Yesterday was Easter and a thought came to me (yes-I have a thought once and a while). This will be the last Easter (God willing) that our new little one will spend in an orphange. This time next year we will be teaching her who our Heavenly Father is and why Easter is so important to us.
I put a couple pictures of our nursery on the blog. I am pretty proud of this little room. It only took me 8 days from start to finish-including new carpet, doors, paint and trim.
On Saturday we went out to eat with some new friends. We met with Oscar and Julia from South Bend. They also brought along Owen (16) and little Genevive (2-home for one year from Hunan China). I met her online and we decided to get together. They shared with us their experiences with adoption. They are going back again this year for their 2nd adopted daughter. This time though they have asked for a 3-5 year old. It was fun meeting with them.
Now that our paperwork is done and sent off I spent the weekend "shopping". I signed up for baby registries on the Walmart site and the Target site. What fun that was! I have had a few people ask what things we might be needing so for the fun of it I set up the regestries. I also realized how much more fun a young toddler is going to be and shop for verses an infant. Toys and books etc. A one year old will be the perfect "fun" age.
Thanks for checking in
ChinaMama
Monday, March 28, 2005
Thursday, March 24, 2005
DTC TODAY!
We are DTC today. That means our documents were sent out to China today! They will start translating them next week and then we will get logged in at the CCAA.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Stressful Day
Man what a day I had yesterday. Talk about being reminded that I am not in control but God is. My I-171H was certified on Monday (I took Morgan with me and we had a field trip at the State House). I Fed Ex'd my package to Chicago to a courier. She was then planning on taking the document to the Consulate and having it authenticated. Picking it up today and sending it to my agency so that they got it by Thursday. Then our agency would send it to China on Thursday (they are closed this Friday). Anyway, Fed Ex lost my package and it did not get to Chicago. We made several phone calls yesterday and Fed Ex was trying to locate my package. I was a mess cause that meant my perfectly laid out plan was not going to happen. Well, the package was found last night and it made it to Chicago by this morning. The courier took it to the Consulate and begged and pleaded and they agreed to authenticate it TODAY! They almost never agree to doing it same day. She will pick it up this afternoon and get it sent out to our agency and they should have it by tomorrow morning. Then our precious dossier will be sent to China and our paperchase will be over!
Chinamama
Chinamama
Saturday, March 19, 2005
The now beloved I-171H
Exactly one week to the day of being fingerprinted WE GOT OUR I-171H form that we had been waiting on. I am so excited. Before it was the hated I-171H now it is the beloved I-171H. Now the plans are....
Monday..I will drive to Indianapolis and have the 171 state certified. Then I will drop it in a fed ex box and send it to Denise Hope, a courier in Chicago.
Tuesday...Denise will receive the 171 and take it to the Chicago Consulate for authentication.
Wednesday...Denise will pick up the authenticated 171 and fed ex it to our agency.
Thursday...Grace at A Helping Hand will receive the 171 and hopefully send our Dossier off to China. HOPEFULLY!
Then it is wait time.
Also, today I finished the baby's room. Mike got the trim put up, the closet doors up and the dimmer switch done. The only thing I need to do now is move in the crib. It is really a cute room. I am proud of it. Now I just hope the next six months flies by.
ChinaMama
Monday..I will drive to Indianapolis and have the 171 state certified. Then I will drop it in a fed ex box and send it to Denise Hope, a courier in Chicago.
Tuesday...Denise will receive the 171 and take it to the Chicago Consulate for authentication.
Wednesday...Denise will pick up the authenticated 171 and fed ex it to our agency.
Thursday...Grace at A Helping Hand will receive the 171 and hopefully send our Dossier off to China. HOPEFULLY!
Then it is wait time.
Also, today I finished the baby's room. Mike got the trim put up, the closet doors up and the dimmer switch done. The only thing I need to do now is move in the crib. It is really a cute room. I am proud of it. Now I just hope the next six months flies by.
ChinaMama
Monday, March 14, 2005
FINGERPRINTED!
Finally-we have been fingerprinted! What a joke too. We had a 9:15 am appointment in Hammond on Saturday. We also had a Lake Effect Snow Advisory going on. So we left at 5:30 am just in case. Well we did hit bad weather on the way (40 mile an hour on the toll road). We still made pretty good time and had an hour to kill once we got there. So we went out for breakfast. While sitting in the restaurant I looked up at the clock and about fell off my chair. Stupid me, I forgot that Hammond was an hour behind us, so we in fact had a two hour wait. DUH! So we parked the van and slept. Once we got in there it took 25 minutes to print the three of us and then we were out of there. Now hopefully within two weeks we will get the much anticipated I-171H form that we are needing.
I got the baby's room painted this weekend and Mike got two of our three doors replaced. (The current bedroom doors are painted and I want stained doors). This morning I went in to pick out new hall carpet and carpet for the nursery. I figured it would take a couple weeks to get them out to install it. Nope, she said, "We have an opening tomorrow morning, would that work?" Whoo Hoo. That is cool. Now I have to get my butt in there and get that old carpet cut out. Tomorrow it is off to Millwork to get my trim.
I don't think I have mentioned it yet on here, but Jon and Lisa are expecting again. She is about 10 weeks along. They were not making any announcements to start with because of her miscarriage this winter, but she has been sooo sick this time. The doctor said that is a good sign, but I am not sure she agrees anymore. She has been really miserable. Hopefully it will let up soon as she nears the end of her first trimester. She is due October 7th.
Mom starts her Chemo Therapy tomorrow. That is another new change. The doctors decided it was best to do Chemo along with the radiation. She has been out shopping for wigs and such. I am truly inspired by her upbeat spirit and outlook. I am sure she has her down moments too, but she has really kept a positive outlook on everything and I think that will be to her benefit.
Well that is all for now. Off to rip out carpet.
ChinaMama
I got the baby's room painted this weekend and Mike got two of our three doors replaced. (The current bedroom doors are painted and I want stained doors). This morning I went in to pick out new hall carpet and carpet for the nursery. I figured it would take a couple weeks to get them out to install it. Nope, she said, "We have an opening tomorrow morning, would that work?" Whoo Hoo. That is cool. Now I have to get my butt in there and get that old carpet cut out. Tomorrow it is off to Millwork to get my trim.
I don't think I have mentioned it yet on here, but Jon and Lisa are expecting again. She is about 10 weeks along. They were not making any announcements to start with because of her miscarriage this winter, but she has been sooo sick this time. The doctor said that is a good sign, but I am not sure she agrees anymore. She has been really miserable. Hopefully it will let up soon as she nears the end of her first trimester. She is due October 7th.
Mom starts her Chemo Therapy tomorrow. That is another new change. The doctors decided it was best to do Chemo along with the radiation. She has been out shopping for wigs and such. I am truly inspired by her upbeat spirit and outlook. I am sure she has her down moments too, but she has really kept a positive outlook on everything and I think that will be to her benefit.
Well that is all for now. Off to rip out carpet.
ChinaMama
Monday, March 07, 2005
We're Baaaack...and other good news
We made it back from Cancun this morning at 2 AM (We left the resort at 1:30 PM-12 1/2 hours of travel). That made for a pretty short night and VERY early bus route this morning. The weather was great, the sites were neat and the traveling was waaaay too long. But hey, it was a free trip. Who am I to complain about anything. It was a nice break.
Some of the good news is, on Wednesday before we left I heard from the INS in Indy. She tracked down our fingerprint appointment and when we got home our letter was waiting for us. We go in this Saturday. I was hoping they would let us come in earlier this week, but it doesn't look that way. Oh well, I will take it at this point.
ALSO...the doorbell just rang and our documents that I had sent to the Chinese Consulate were being dropped off by the Fed Ex guy. That is cool. Only 11 days to get those back. I also got Evan's physical from the Secretary Of State, so I will send that off to the Consulate. We are now just waiting on the I-171. That should come within 2 weeks of our fingerprinting (I HOPE).
We might still make it to having a DTC/LID date in April. I am really hoping for that.
Thanks for your prayers,
ChinaMama
Some of the good news is, on Wednesday before we left I heard from the INS in Indy. She tracked down our fingerprint appointment and when we got home our letter was waiting for us. We go in this Saturday. I was hoping they would let us come in earlier this week, but it doesn't look that way. Oh well, I will take it at this point.
ALSO...the doorbell just rang and our documents that I had sent to the Chinese Consulate were being dropped off by the Fed Ex guy. That is cool. Only 11 days to get those back. I also got Evan's physical from the Secretary Of State, so I will send that off to the Consulate. We are now just waiting on the I-171. That should come within 2 weeks of our fingerprinting (I HOPE).
We might still make it to having a DTC/LID date in April. I am really hoping for that.
Thanks for your prayers,
ChinaMama
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Need a Break
Well yesterday we said goodbye to Grandpa. It was a beautiful memorial service. Besides my cousin Beth who was at college and got sick so she couldn't make the trip back, the whole family was together. I don't think that has happened since I was a little girl. It was sad to say goodbye but it was also a joyous occasion knowing that Grandpa is home with Jesus.
We still have not received our fingerprint letter. I am wanting to give up. Ther is a difference between being patient and feeling defeated. I am starting to feel defeated. Someday I will laugh at this but that is hard to believe right now.
Tomorrow Mike and I start our journey to Cancun. Well actually tomorrow night we go to Fort Wayne so we can leave the next morning. After this last month I need a break.
When I get back I get to start decorating. We have the girls moved to their new rooms and I can start tearing Morgan's old room apart and fixing it up. That of course will lead to the hallway and then the living room. Good therapy. HAHA.
ChinaMama
We still have not received our fingerprint letter. I am wanting to give up. Ther is a difference between being patient and feeling defeated. I am starting to feel defeated. Someday I will laugh at this but that is hard to believe right now.
Tomorrow Mike and I start our journey to Cancun. Well actually tomorrow night we go to Fort Wayne so we can leave the next morning. After this last month I need a break.
When I get back I get to start decorating. We have the girls moved to their new rooms and I can start tearing Morgan's old room apart and fixing it up. That of course will lead to the hallway and then the living room. Good therapy. HAHA.
ChinaMama
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