Two China Dolls and a Prince!

This blog chronicles the story of 2 of our adoptions, both older children when they came home. It begins in 2008 and will continue in the hopes we can be of encouragement and information to anyone thinking of older child adoption.



Thursday, January 29, 2009

Hmmmmm

I was going to post something stimulating and interesting, but nothing happened today! I grabbed the kids from school, ran to piano lessons, dance lessons, and karate lessons, and met up with JR for (gasp!) a fast-food dinner at Arby's. Got home at 7:30 and read 3 books to Jazmin to fulfill her Book-It for January, got James to start on his weekend homework, and plugged myself into the computer. Tomorrow I'm going to sell my car (anyone want a 1997 Geo Metro with only 39,000 miles??? - great price!) and start counting down to Monday when the CCAA opens up again. We are hoping they come back raring to go and plop our TA in the mail ASAP! To all my good buddies waiting with me, this week'll be over soon!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Bumming in Missouri....


Hi, all! Been awhile since I've posted; check out our new family photo, too, down at the bottom of the blog. This one's from Christmas; it's also the one I had put on the picture pillow I sent Judi in her care package. It's actually two put together; it's hard getting 5 people to stop moving all at one time!

I was all excited last week anticipating TA and THEN, nothing..............not a word. Now the CCAA is off for Chinese New Year and our TA is still sitting on someone's desk. So now our travel may be pushed back to March. I really wish I understood why all these delays have happened. I still can't believe we started this process right before Judi's 3rd birthday and now she's almost 4! Jazmin has a little calender on her wall; every night she checks off one more day and asks me again when we're going. I have the girls' suitcase mostly packed; Jazmin has insisted on matching clothes so we have matching hoodies, Princess crocs, shirts, pants, and dresses in size 6 and size 2-4T. On the advice of another mom, I'm bringing safety pins for Judi's clothes in case they fall off her little hinny!

We also didn't get new measurements for Judi, so I'm operating under 6 month old numbers; it'll be so much fun to shop for the two girls in China!

I'll post an answer to the joke tomorrow; stay tuned!!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

TA, TA, where are youuuuuuuuuuu?

Well,
we're still hangin' in there just waiting for TA. TA is Travel Approval. China first gives you pre-approval to adopt, then waaaaay later, the real approval, THEN the approval to actually enter China! The good news is today we got our passports back all stamped and ready to go.
Chinese New Year is Jan. 26, and if the CCAA holds true to form, they will want to clear their desks before the holiday, meaning we might get TA next week! There is one glitch though; there is news that there is a new step in the TA process, where the LOAs have to go back to immigration here in the US for re-approval or something! It is really crazy; they don't think about the kids waiting for their families; it's just all bureaucratic nonsense! Pray that this does not slow us up even more; there are so many families this would affect and these children wait so long, they shouldn't have to wait longer!
On the home front, we're doing well. Jr's still employed, Jessica's doing really well so far this semester, and Jazmin already has her "airplane" bag packed! I keep saying i'm going to get packing, but can't seem to get to it. I'll probably be throwing things in a suitcase the night before we leave!