Off the Immigration Rollercoaster!!

I am SOOOO happy to say that I emailed our USCIS (immigration) officer this morning and got the most wonderful response from her...she said that she (FINALLY) got our HS in her hands to go along with our I-800A application and that it was all processed and APPROVED late yesterday and my approval notice was in the mail!! Do you have ANY idea what good news that is??? I mailed out our I-800A on March 17th, so it feels great to finally be off of that rollercoaster....

"So, what is next", you ask?? Well, now that we have been approved, they will send us the approval notice and that is called an I-797. As soon as we get this in the mail, that document and all of our other dossier documents (13 total, I believe) will be sent to the secretary of state to be CERTIFIED....then, when those come back in a week or so, we will send all of our dossier documents to the Chinese consulate in Houston, TX to be AUTHENTICATED. Once these steps are done, our dossier is off to China (DTC) to be logged in (LID).

We are getting closer!!! Closer from a paperwork standpoint and for those of you wondering, we are also closer to giving our beautiful girl an American name. She, of course, has her Chinese name and we will be keeping part of it as her middle name. It has been really hard to decide on her American name. I really love alot of names and it has been so different from naming our other children. I can see her face, so she looks and doesn't look like certain names, but I have never seen her smile. Not yet. So, the closest thing I can do is imagine Lucy and her very large personality. When I think of naming Lucy based on what she looks like without a smile, it just doesn't seem right...so, I am holding out hope that we will get our update and maybe the hint of a smile. I understand that is a tall order....if that doesn't happen then we will just go with our gut:) We will definitely have to name her before we meet her because we have to put her name in some of the paperwork prior to our travel....either way you look at it, WE ARE GETTING CLOSER!!

Now, for a wonderful weekend!!

A Nice Surprise!

As I was getting ready to go to bed tonight, I got a message saying that our care package made it to the orphanage!!!! The lady in charge was not there, but was in training and will be back next week, so they have not gotten a new update. Hopefully, we will soon.....but, I did find out that they have never worked with this orphanage before (but it does actually exist-haha)---it is small, but very nice (for an orphanage, I suppose). Just any tidbit is like a treasure--it just made my day! I would like to think that maybe she is at least getting a little attention that is one on one. The Lord knows we are praying for her every single day!
Sweet dreams:) I know I will--it has been a great day!

A Little Behind (OK, alot...)

I know I haven't posted much but we have been on vacation and honestly, since coming home Friday, I just CANNOT get back in the swing of things....I am hoping to post some pics as soon as I can. But, that would be after I do laundry, clean the house, take a shower, go pick up my van, get stuff ready for ballgames tonight, pick up the kids, work on homework, run errands......so, let's just face it, it probably won't be today!!!!! But soon!? I still have to post some Easter pictures---haha!!! (maybe next year)...

I am sure what you really want to know about is our adoption progress (or the lack thereof)...so, the good news is all of our dossier is ready to go (be certified and authenticated, etc) and we have made all of the necessary payments...we only lack one approval. Which brings us to the bad news....while in Los Angeles, I decided to call USCIS (immigration) to see how our case was coming (since I had called the previous week and they said they had everything they needed to proceed)...come to find out, DHR had not yet forwarded our homestudy and we thought they had. So, long story short, if they had had our HS the 16th, it would have been processed and we would have gotten approval. But, we didn't..and that is ok...I am REALLY trying to exercise patience but it is SOOOO hard!! I called our officer today to see if she had it in her hands yet and she still does not. So, you know, honestly I don't know of anything I can do. Our agency said that they spoke to DHR and it had been forwarded but our officer says that even though it has been a week, things move slow and it probably just hasn't made it to her yet.....Lord help us all:) I am going to try to focus on all of the other 'stuff' that I desperately need to be doing...the Lord is sovereign and MIGHTY so I am going to let Him do His thing...it always seems to go better that way. You think I would know that by now!!!!!
Have a great day:)

God Is Good...

We had our biometric fingerprints done Monday...every time i have had my prints taken they can't get a good print and they do them over and over and over and then finally give up and say that is the best they can get. When we had our initial prints done they asked me if I dug in the dirt alot...ummm, no. Just a little:) Well, apparently my fingerprints are 'those of a bricklayers!?'...which I am guessing is awful since they get so frustrated. Anyway, I had pretty much reserved myself to the fact that my prints would fail (since the technician said it was likely)...I called immigration when we got back from our walk-in on Monday and told them that my original fingerprint date was 4/19, but we had them done 4/12 since we would not be able to make the 4/19 appointment. The lady I spoke with was so nice and we joked about my fingerprints and I told her my concerns. She said I was welcome to call back Wednesday (today) or Thursday and see if the fp's were good. Well, TUESDAY, the day after the prints were taken, I answered the phone and, lo and behold, it was sweet lady from immigration!!!!! She said she was in the system and happened to look my case up and saw that my prints were good---and just wanted to call and let me know....HALLELUJAH!!!! How abnormal!! Usually you are begging and pleading for ANYTHiNG, any little shred...I was so caught off guard, I couldn't think of anything to ask, I just kept saying thank you, thank you---she obviously made my day....my week even...I hung up and cried like a baby at God's favor shown through that call. Many of you are thinking that probably shouldn't warrant tears--she is obviously unstable or over the edge, but let me just say....during this INSANE process, any shred of information is like a treasure and especially good information:)

God is SO good....he is all about the small stuff that may seem insignificant....oh, how He loves us...

Little Snag, Now Smoothed

I know I posted about sending our sweetie a care package on 4/1/10...well, long story short (ok probably long), our package was the first in the history of our agency that got returned back to the sender (that would be us) because cash was inside...yes, we were the first, imagine that!! Cash was in the package for the sweet lady that needed to translate our letter and questions, because I do not speak, read or write Chinese:) As it turns out, apparently our package was randomly picked to be opened and the amount that we paid to ship it to China with DHL ($98) only got the package to Birmingham and back...so, after quite a hassle and Pakmail here going back and forth with DHL and me going back and forth with the agency letting them know what was going on, we ended up paying an additional $58 and I got word that Lily, in China, received the package yesterday and will be working on the translation and getting it to her. That little box turned out to be rather costly, but that is ok...in the next few days, our daughter will see pictures of all of us for the first time. I pray that someone will show her our pictures and tell her who we are. I also wrote her a letter...yes, I know she is only 2, but 2 year olds are much smarter than we give them credit for. I know she won't completely understand, but she can become familiar with our pictures and know that we are coming. YES, WE ARE COMING SWEETHEART. I am just a mess for lots of reasons...

We have made so much great progress and God has been so faithful. He has shown His favor in this process and I am so grateful. We are waiting on our I800A (immigration) approval which, if there are no delays with our fingerprints and if they do not ask for further information, we should get very soon. We will then get all of our documents ready to send to China (DTC) and get a log in date (LID) there. Then we will embark on the hardest parts of the wait...more to come on that, but not today. Once we are DTC, we are expected to travel in 4-6 months....I know I linked to this family earlier, but they are in China now, getting their sweet girl, Grace...

watching them gives me hope. It makes me emotional, but it gives me so much hope...

Be strong and courageous, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

HUGE Praise!!

We sent our I800A application in and have been waiting on our biometric fingerprint appointment....well, it came Saturday and was scheduled for April 19th, which was a day that we just absolutely could NOT do it....I have been sick on my stomach thinking this was going to be a huge setback and what in the world we could do. Well, I had heard of people 'walking-in' and taking a chance that they could get them done without an appointment, but hadn't heard of anyone that had done it at the office we were heading to...so, I finally convinced Charles to take off work and we (me, Charles, mom, Max and Lucy) headed to Birmingham on a wing and a prayer....well, pretty much only on prayer. We prayed and prayed and well, we walked in, got our prints and were out of there in a little over 30 minutes with me, mom and Charles all getting our prints done. Praise the Lord!!! Things are moving right along....we are now working on getting all of the loose ends tied up with our dossier. Everything is slowly but surely coming together.

A friend of mine is in China right now, getting her precious little one....this gives me hope that our time will come...in God's time...

Why Not???

I have not been able to get "Tripp" off of my mind all morning, so I am going to post this:

"Tripp is a very polite child and calls the caretakers "Auntie or Uncle" all the time. He is very smart, curious and shows his interests in many things. He is a very active boy and loves to play with his friends. He loves taking care of the younger kids. Tripp is able to take care of himself well such as dress himself up and etc. Now he stays with 10 other kids in a big room and he treats all kids very friendly. Whenever his friends were being adopted, he will show envy and ask when would be his turn. He always shows his eagerness to meet his parents (adopter). He has a very positive attitude towards being adopted and always answers YES whenever he was asked if he is willing to be adopted."

This is the write up about the precious little boy I posted about here. Time is running out and soon his file will be returned to the CCAA.

I know that the thought of adopting can be overwhelming. Trust me, I thought of a million reasons why "I can't"...but when looked at the reasons "why not?", they were all selfish reasons. And believe me, some of my reasons were pretty stinkin selfish!!! Are you too busy, too settled, too old, too young, too satisfied with your life, too broke, too scared, is your life too perfect??? I BEG you to ask God if He would have YOU adopt this little boy. He sounds amazing and deserves a chance....God WILL work out the details.

Our agency is wonderful...for more information about our agency and 'Tripp', click here (Tripp is on the list of Waiting Children).

Please feel free to contact me about him as well and I will get you in touch with someone that can answer all of your questions.

With a heavy heart,

Let's Play Ball

Saturday was opening day for the boys. Charlie is playing machine pitch and this is Max's first year playing tball. It is so much fun watching them in action! I managed to get one picture with them but that was NOT what they were wanting to do...aren't they so handsome!!?

Charles and his clone, Charlie...

This is what trying to get all 3 of them to smile for a picture always turns in to...

Finally, they cooperate!!

Daddy coaching Max...he was first up to bat and he got a hit!!

My sweet snugglebug...growing up....man, he is the cutest thing in the world!!

If at any time during the next few months you are looking for us--this is where we will be!! Living it up at the ballpark!!:)

For Baby Sissy

Lucy's favorite doll is her Bitty Baby named Sally Sue...

Of course, I knew we had to get one for 'baby sissy'...

I have a very dear friend that picked one up for me on her recent trip to the American Girl store. I cannot wait until...

It is going to be SO much FUN!!!!:)

Treat for our Sweetie in China

Now that we have our PA, our agency says it is ok for us to send her a treat. It has taken me awhile to collect everything although it doesn't look like a whole lot. They say not to send anything expensive or sentimental because we may or may not get it back when she comes and I guess there is a small chance it might not make it there (it better make it there as expensive as shipping was!!) Anyway, it was SO much fun to buy for her!!! We included a little stuffed lamb, a blanket, 3 outfits (all pink), some candy for the nannies, a letter to her, a letter to the nannies (and a list of questions that we will hopefully get the answers to when we pick her up) and 3 disposable cameras. We are hoping they will take pictures of her while we are apart and give them to us when we arrive to bring her home.

We also included a small picture album with pictures of her family (I blurred her name since we are not supposed to post it)...

This one says "Your Family"...

Man, I sure hope these symbols mean what I think they mean!!


These little munchkins canNOT wait to get her here (and neither can I)!!!!


While I was getting all of this stuff ready to ship, outside Max and Lucy were having an umbrella parade...It lasted a good hour...so nice!!! Cost of the parade: only 3 umbrellas (thank you, Lucy)!!!!

I even got Phoebe's picture...she is normally VERY camera shy...isn't she beautiful!? She can't wait to get a new playmate either!!

How exciting!!