Shunyi, Beijing, China

As part of our transition to Beijing, the school provides a shipping allotment for families.  We were given the large amount of cubic meters that was packed up and taken away July 12th, so we have not seen it since.  We were given a tentative arrival date in mid to late September.  We were then informed that our ship had been delayed, so it would be end of September and maybe not until after the first week of October.  Again, we got word that a typhoon in Hong Kong in September pushed the arrival date back even further!  We had a lot of patience in the beginning, but by the second week in October we were really wanting our shipment.  The weather has been getting colder and our sweaters, boots, and warmer clothes were becoming necessary.  When our shipment finally arrived on October 14th, we were thrilled.  There were a few surprises as we unpacked the toys, games, and clothes we haven’t seen for 3 months!  So much had happened that we forgot what we had packed.  The girls were excited to see beloved toys and games and I was thrilled to see family pictures and paintings done by the girls.  This white walled sterile apartment is starting to feel like a home with clutter, games, and photos.