... I get car sick!! Ha... he'll have his work cut out for him! :) I may be a little "green" in the pictures but it'll all be worth it!! Sheba (our inspiration to adopt from India) will be in the states at the end of October so that is why we will not be including Hydrabad to our list of stops while in India. Both Shad and I were both a little disappointed that it wasn't going to work out but are hoping to see her before we leave. I wish you all could meet this remarkable woman!!
Well, I still have some planning to do, notes to write to the school, copies to make, plus all of my daily chores....
Today we found out that we have ICPC approval!!! This is just Oklahoma and New York giving us the formal approval to have Pala placed in our home. OK-because that's where Dillon International is and NY-well because... that's where we live! :) I know, I know... all these little technicalities. ICPC was that last thing on our side that needed to happen before we can travel to India. So... now we really ARE only waiting for Miss PEA's passport!!! I have a few more things to pack for Shad and I, but Pala is all packed!! We are going to be spending 1 day with our Compassion child so if anyone has any ideas of something special to take to him I'm all ears. He is 12.
My friend Cheryl's little girl "R" is in a different orphanage in Kolkata and we plan to visit her right before going to pick Pala up. There are a few more stops planned but we are still trying to work out the kinks. We have a lot to do in our 10 days in India! :) More details when they are finalized!! We are going to be whipped, but it will be a VERY rewarding trip for us!!!
We finally have a few minutes to post some pictures. Internet is a minimun of 600 Rupees per day. That's about $15. It doesn't seem like a lot but when you add it all up for each day... and you only have an hour or so to use it, it really adds up.
