Three years ago!!!

3 years ago was Gotcha day!!!!

This was the first picture I say and fell in love with him!!!

this was 2008

this was gotcha day what a day what a blessing!!!

And this is when we first met!!! He was so excited, so animated, so happy! I remember my first thought " he is huge!" (allot of it was cloths but he was 45lbs at 3.5) he was so beautiful!!!!! It was a wonderful day! and it has been 3 wonderful years! We are so blessed to be Kai's mom and dad, he is so joyful and kind. We love him so so much!!! God is so good he brought us together as a family and we can not wait to complete it with Lily!!!

Beautiful weekend

It was sunny and 35 on Saturday! The sun felt sooo good! We went for a nice long walk. The boys had a snow ball fight.

The big guys also got a little indoor riding in. Jack looked good out there!

We were also blessed to meet a couple in our church a while ago and they had invited us to come over and make dumplings for Chinese New Year! So we were able to do that this weekend too. So as I am typing this I am stuffed!!! I ate sooo many!! It was fun and is great to have someone willing to share the culture with us!!! She is Chinese but was born in the US and her and her husband live the last 3 years in China teaching English. Feel so blessed to have met them and really enjoyed the afternoon with them!

Looking forward to this week as now everyone is back to work in China from Chinese New Years. I was looking into hotels and boy I sure hope we go before the April 13th that is the week of the big trade fair and $104.00 room will go up to $338 during that week. Please keep praying we will travel before that!!! The trade show will also affect our Flight cost! Hoping to get our Visas and Travel Pack this week.

Looks like worse case = (

So I was thinking we would get our Article 5 next week after Chinese New Year! I was wrong Our paperwork did not get filed before CNY = ( I dont understand why. My agency says they sent it DHL to China the day we sent it to them, which was the 8th. ??? Any ways it will get filed on the 22nd and it takes 2 weeks! So that means we will not get it till March 8th = (
Then TA 1 to 4 weeks from then so mid April travel I SOOOOOOOO hope it is on or before spring break! PLEASE PLEASE pray!!! It is not looking to good = (
The one good thing is all the families Just behind me who would be great to travel with have now about caught up!!!

9 Months Today!

Well today as I scrolled to the bottom of my blog, not sure I wanted to see it! We are 9months today!!! Today is also The start of Chinese New Year!!! I really hope these being on the same day work out to be a good thing like we will get our baby girl sooner!!! 9 months since we sent our LOI (letter of Intent to adopt) It was May 11 2009 that I saw her beautiful face!!! 9 months I have been praying and loving her! Dreaming of holding her!!! Well like most pregnancies we are hoping the day she is placed in our arms is very soon!! We are waiting on our Article 5 the last paper! Chinese new year once again has landed at the end and postponed things for about a week! So what that means is we should get our Article 5 the week of the 22 or at the latest the week of March 1 and TA (travel announcement) usually comes 3 weeks after that! It could come quicker or later they say 1 to 4 weeks! So best case would be TA by March 15 (not Likely) or average would be TA by March 22nd. Worst case and I say that lightly as it could be much worse, but worst case would be TA by the first or second week of April!!! I asked after we get TA how long till we travel I was told if we got TA on a Monday we could travel as soon as Friday if we wanted !!!!! If we wanted???? hmmm

NVC Letter!!!!

Wow I called today to find out when our info was Cabled to China and the told me on 2-4!! that is fast and I was really happy. Then I got home and got the mail and My NVC letter was here!!!!! I did not expect it till next week!!!!! Now all my paperwork goes to the US Consulate in Guangzhou!! as soon as they approve it. it will be sent to CCAA and then TA (Travel Announcement) still not sure of the time frame but it is getting closer!!!! I need to get moving on things that have to get done before we go!!! and start a packing list!

= )

The Garden

It really turned out better than I thought. I do not love it but it turned out very nice! = )
We had to choose a song and make a garden around that... Our guys and I stress GUYS picked Cleveland Rocks???? Why?? I really do not know and I have no idea where I was for that meeting??

It was great to be around all the flowers!!!!

And to wake up today to 3 ft snow drifts!!!!

Feeling grateful today! The stress is done now it can be enjoyed!

If you happen to go to the show keep your eyes open a look for the lady bug!!! She is in there!!

I added a few critters for the kids to find! Fish, a frog, some birds, the lady bug, and even a turtle!

Blessed to be able to do it again this year!

Enjoy!!!!

Wow What a Day!!!

So this Garden is coming together, but not without lots of stress. Today was also the judging for Jack's NHD (National History Day) documentary. They spent at least 80 hours working on it and it turned out great!!!! I came home to pick up things to take out to the Garden show and to check the mail for our I-800 and it did not come so I was bummed. I was on my way to the garden show and then run to Jacks basketball game by 5:00 when I got a call saying the game was at 4:00 not 5:00. I ran back to the school missed the first quarter. The score was Home 0 to 8 by half time. Let me just say Jack is a great defender I really enjoy watching him play. He may get a few point here and there but he is a really good defender. Well in the second half Jack made 2 three pointers and got the buzzer beater to win by one point!!!! I was just amazed. Wow. I am so proud of him!!!
So then it was time to run the kids home for dinner and then off to the garden. On my way home I called Jack and he tells me "oh some lady from AAC called and wants you to call her" What it is 7:22 why didn't you call me?????? Now I have to wait till tomorrow to find out if everything is ok!!!!! I called just in case someone was still at the office and they were there!!!!! They told me they got our I-800 approval!!!!!! So now all our paperwork gets sent to Judy in China. In about a week I will get a letter from NVC (National Visa Center). This letter lets us know they have entered us in the system and know China can access our information. Once we get this letter we email it to our agency and they email it to Judy in China. She then takes our paperwork to CCAA and files it. Then we wait for TA!!! How long does all this take???? Well about 6 weeks but just like with Kai's adoption our paper work will probably get to China during Chinese New Years. Which may hold things up for a week or so, so it may be 8 weeks. I am just glad things are moving along!!!! I also know the closer we get that Lily may be taken out of foster care and go back to the orphanage till we come to get her. Please please pray for her!!! Lots of changes are going to start happening in her life and if you have ever had a toddler you know even small changes can be very disruptive and stressful.

Lord Please comfort her!!

Good news and a bit of anxiety

I called to check on the status of our I-800 because it has been 2 weeks and I did not get a letter of receipt. I was told that it got approved on 1-29!!!! so it should be coming in the mail soon. Then I send it to my agency and they send everything to China. I should get a letter about a week after saying they have received it. This is good news, things are moving along!! this week has been very stressful Jack has his NHD (national history day) project due . It was a huge project and they spent 19 hrs. this week alone and 16 last week end. They did a documentary and it turned out really good but it was big. We also have a garden in the Great big home and garden expo which is a very big build for our company. We have had gardens for 4 years now and it is really exciting. This year I am sad to say I am not crazy about our design. The guys are doing a good job and I hope it comes together but I am having a hard time with the final decor. I have just loved the gardens in the past so just feeling disappointed I don't love this one = ( I am sooo excited to be getting so close to going to get Lily but I have lots to do and for what ever reason it all popped in to my mind and I stared to feel anxiety. I have slowed my self this morning and tried to refocus my self. I am one person and I can only get done what I get done each day. things will work out and this is just a feeling. Prayers please that the judging goes well for Jacks big project and for ours. And prayers for peace the next few days as we work hard to finish the garden. once this is over I can slow down and focus on getting my taxes in order and start thinking about all the preparations for packing and traveling. Our I-800 was approved and that is good news! to end on a good note!