NBC Back to Work

Well I heard from the NBC today and fortunately they are back in the office after being closed most of the week due to the weather. The bad part though is that they still have not approved my paperwork-ugh. This is what they said:

Hello:

I have not received the file as yet. After the Texas lockbox-which is overseen by the Department of the Treasury-receives the I-800 they enter whatever information they need into their databases and then they ship the file via 2nd day air to the National Benefits Center here in Missouri. When our contractors receive the I-800 they enter the information into our database, pull the previously approved I-800A and any supplements, and combine all the correspondence into what we refer to as the child’s A, for Alien, file. (Every alien has an A file that consists of all their applications and correspondence.) When the A file has been assembled, they run the final security checks and hand deliver the file to us. Hague officers typically review the file within 2 days depending, of course, on how many A files are handed to us.

I see that information has been partially entered for this application which means that the contractors have the file in our building and are working on data entry. I should receive the file within a few days.

Regards,
Margaret
Hague Adoption Unit
Department of Homeland Security
United States Citizenship and ImmigrationNational Benefits Center, Lee's Summit, MO

Wow can you see how screwed up this is to just get my paperwork to the desk of the person who has already seen all of our stuff and approved us the first time?!?! What a waste of time and money that our gov't has put into action to supposedly "protect the children". Sure wish someone who has actually adopted a child would be put in charge of all this bureaucratic mess and fix it for "the benefit of the children". Oh well, for now I have no choice but to sit and wait...

Gong Xi Fa Cai 恭禧發財

Happy Chinese New Year!! Today is the beginning of the biggest holiday celebrated in China. Most of the govt offices and all business will be closed for about 4-5 days. It is a very BIG deal in China, kind of like our Christmas Celebration. They have been preparing and working up to the big celebration for over a month (like we do Christmas). 2011 is the Year of the White Metal Rabbit.

Here is a little about Chinese New Year traditions:

Chinese Lunar New Year (a.k.a. Spring Festival) is one of the most significant of Asian holidays and a time for feasting, reflection and renewal. Traditionally celebrated over 15 days, many Asian shops are closed so you better get your shopping or business done! The New Year's Eve dinner is the most important family ritual of the year, representing a night of unity, reunion, harmony. Red envelopes (hong bao), fresh flowers, and new outfits abound, kids can stay up late, and seniors do the "longevity vigil" as a positive sign of their vitality. Popular dishes include anything whole (complete) or long (longevity) plus fresh and candied fruit that represent good health, happiness, prosperity and blessings: Whole chicken or fish (don't flip the fish when eating, akin to old fisherman's tale of flipping a boat); long noodles, long leafy greens, long string beans, kumquats, oranges. Lion dancing is another tradition during this time (Jan to Apr) to chase away demons and bring good luck to businesses and communities.


We will be celebrating on Saturday with some of other adoptive families for a fun Chinese Happy New Year lunch!

Papers Are Stuck

Unfortuntely my paperwork is now officially snowed in :( My adoption papers are currently in Missouri and need to get all the way New Hampshire once someone actually comes into work in MO to process them and ship them via UPS to NH. Ugh...

Palate Surgery Healing

I found this very interesting. It is written by an adult who recently had another palate repair done on herself. Coincidently she also has a child who has experienced palate surgery as well. Gives you a little insight into Shelby's world...


I am forwarding this with the author's permission.

Karen,

I would like to share a perspective from some one who has had a
similar operation as an adult. I had many surgeries in my life mostly
related to my cleft. I recently had my palate repaired again and will
retry again in April.

To me, the most bothersome thing with the palate surgery is the
feeling of the palate as it heals. The palate feels like a hairy
crumbled piece of plastic (due to the stitches) which is dry all the
time. It is colder than the rest of the mouth and a bit sore. To top
it you can't touch it, yet the natural instinct is to remove something
foreign in your mouth. At first I thought I had a plastic cap
protecting the palate. I asked my surgeon about when the cap would be
removed and we both had a confused moment. It was the palate and he
proceeded to tell me to stop playing with it with my tongue :)

I have to admit that my memories of the surgeries from my childhood
were not as vivid as this and it took me by surprise how weird it
feels. It was not very painful but i seem to handle pain better than
most (may be because of all the surgeries?). It is a bit frustrating
if the food is not liquid enough since this type of food seems to
stick to the stitches.

When my son had his palate repair I had no recollection on how it
felt. He woke up more frustrated than any thing. Now (after my recent
surgery) I can understand his frustration.

I hope this helps you understand what your son may feel as he heals.
As a parent, i helped my son with his recovery and we discovered what
helped him as best (cold liquids was the trick for him). The best
tool he has is you and how caring you are. In my personal experience
it helped a lot to have my loved ones trying to aid me when I need it.

Vanessa

Weekends

Make us smile!

On Their Own

Just read a very heartfelt message from Amy with Love Without Boundaries. Here are some of her words...

"When many people think of an orphanage, I think they often envision babies and toddlers. I used to be one of those people myself. On my many trips to China, however, I began meeting and falling in love with the older children who have grown up in institutions, many who never had any true chance of finding a permanent home. Their faces and stories are in my heart forever now, and sadly many of my memories of these great kids involve tears. Tears from Jenny, who broke down on her 14th birthday when she realized that she had aged out of the adoption system without being chosen. The final realization that she would never know what it meant to have a mom or dad of her own caused her to fall into a deep depression. Tears from Lily, a 17-year-old girl whom I had given my jacket after she admired it. When she refused to accept it initially, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, “But of course you have to take it because you are like family to me.” And it was at that one word, “family,” that this normally stoic young lady broke down and sobbed uncontrollably, as it is the one thing that she longed for."

Click here to read the rest of her post. Heartbreaking :(

Elise's Song

All of my girls happen to have a song that helped me get through this dreaded long wait to bring them home. One way or another each song "spoke to me" everytime I heard it waiting for that particular child. Shelby's was East to West, Faith's was Mighty to Save. Here is Elise's song that we all sing as loud as we can every time it comes on the radio!!

Baby Steps

I received this text/email message this morning at 1:15am from the lockbox of the USCIS in Texas:

Dear Applicant/Petitioner:

Your USCIS application/petition has been received and routed to the National Benefit Center for processing. Within 7-10 days by standard mail you will receive your official Receipt Notice (Form I-797) with your Receipt Number SIM1111500005. If you have any questions please contact the Hague Unit at (877) 424-8374 or NBC.HAGUE@DHS.GOV

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE

Yeah I know not much progress, but in this waiting game every little baby step counts!

Here is a basic breakdown of the rest of the steps involved in getting our final Travel Approval to be able to go get our baby girl:

When you get your LOA, you sent off your I800 application to USCIS, and they process it. It takes a few weeks for the officer assigned to your case to actually GET it and review the documents, but then they approve you. ---->The notice today was the "proof" they received our I800 application at USCIS

Once you are approved they will print a letter and mail it to you, then they forward your approval to the National Visa Center.

After about 4-5 days you'll get the 800 approval in the mail.

About that same time frame the National Visa Center will "cable" your paperwork to the Consulate in Guangzhou and issue a paper letter saying you've been cabled.

About 4-5 days later you will get that letter from the National Visa Center in the mail. AS SOON AS YOU GET THIS PAPER scan it in and email it to (YOUR AGENCY REP) who will email it to Lily who will print it out...

That letter along with your DS230 and copy of LOA will be taken, by (YOUR AGENCY REP IN CHINA), into the Consulate for (YOUR CHILD's) paperwork to be looked at (and matched up with a copy of your Dossier that the Consulate has). This will "pre-issue" his/her Visa.

The Consulate will issue the Article 5 letter 2 weeks exactly AFTER the paperwork is taken into the Consulate (and they only accept the papers on Mondays and Thursdays).

The Article 5 letter basically means that the United States says that all the paperwork is in order for this child to be issued a visa and there is nothing "lagging" with it.

Once the Article 5 letter is completed, it is sent with the signed LOA back to the CCAA, who then starts the process for the Travel Approval. This step has them contacting the province to verify all is in order with the child's paperwork and the child is ready.

Once they get this notification that the child is ready, they will then issue Travel Approval.-WHEW



Still hoping to spend our 15th Wedding Anniversary (April 27th) in an airplane with 4 kids for 20 hours! I know sounds SO romantic doesn't it??!

Thinking Of Her Today

Well I think of her EVERY day, but for some reason a lot this morning...

And really wondering how much longer she will have to go to bed like this...sigh

Want to Get a $13K Refund

Check this out and see how you too can get a $13,000 REFUND from the IRS next year!!
Adoption Tax Credit is explained "in a nutshell" in this video that is must see for families considering adopting.

LOA is Here!

It's official, China has reviewed all our documents and they have officiallly granted us the approval to adopt our little Miss Elise!! LOA (Letter of Approval) arrived today, and it was even about 2 weeks early :) Still hoping to travel late April/early May!

Hope For Orphans Class

I am gearing up for facilitating a new class at Piedmont Church about adoption. It starts this Wednesday night at 6:30pm at the church, and will last 6 weeks on Wednesday nights. I am excited about the prospect of meeting new people who are interested in making a difference in the life of an orphan. Here is some more info on the class:

Hope for Orphan’s If You Were Mine Workshop has come alongside thousands of families nationwide to invite them to investigate adoption from a biblical and practical perspective. Now available as a video workshop, If You Were Mine is perfect for small groups, a one-day event, or for individual families. This comprehensive resource explores the following topics:

God’s heart for the orphan
The processes and challenges of adoption
Agency selection and funding options
How to prepare yourself, your family, and your home
What to expect when your child comes home

If You Were Mine will help you and your church encourage families toward wise, loving decisions and healthy expectations about adoption.

Please consider this your open invitation to join me there this Wednesday!! Give me a call if you have any questions: 678-296-9975.

New Favorite Quote

Adoption requires that a ransom be paid, not a price.

Eight Today

Hard to believe my baby boy is now 8 years old. In some ways he seems so much older, but yet in other ways (like still cuddling with his mommy) I am reminded of his young age. Travis certainly keeps me on my toes, and is the FUN in our family. I know he is going to give me some grief as he grows into a young man, but oh I can't wait to see what a fabulous person he grows up to be. God has some great things in store for my baby boy. We are so happy to have him in our family :)

Oh and I have to mention what a good brother he is too. Travis and Faith are like two peas in a pod, both so strong willed, yet so good together. Travis is always right there by Caleb's side and doesn't want to do anything unless his brother gets to do it too. He is also already Elise's biggest fan and he asked about her a bunch. What a good heart my baby boy truly has:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite Travis in the whole world!

30 Down, 100 to Go

Today officially marks us 30 days into our wait for LOA, since LID. That means we are hopefully only about 100 more days away from our final Travel Approval to go get our little Miss Elise!!

I sent her a little something today to help her celebrate a Happy Chinese New Year. Now let's just hope I get some new pics back to help make my new year a happy one :)

Snow Days

Yes, I said snow dayS! We are in Atlanta and received about 6 inches of snow and ice on Sunday night. That has put us all at home for some fun time off. No school or work for any of us and it doesn't even appear there will be any melting going on before Friday. Hmmmm...not sure what we will do if we are stuck at home until Friday?!!? Anyhow, we are enjoying our time together right now. The kids get all bundled up, then they come in soaking wet, rinse and repeat :)

Wishes Came True

We all had a very merry Christmas this year. Everyone got their most favorite gift from Santa's wish list. The boys both got iPod touches that they seem to play with constantly. Shelby received her new AmericanGirl (Walmart) doll with matching outfits and of course the panda Pillow Pet. Faith did score some cotton candy that she told Santa she wanted every time she visited him (from afar of course). CJ got a new portable TV for his big truck, and I finally broke down and got an iPhone! Here are some pics I have taken on my new toy and posted on FB. Hope all your wishes came true as well :)

Merry Christmas

From our house to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS!





Wishing you and yours a wonderful time spent remembering the birth of our Saviour and the real reason for the season. Make a memory with your family and friends this Christmas, for no one knows what tomorrow might bring. Enjoy each and everyday that you have with your loved ones!! Merry Christmas :)

All About Santa

It has been fun this year watching the girls visit Santa. Shelby is absolutely in LOVE with the big guy. Faith-not so much! As you can see, Faith isn't so sure about the man in the big red suit. This was as close as she has come to him all year, and as you can see she never took her eyes off of him-LOL. This year Travis thinks he knows all about the "real Santa Clause", so unfortunately the magic is gone from his perspective. Good thing I will have another little believer in the bunch next year!!

Horsing Around

Faith had her big Christmas performance at school the other day. She was supposed to dress up as a "manger animal". Yeah, I know?!?! Anyhow we had choice of coming up with a camel, donkey, cow, or horse outfit. After a dash out to the Thrift Store, we were successful. She did a fabulous job and sang loud with all the hand motions. I was a proud mommy for sure.

I must confess she was the most adorable little manger animal I have ever seen ;)

Missing Her Already

This is my first time experiencing Christmas by "knowing" who my child is, yet not being able to be with her during the holidays.  We first saw Shelby in May, then we had her home that same year for Christmas.  Then with Faith, we found her in July, and still managed to get her home to celebrate the holidays at home with her family.  With Elise, that is not going to be the case :(

Unless you have been there, it is very hard to explain to someone what it is like to have a child that you can't get to for Christmas.  On one hand, you try to be happy and excited to be blessed with her coming into your life in a few months.  Yet on the other hand, each time you gather the kids for a family portrait you feel an ache in your heart that one of your littles is missing.  I just grin and bear it of course, and just try to remember that we will be with her in a few months.  Merry Christmas Elise, we miss you already!

Happy Days

Officially There

 

Found out today that our paperwork has made it to China and has been officially logged in to their system as of 12-14-2010.  We now sit in among these stacks of files waiting for a review from the China adoption peoples to give us our official Letter of Approval (LOA).  This usually takes around 60 days to get.  We are still on track to hopefully travel early May for our baby girl :) 

Pizza Party

It only took two years, but by golly she did it...FAITH EATS PIZZA!!

 

Christmas Fun

It's hard to beat the fun this time of year!

Goodies Sent

I asked Ann with http://www.redthreadchina.com/ to send Elise a package for Christmas. I had originally requested a Christmas Tree, Santa hats, decorations, etc.  She quickly reminded me that they really do not celebrate Christmas in China.  Ann didn't think that the orphanage would use those items, so I agreed.

Instead I asked Ann to go ahead and send some toys and shoes that all the kids could maybe enjoy.  Sad to know that Elise won't be "celebrating Christmas" this year, but I know it will be nice to have her true 1st Christmas at home with us next year!

Two Year Gotcha Anniversary

Go check out this post to stroll down memory lane with us 2 years ago today-Faith Day!  Sometimes it is hard to remember what a little baby Faith was when we got her.  Boy has she come a long way.  She fits into our family like a glove.  She is the female version of my Travis for sure. They are 2 peas in a pod, and make for a double-trouble duo ;)  Faith is talking more and more now, and she sure loves her Nana. I am so blessed to get to be her mommy!

And now my big girl!

Updates on Elise

Ann at http://www.redthreadchina.com/ was able to get me some updates on Elise last night.  I think the pictures were taken on the same day as the last update, but hey at least they are ones I have never seen.  Also, they did not answer the questions I had about her being in foster care, which leads me to believe that she truly is NOT in foster care.  Her file states that she is not either; however, since speaking with other parents who had adopted children from her orphanage, I really thought she would be in foster care.  Apparently she is not, which makes me sad to know that she is not being loved on by a family every day :( 

Elise just turned 16 months old (same age as when we got Faith), and it will be about another 5 months until we can get to her.  Living in an orphanage without a foster family for 21 months can really take its toll on a little soul.  I so hope she at least has a "special nanny" that favors her and maybe-just maybe- loves on her everyday. 

Here is the update:

Hong Xin Fang`s nick name is Fang Fang

She can not walk by her own,but she when she touch something such as the walll or table or little chairs ,she can move pretty well and she can stand by herself for a little while .

Xin Fang means gentle and sweet girl

Main food for xin fang : rice ,noodles ,vegetables ,meats

Milk 2-3 times/day ,She needs to eat deserts two times/day too,she eats fresh fruits sauce ,bread ,egg,cake ,all kinds of soup ,ect .

Xin Fang`s udpate measurements below :
weight :9kg
height :77cm
head :43.5cm
chest :44cm
foot:11.5cm
teeth:6/6

It's Beginning

 

to look a lot like Christmas!!  I love this time of year spent having fun with all my babies.  Hope you are enjoying your Christmas as well :)

Paperwork Pics

 

Forgot to post the official pics of our dossier headed to China!