Adventures with two...

Travel Approval!!

We got word that our travel approval (TA) is in the mail! Soon, very soon, we can buy our tickets. And soon, very soon we will get to wrap our arms around that darling boy!

On Tuesday we hope to be able to fax our request for our consulate appointment and once approved we'll be able to buy our tickets. Hopefully that will be by Friday of next week, but it might be 6/2 or 6/3.

SO! What does this mean?

I am very hopeful that we will be leaving for China on June 11th or 12th! It seems as though we'll be able to meet Elijah on June 16th. JUNE SIXTEENTH! That is ONLY 24 DAYS FROM TODAY!!

Fingers crossed that it all works out as planned.

Back to chewing my fingernails.

Earthquake

We are assuming that all is well with Elijah after the devastating earthquake that shook China. The hardest hit areas were in Sichuan province and he is in Guangxi. We haven't heard specifically that he is okay, but we have reports that the kids in the Nanning SWI were safe and that there was no damage. We assume that since he is living in Nanning with a foster family he should be okay. Each day we are more anxious to get going and this pushed me over the top. Can we leave now??

On this map, the red marker is at Chegdu, the blue on Beijing. Look south to find Eli's city, Nanning. (click to enlarge)

I will be sending an e-mail to Emmie's foster family. Although I assume they are okay also, they were much closer to the quake site and probably felt the shocks.

My heart  breaks for all of the people who have been involved in this catastrophe. I just keep thinking of all of those children who died in the quake and think about how each one is the only child their parents could have and now they are gone. I can't even imagine the grief they are feeling today. Incomprehensible.

Click here if you would like to make a donation to provide immediate assistance through Love Without Boundaries.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Birthday Girl, Birthday Crown, Birthday Shiner! Isn't that how it goes? You've got to fall the day before your birthday to get some good scratches for your pictures. Flip-flops, they'll get you every time.

When my sister asked Em about her birthday this morning she replied, "I'm gonna turn three on May 12th." We had a small, but fun little Mother's Day/Birthday party. Em enjoyed her doting extended family and of course opening up all of the gifts.

I can barely believe, our amazing, brave, adventurous, smart, funny, generous, beautiful, happy girl is three today. THREE!

We love you with a thousand hearts...

LOA* GREAT NEWS!!! *LOA

After waiting just 71 days...we received our Letter of Acceptance (aka "Seeking Confirmation" letter) from China!

So, what does this mean? We will be in China in 6-8 weeks! Wooooohoooooooo!

What's that...about 50 days until we can hold our precious son! 50 days until we can see that clever smile in person! 50 days until we can hear his laugh, his voice! 50 days until we're a family of FOUR!

LOAs have historically taken 90+ days, however, everything to meet our little man seems to have fallen in place perfectly so far. There are so many little details that have gone far better than expected. When we originally found his file, we thought we'd be traveling in August or September. But, somehow everything fell into place: the homestudy was quick, our dossier came together without a glitch, the I-171H was quick thanks to some GOOD connections (thanks, Jen!) and now the LOA is here so early.

The universe is definitely conspiring in our favor!
50 days, baby boy and WE'LL BE THERE!