5 inches, and 10 degrees...awesome

"5 inches, and 10 degrees Fahrenheit" was the text I sent out to my brother Ty this morning at 7:45. It was the snow report for Solitude Mountain Resort, Sunday Jan 9, 2011. Now a decision had to be made. Would we brave the cold and hope that 5 inches of fresh snow was enough to cover in the old tracks of the last few days? Although not ideal, we were motivated by the forecast. After enduring a week in the valley of "the 4th worst quality air in the country", we were ready (and hopeful) to see the sun and breath some fresh air. With my "semi retirement" coming to dramatic halt in a few short days, and the knowledge that Val and I will soon be breathing air (in Guangzhou City) that will make Salt Lake's soup look pretty good, I was ready to take a chance on Solitude.

The day was glorious. (take a look). Sure, it was a little cold, but the sun was shining, the air was clear and crisp, and the sky was a vibrant blue. At the top you could see ridge after ridge of fresh snow, with some slopes bearing the signature tracks of dawn patrol soldiers. Ty and I both felt pretty good and the snow was effortless. We did have a little trouble with some wind loading in Honeycomb Canyon, but once back on the east side the snow felt as light as smoke, void of any resistance. The cherry on the day; experiencing one of my simple pleasures in life --following my little brother down a steep pitch, watching him as he skillfully works his board against the slope. Back on the lift, I started reflecting on our day, then on our surroundings, and then on the notion of how truly blessed we are here in the Wasatch Mountains. It is a magical place, I never take for granted.

Then Marin popped into my head (as she does on average every hour, night and day lately). And I started thinking about how special it will be to share this with her. As has Helena, Marin will come to love this place called Utah, these amazing seasons that bring us snow, sun, fresh water and occasionally, clean air :). It was an awesome thought in an amazing day.

Then, I starting thinking about next Sunday, and an overwhelming feeling came over me. As amazing as today is, it won't hold a candle to this time next week. Next Sunday (Monday in China) will be our little Marin's Gotcha Day. On January 16th, Val and I will spend a sleepless night and an early morning in great anticipation. Sometime late morning or early afternoon of the 17th we will then board a shuttle and depart our island enclave crossing over a bridge. Passing bicycle after bicycle and green taxi after green taxi we will travel along the south bank of the Pearl River. After a short while, as we stare out the window at the multitude of people staring back at us, we will turn into a warren of concrete that is downtown Guangzhou. We will leave our coach and enter a tall, nondescript office building. We will take a seat in an open room about the size of Read and Caroll's living room. And then, in an instant, our thoughts, inklings, wonderings, notions, hopes and fears about our daughter will start to unfold. Will her hair be long or buzzed short? Will she be walking? Will she look tired? Will she have a winter cold? Will she be a tiny thing or a buddha baby? More important questions will also be answered over the next several days: Will she shut down? Will she cry all day and night? Will she eat for us? What will she eat? All this and more will be revealed --as we take her into our arms and finally begin to learn what it's really, really like to have a little Marin Irene in our lives. That, my friends, will be an amazing day.

Consulate Appointment? Check.

Well, we received the official word today. With our consulate appointment secured in Guangzhou, we are heading to China on January 13th! Yes, that is just 15 days away and our "to-do" list is growing, steadily. Justin has been diligently working on Marin's new bedroom...painting, re-wiring, carpet-cleaning, etc., but now we have even more motivation to finish the job. Its weird to look in on that room, which has been our office for the past four years, and see the makings of a baby room. There's a crib, dresser, changing table, and rocker --most items courtesy of Helena. She has been very generous with her old things and has even provided her new baby sister with a special stuffed bunny, which matches the room's decor. Of course giving up your old furniture for brand-spankin-new stuff, makes parting with it a bit easier. As well as being comfortable, little Marin will be well dressed. Thanks to the generosity of grandmothers, sisters and good friends, Marin's closet will be stocked with slightly used hand-me-downs. Its nice to dwell on the easy, simple things and not the whirlwind awaiting us in two short weeks (like learning to feed a baby with a pigeon nipple --more on that later).
Oh yeah, and the packing. We have "the list" in a high traffic area so we can add to it as soon as we think of something. This time we will not forget the gourmet instant coffee, the Zicam and most importantly pureed prunes (for Marin, of course).

Meet Marin...

We are elated to introduce Marin Irene (even though we ourselves have not yet met her in person). She is our daughter in our hearts and we are planning to make it official when we travel to China, hopefully in January. She is eleven months old and was born in Huazhou, Guangdong Province. She currently lives with a foster family and we trust that they have taken very good care of her, showing her lots of love. We are graciously in debt to the people in her life who have taken care of her until the day when we can unite with her forever.

"No man steps into the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man."
Heraclitus
We feel the same about this journey to China. It is a country that has experienced immeasurable change in recent history and is continuing to do so. We too have grown and changed as a family over the past three years. We've been told no two adoption trips are the same, and we are trying to prepare for the unexpected.