Guangzhou, China!

 

What a day!!

Today we learned that we will be posted to Guangzhou, China in 2014!

All week we have been waiting for the news- we didn't know when the results would be released. What anxiety. With each day I became more stressed. Finally, around 12pm today, friends started announcing their posts. I grabbed my Blackberry and went to lunch, eagerly watching for the little red light. Nothing. I went back to NIV and tried to keep interviewing, distractedly, as I kept one eye peeled for emails. Nothing. I interviewed for three more hours, while everyone around me knew by 1pm. Finally, at 4pm, I emailed my CDO- my email had gotten stuck in her outbox!!!  Oh my goodness, I aged a few years in those 4 hours.

Anyway, we are pretty happy about Guangzhou! And also scared, I'm not going to lie to you. We bid it #11 out of 30, far above other China posts (except Shanghai GSO, which I think would have been cool). D really wanted to go to China, while I was more hesitant. But when I learned that in Guangzhou they do immigrant visas and adoptions in addition to non-immigrant visas, I was interested.That was one of my bidding priorities- a post where I can rotate to different consular units. I've been interested in adoptions in China for years- first as a potential adoptive parent, and now as an adjudicating officer. I would love to be part of that work.

We really wanted to go to Asia, in my case because I'm dying to travel the region. We will be only 2 hours from Hong Kong! We hope to visit Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, and who knows where else while we're there. So if you're not into visiting Guangzhou...let us know and maybe we can meet you somewhere (in 2-4 years- mark your calendar).

Many people advised me on China and Guangzhou before we bid it, so I feel like I know a fair amount about both the pros and cons. You know, as well as someone can know who's never, ever been to China (cue anxiety).

As for logistics: we leave post in August 2013, head to Virginia for nine months of Mandarin training (it's actually primarily a Cantonese-speaking region, but I'll be learning Mandarin- I don't know enough to tell you why yet), take home leave in June 2014, and arrive at post in July. According to the current plan. Which could, of course, change.

So what else was on the list? I'm sad about our #1, Skopje, Macedonia. I really, really want to serve in Eastern Europe someday- I hope this posting doesn't rule that out. I'm a bit bummed about Tel Aviv and Moscow too. But that's why I love this job! Who knows where we will go in 2016!

Hope everyone else out there who was bidding is happy, too.

Happy (belated) birthday, America!

I know I'm 11 days late, but these photos are just too fun. We had the day off on July 4th, so a few of us decided to host a consulate-wide barbeque. It was fabulous- many thanks to my co-hosts!

The kids and I made 72 cupcakes

Uncle J is here visiting! He brought the hats. 

If only we had had a Bud...

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th! We sure did!

6 years old!

Last year I never managed to blog about M's 5th birthday party- life was so crazy and there were so many photos! I can't do that again!

My little guy had 3 parties this year. He really wanted to celebrate with his class, so we had a school party in May before leaving on R&R. Then, we celebrated in Oregon the night before his birthday with his aunts, grandparents, and cousins. On his actual birthday, we were in Maryland, and at his request, we spent the day at the Baltimore Aquarium with more grandparents and uncles. I'm so proud of my little-I mean big- six year old!

We love the amazing bakery we found in Santo Domingo

M created this picture to go with the Octonauts theme

Snacktime before the cake. Daddy was the entertainer.

Playing some games- that's M's best friend in front of him.

This is my favorite photo- he just looks so happy. 

And now, a few photos from the Oregon party. He was so thrilled that his family made a big deal about it. I can't share the cake since it has his name on it, but it was gorgeous.

Surprise!

And finally, a few shots from his real birthday spent with Grammy, Grandpa, and the Uncles J.

We waited hours for our food...but at least we got this awesome photo!

My son M is such a wonderful boy. He is smart, kind, caring, curious, and obstinate. He spends most of his free time playing with his little sister. He reads, swims, and speaks two languages. Right now, he is interested in space and sea animals. We are so grateful to have a healthy, sweet, handsome son in our lives. Can't believe how far we've come since this!

So much to do...

I'm having some serious blog guilt right now. I haven't posted about all our trips and my son's birthday, haven't gone through the hundreds of photos to send to our family, just behind on things.

I leave for a TDY (temporary duty) in London in about 1.5 weeks, and I have two major work projects to finish in my spare time, while also working in NIV for 2 weeks (where they are swamped and under staffed) and trying to wrap up cases in IV (where they are swamped and under staffed).
 
I wanted to stay late today to work on said projects, but was slammed by an allergy attack this am, which caused me to sneeze every two seconds while interviewing applicants. Rather embarrassing and miserable, not to mention gross. Going home was not an option! But staying late was not either.

We submitted our bid list on Sunday, so in the back of my head I'm wondering where we will be posted (my guess: China) and when we will know. I'm counting the days. Hoping to hear by early next week.

So, I have a few minutes w/o the kids at home...I'm going to go organize some photos or something.

Little fishies

L started to swim this weekend, a whole year earlier than her brother! It was so exciting, for all of us.

And here's the big brother, who also wanted to share his skills.