SIx.....

Six days from now, we'll be on our way.

On Wednesday afternoon, we received a FedEx package with the receipts for all of our flights to and from China. For some reason, we miss real airline tickets. They were tangible. You could hold them in your hands, and you really felt like you had something. An "E-ticket" just isn't the same.

We had a final conference call yesterday with our adoption agency and with all of the other people trvaeling in our group. Our agency is based in Colorado and is owned by a Chinese couple, Josh and Lily, who themselves have a child adopted from China. We have been very impressed by them. Josh was on yesterday's conference call, and he has a contagious enthusiasm for Chinese adoptions. If you're curioius, check out Chinese Children Adoption International.

The most important thing Josh said yesterday was, "When you get to China, give your brain to the CCAI representatives who are there to assist you." They have a great reputation. We've traded email with a number of families who have already made the journey. They all rave about the attentiveness of the CCAI reps.

Also in the mail yesterday, a package from Zazzle. We had about a dozen buttons made up with Merrilee's picture on them. We'll wear them at the airport in San Francisco so the other families we're traveling with will be able to pick us out. And, we're giving some to special friends.

My colleague from WBAL-TV, Kate Amara, is in Beijing covering the Olympics for the Hearst-Argyle TV stations. You can read her blog HERE.

And while the Olympics are underway, all of Baltimore will be rooting for Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff.

Be sure to follow them on line at WBAL.com.

In Baltimore, the place where the magic happens is the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Many an Olympic swimmer has trained there.

In fact, Casey Barrett, the son of Hearst-Argyle TV's CEO, David Barrett, trained there when the family lived in Baltimore. Casey swam for Canada in the 1996 Olympics.

An advance note of thanks to our neighbors who will be watching our house, watering the lawn and plants, taking in the paper, and mowing the lawn, while we're gone.

Even though we haven't left yet, we're already looking forward to coming back home and introducing Merrilee to all of you!