Three weeks!

We leave for Beijing in three weeks! Wow! I can't wait. I think I've already mentioned that everything else that is going on in my life is taking a major backseat to our upcoming adventure. Thank god for business partners and committees that are willing to take over! I'm still busy getting the house ready (nesting!) but I also want to just think about Iris, hang out with Amelia and Dean, and visit with friends. I feel so blessed and I really just to slow down and enjoy every second of it. Life is too short to miss these moments.

Amelia is starting grade one next week! She is super excited, as am I, but I'm a bit sad too. When she started play school and then moved into kindergarten I didn't find it too hard because she was still with me for the majority of the day. The few hours a day that I was away from her was a nice break. But with grade one, she'll be gone all day! It's going to be so strange! She's basically been an extra little part of me for the last 7+ years (if you include pregnancy). Jeez, I hope I don't cry on that first day!

So, a few of you have noticed that Iris is going to have my last name. Yeah, we're breaking tradition here. Certainly not the first people to do it, but it's not that common yet for siblings to have different last names. I love seeing Helmig on Iris' name! And yes, Dean and I have noticed the irony...that our blonde, blue eyed daughter has the last name Chan and our Chinese daughter will have a German last name. I love it! Because regardless of our names, we are still one family.

Since the time difference is 14 hours between here and China, almost every time I think to myself, 'I wonder what Iris is doing', the answer is almost always 'sleeping'. But last night I was wide awake (middle of the night...don't know why) and it was nice to be able to think about Iris in her waking hours. Wondering if she is eating or being entertained by her caretakers, or having a nap. Right now, she would be sleeping, since it's almost midnight there (10am here). I just checked the weather there...it's 26 C! At midnight! We certainly don't get weather like that here in Edmonton! We are going to have to bundle her up when we get her home...she won't be used to weather like we have!