We've Arrived Safely!

We arrived here in Beijing safe and sound with no issues!  All is well - thank you for your prayers!
Our packing Tuesday night took forever and we ended up very pleased with the weight and amount of suitcases (all under in country weight and two checked bags, two carry - ons and two-ish personal items).  We got into bed close to 1:00 am and our alarm went off at 3:30.  :)  We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, stress-free.  Our flights were uneventful and I had window seats on the first two flights, which is a must for me.
 We met up with the U Family in Chicago and their sweet little girl.  We're so thankful we are on this journey with them! :)  Their little girl, H, helped me pass some of the long hours on our flight to Beijing by testing out all of the apps and games I've downloaded for Charlotte and Flora Lin.  I can't say enough how cute, smart and funny little H is!  She's a great reminder of why we are here and not to take ourselves too seriously!  She had us in stitches several times with her witty and silly remarks!  We are so, so glad to have them with us.  Would you please say a prayer for them as one of their bags containing medicine for their children and several other important items was lost.  I think we have enough medicine to share, but I know there were other necessities in the suitcase as well.
Speaking of our long flight, our plane to Beijing was only half full (YAY), meaning we could all spread out!  It was LONG, but I was able to move over to a window seat in an empty row when I finally got sleepy.  I didn't get much sleep on the plane, but that may help me in the long run with the jet lag in country.  We were served two meals on the plane (one at the beginning and one at the end), a snack, beverage service many times (including an orange juice run for those, like me, that weren't asleep!) and hot towelettes to wipe our faces off!  I was pretty pleased with the long flight.  I was glad that they had the flight tracker that we could watch and documentaries to help put me to sleep!
One enjoyable moment of the flight (other than playing with little H and talking with the U family) was when we were flying over the Arctic Circle.  It was - 68 outside (!) and the sun was beginning to rise.  Most everyone was asleep on the plane (save some of the crew and another sweet older Asian lady that was walking the isles like me).  The colors of the sky were so beautiful against the white icy ocean.  I made myself sit up a little more so I wouldn't miss the sunrise (or was it a sunset?!), but after an hour, it hadn't changed much!  The sunset/rise stayed with us for quite a while.  I've never seen a frozen ocean with cracks in between  plates of ice, but I could've studied it forever if I hadn't been so sleepy!  I also could do much better justice to this post and my description of things if I'd gotten more sleep in the past 48 hours!

For future travelers, things I'm glad I had on the plane:
* horseshoe shaped neck pillow
* makeup remover wipes (didn't put on make up, but they made me feel better)
* fresh fruit
* layered clothing
* I Pad
* hand sanitizer
* vitamin C immunity supplement
* nalgene type bottle with water - the air on the plane is SO dry
* chapstick (Thanks, Tabitha!!!!!)
* absence of clutter so I could reach what I needed easily
* sanitizing wipes
* important documents, medicines, personal items (if they hadn't have been with me, I would have worried the whole time)
* extra blanket :) (it doubled as a pillow, etc.)
* good friends
* little H, who is the best 3 year old traveler I have met
* Sam

Things I wish I'd had:
* more water
* something to do with my hands
* something to read
* more rest beforehand

Customs was much easier to get through than I thought it would be.  Much easier.  There were some eerie moments that I will talk about more maybe when we get home.  We had no issues with Sam's passport or visa, though they did make him check his carry on bag (thankfully, it didn't have important papers in it).  They let others with larger bags take them on and there was PLENTY of room for it in the overhead storage bins.  We were so glad to see it in baggage claim and I was thankful Sam had me tie a bright colored ribbon on each bag.  So much easier to spot! :)  Also thankful we tried our best to pack light and for easy transport.

Our guide was ready and waiting for us after we cleared customs - I don't know if I've ever smiled so big for a stranger before! :)

The bus ride to the hotel was uneventful, other than little H's musical performance of several songs and some silliness.  She is such a blessing in that she diffuses stress and any hint of a bad attitude by just being her.  Did I mention that she was awesome on the plane?!

The hotel room is a hotel room with an Asian twist.  Not much noteworthy there other than wear the slippers the hotel provides for you if you travel here.  We did have a beautiful Asian flower arrangement waiting in our room when we got here.  So sweet and a nice surprise!

I could ramble on and on, as it is afternoon time in my internal clock, but we have a day of sightseeing and acclimation tomorrow that I need to be rested for. :)

Thanks so much for journeying with us and especially for your continued prayers.  We definitely felt them today!

Much love,
M & S