Copied from Sunday, November 28th, 2010 Travel Blog

I can blog!

We are here in Beijing, China and Kevin was able to get me connected to my blog - so happy now.  I have been missing telling about our travels.  You see, in China anything with the word "blog" in the title is sensored - but there are ways around it.

I only have a short amt of time right now so I'll give a quick rundown and then add more later.

Day 1 - Thanksgiving Day -  flights from Indy to Chicago and then Chicago to Beijing

Day 2 – Friday – still on the plane and arrived in Beijing at midnight

Day 3 – Saturday - visited the Forbidden City, saw the flag lowered at Tiananmen Square, visited where the city gates used to be on the edge of the city.

Day 4 – Sunday – had Chinese breakfast, visited a Christian church in the morning, had Greek food for lunch at a mall, went shopping at a mall, and had a traditional dumpling meal for dinner.

Day 5 – Monday – we are going to the Great Wall this morning and leave soon. 

Now that I am connected I will give a lot more details later.  We are all well and having a wonderful time.  The children are doing great!

At the airport in Chicago - we should be leaving soon!

 

Laurel is getting goofy waiting 8 hours at the airport!

On the plane to China!  Excuse the blurriness!

Karen

Copied from Thursday, November 25, 2010 China Travel Blog

Okay, I was really tired on this post below.  Not sure WHAT I was thinking, but I'll go ahead and copy it anyway...

Twas the morning of Thanksgiving... (4:29 am!)

and all through the house, the children were nestled...
all snug in their beds...
dreaming of plane rides and snacks...
and a new sister to add (to the family!)

Mother and father were busy at work...
making sure all the bags were packed safe and secure...
weigh them all 10 times just to make sure (that they aren't over China's 44 lb rule!)

Don't forget the cords to the cameras, laptop, video camera, DS and more!

Daddy will work on the last minute business work,
while mama stuffs the luggage and checks her list twice...er...
(Mama thinks she has checked her list about a gazillion times and it still isn't all checked off!)

Sleep will come soon (or so I have heard)
As the time of our leaving draws nearer and nearer (couldn't think of a rhyme!  It is 4:30 in the morning!)

So on this Thanksgiving night as you take a peak outside (plane leaves Chicago at about 8:00),
be sure to listen for the call from the air,
as the Burgess family exclaims to one and to all -
We're heading to China!  Come one and come all!
5 B's in a hive will be five no more -
we get our new sister (and daughter),
and become 6 B's in all (in the hive)!

Karen

(Copied from Saturday, Nov. 13th, 2010) Welcome!

Just a quick first post to welcome you on our journey to China where we will add a precious Lyric to our family of 5! 

We will be having a memorable Thanksgiving this year as that is the day we leave to get our daughter.  I'll have to plan some entertaining, fun things to do because we're spending 8 hours in the Chicago airport!  

The kids wanted to know if they will get extra food on the airplane - doesn't everyone stuff themselves (just like the turkey!) on Thanksgiving Day?  Hmm... I wonder if the on-board meal will include turkey, stuffing and cranberries? What the kids don't quite realize yet is that we aren't on the plane to Beijing until about 8:00 at night, so their Turkey dinner would have to be in the airport - maybe I can pack some cans of canned cranberries and a can opener in my carry-on...


Karen

Hello! We are back, are well-rested, and are doing great!

On our way to China!

We have been to the other side of the world and back again - bringing home with us our adorable new daughter, Lyric!  Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers for us while we were away - and THANK YOU to Joe who took us to the airport and brought us home again - and to the Mast, Treen, and Glass family who tended lovingly to our home and our chickens while we were away.  I had expected at least a couple of chickens to die (usually lose a few in the winter), but they all survived and are much fatter than when we left.  One of them, (finally!), started laying eggs for us!  It's about time they started earning their keep around here :)

I had set up the other travel blog while we were away, but what I am going to do now is copy it all over into this blog and then delete it from the other.  This time, I'll get pictures added to it!

Karen