23 - Airline tickets? Check.

Another number photo that I really like. I think it's the diversity of each of the numbers all meshed into one photo -- 23 "23s"

Airline tickets will be completed today. I spent most of the day (Tuesday) working on schedules/fares. I have finally worked out a suitable schedule and fare and have tickets to go back to Kyrgyzstan to pick up Ellie. Two adult tickets, one baby + travel insurance - $4457. Ouch. The vast majority of expenses for this adoption have come in the "travel" line item. But, it's like the Mastercard commercial: Three airline tickets - $4457; 14 days of hotel - $2500; bringing home your daughter - PRICELESS.

I got to see Emma in the car rider line today (Tuesday -- I'll admit, I post ahead sometimes so it's 11 and I'm posting ahead for tomorrow). She has just come home from China with her parents and brothers. At first she was very shy and just looked down. Finally, by the time I finished talking with her mom, she was peeking around the headrest and smiling at me. She is just so petite and pretty. I know they are tired but so happy to be home with her!!

I have looked at my calendar for the next 23 days and I'm just overwhelmed by it all. I am meeting Kat, Charlie and Jia one day at the zoo. They are going to be one of my "pep" talks before I leave since they have only been back a few months. Kat is also letting me borrow a converter for the trip for which I'm VERY thankful. I can use my curling iron!! Whoo hoo.

I have another visit, dinner actually, scheduled with A. and her family who is giving us a high chair that once was C. and AP's. I consider it an honor to have another Kyrgz princess' high chair!

I am going to get together with my friend Lisa one evening and "The Girls" the following evening. It's the "last time out" before Ellie comes home. I'm sure there will be "pep talks" there too.

We have three football games before I leave. There are seven football practices and four basketball practices to usher "little man" to.

I am doing a focus/research study one night a few days prior to leaving. I'm excited as it pays $100 and I'm going to take it on the trip.

I have a doctor's appointment to get my Hep booster shot tomorrow afternoon.

I've told Joshua we'd go see Beverly Hills Chihuahua before I left so that's on the schedule as well.

I'm going out with my parents to celebrate my dad's birthday one evening.

We have a yard sale to do.

I have a wedding to help my mom photograph.

And, I have to call Ellie's doctor to get prescriptions and set up an appointment for when we return, order a Halloween costume for Josh before I go (I'll be WAY too tired to do it when I return and I won't have time to get it either), fill out the forms I need to take, make copies and have documents notarized as needed. I have two more weeks to volunteer at Josh's school on Mondays. There are 66 homes that need to be inspected before I go (assuming I get no new work in the next three weeks, and that is highly unlikely).

Kevin and I have made a small list of things we want to do around the house -- small things, really, before I leave.

Jennifer and I have scheduled a "snack buying" afternoon to go get the things we want to take on the trip.

I'd like to say I'm stressed, but surprisingly enough, most of the time I am not. Each day I'll try to do some of it until it's time to go.

Today, I managed to clean up our bedroom, sort through clothes and get a large bag of clothes ready for Goodwill. I'm going to try to get another bag once I go through the dressers and one more storage tub of winter clothes that will need to be put out soon. We have gone through all our DVDs, VHS movies and CDs to get rid of the ones we don't watch or listen too. We'll put the rest in the yard sale for this weekend. NOW, if I could get to the coat closet and sort through that, I'd feel like I was making progress.

On a very positive note, today Joshua admitted that he was a little bit excited about Ellie coming home and that he wished I could go sooner and get her back home. This is a big thing for him as normally he just doesn't even want to talk about her coming home. I continue to pray for a smooth transition in that arena. I can't wait to see their relationship develop. I remember back to when H. was in our family and how gentle and sweet he was with her, how he played with her and wanted to sleep in her bed with her and I review the photos of him with Ellie and see how much he loved holding her. I know it will be fun to see.

Elizabeth and I have been talking about the weather in Bishkek when we return, and I'm just certain it's going to be cold. Not like frigid cold, but, hey, I'm from the South -- 60 is cold to me. So now, I reviewing all the clothes I have picked out for Ellie and making sure she'll be warm enough. I'm thinking I might want to take a few extra blankets to swaddle her in while she sleeps because I've also read a post from Gen stating that they don't turn the heat on until October 15. I might get REALLY cold if it drops down in the 40s overnight, and Ellie surely will.

An interesting note: my online buddy Gen, who has adopted from Kyrg has her blog titled, "More Than We Could Ask for or Imagine" but their link is ourfantasticjourney.blogspot.com. Imagine my surprise, when I realized that the Simmermans, our former associate pastor at our church and the first adoption we experienced when they brought home Olivia, has a blog entitled, "More Than We Could Ask for or Imagine" at morethanwecouldaskfororimagine.blogspot.com. What are the odds of that???

Long post, huh? A lot going on. Thanks for reading!! And, so those of you who read through all that can have a bonus -- here are photos of Josh with Ellie.