TA any day...

We have finally reached the last step in the adoption paperwork/approval process!  Any day now, we should be receiving a phone call to tell us that we have travel approval and are free to book our flights to China!  It has already been one whole year since we submitted our first application to Lifeline Children's Services to begin the adoption.  It's been ten months since we first saw Emsley's picture and knew she would eventually be our daughter.  

We are so close (in various ways) to meeting our daughter and bringing her home to be a family all under one roof!  The government agency in China that will issue our Travel Approval is closed for an energy conference occurring in Beijing right now.  They will open again on the 12th and we expect that we will hear about our approval very soon after that.  Then it will be time to schedule and purchase our flights and pack our bags!  We are praying right now that we will receive approval in time to be in China before Emsley turns 2 in mid-December.  It is our prayer that she will not have another birthday without her family there to celebrate her.

We are still just a bit shy of the full amount needed to purchase our tickets.  Less than $2,000 is still needed to complete the final bit of this adoption process. We are so thankful for the friends, family, and church family who have given so generously to help us fund this adoption!  It is truly something amazing to see people pull together and do all they can to help a little girl across the world come to know the love of a family!

We still have our puzzle fundraiser going and there are still quite a few pieces left if anyone would like to help us raise the final amount we need for purchasing our plane tickets.  We have 387 pieces left.  Every $5 donated will "purchase" a piece.  Once the puzzle is complete, we'll put it all together and frame it to hang in Emsley's room and remind us of all the wonderful people who helped bring her home!  To purchase a piece of Emsley's puzzle, just click on the PayPal "donate" button on the right-hand side of this blog and it will go directly to our adoption account.  (note: you have to be on a PC to see the button.  Or, you can scroll to the bottom of the page on a mobile device and click on "view web version".)

We believe what God has promised from the beginning, that He will provide all we need when we need it.  He has been faithful and done just that all along the way!  We know we will have all we need before time to get on that plane.

We recently received our final update from the orphanage.  They sent us Emsley's measurements and some sweet pictures!

We are looking forward to sharing our Travel Approval update soon!!!

New pictures!

A couple of weeks ago we received our LOA (Letter of Approval) from China and at that time we were able to request an update on Emsley.  The first time we were able to request an update, we waited about two months to receive it.  This time we were trying to prepare ourselves for another long wait but just six days later we were looking at pictures of our beautiful little girl!

Here she is outside her orphanage.  She is wearing the pink shoes we sent her back in May!

When we asked her caregivers what her favorite toys were, they said she loves toys that make music! I can already see her and Khilyn dancing and singing together.  They both love music!

The boys were excited to see her choice of toy for this picture!  She's about to enter a world of superheroes, legos, and ninjas.  I hope she is ready!

It is so good seeing her sweet face and noticing all the tiny little changes since May.  Her hair has grown a little bit longer and fuller.  She seems taller already too.  We asked for more information about Emsley's personality and were told that she is "extremely obedient and quiet".  We wondered how much of that is due to the circumstances of her life so far and how much is really her "personality".  This a very rare description of an almost two-year-old!  We pray that once she is part of our family, she will feel more free to explore, make noise, and express her desires. 

One thing that has remained constant in every picture we have received, though, is the very serious and almost worried look on her face.  Her almost two years of life have been so difficult and she has spent far too long without the love of a family!  Our hearts long for the day that her face will show a genuine smile, when she will finally know how deeply she is loved and cherished.  

We are at the end of the paperwork process and have approximately 6-8 weeks before we will meet our daughter!  We've started the packing list, freezer meal preparations, and "nesting" house cleaning!  We still have the last of our expenses to pay (i.e. - flights, last agency fees) and need to raise about $5,000 more to cover that.  We are praying continually that we will have all we need when the time comes.  God has provided for our needs so far through friends, family, fundraisers, work bonuses, overtime pay, tax refunds, Craigslist sales, side jobs and finding creative ways to save more each month!  Our God is faithful and we give him the praise!

Signed, sealed, and delivered!

I spent most of Tuesday checking and re-checking out the front window to see if there was a FedEx truck in front of our house yet.  Our LOA (letter of Approval) was sent overnight from our agency on Monday.  Each time I heard a loud engine outside, I ran for the window!  Finally, around 2:30 p.m., that beautiful white truck pulled up to the curb and I grabbed the camera and ran for the door.

I definitely scared the poor delivery man!  He was walking up the driveway when I came flying out of the house and eagerly asked if I could take his picture.  His response was guarded.  I'm pretty sure his thought was, "why is this crazy lady asking for a picture of me?"  He casually turned me down and blamed it on some "trouble" they have been having with that lately.  I thanked him anyway and watched as he started to walk back to his truck.  He suddenly turned back and asked, "what is that anyway?"  I told him (with tears building in my eyes) it was the approval letter for us to adopt our daughter.  He half smiled and said, "Oh, okay, I'll do it!"  Then he posed so sweetly for this picture!

As I came inside and shut the door, the emotions overwhelmed me!  I couldn't hold back the tears as I looked at this official document I was holding.  This one piece of paper represents months (almost 11 months) of paperwork, fingerprinting, waiting, evaluations, home study meetings, prayer, more waiting, emails, and applications.  It's a pretty important piece of paper!  It won't be long now until John and I will board a plane and fly across the Pacific Ocean to meet our new little girl!  We are told to expect to travel in as little as 8 weeks from now!

As I write this update, Emsley is probably deep asleep (it is 2 a.m. in China).  She has no idea the celebration that is taking place in our hearts right now.  She is so deeply loved and I pray that one day she will understand how precious she is and how much she is loved.

LOA is on the way!!!

We have spent the last couple of months waiting....and waiting....and waiting to hear news from China regarding our dossier that was mailed back in July.  This is the longest part of the adoption process and the hardest.  We have filled the time by watching training videos about attachment and bonding, reading books about adoption, planning how to fit one more bed in a small bedroom, and just trying to get ready to bring our daughter home.

Yesterday morning our wait was cut short by a phone call from our agency.  We were told that China has reviewed our documents and approved everything!  Our Letter of Approval (LOA) is on its way from China as I write this!

In just a few days a very unfortunate person in a FedEx truck will pull up to our house holding our LOA!  I will try my hardest not to tackle them on the front lawn but there will definitely be squeals of excitement and a few pictures taken!  Once we calm down, we will sign the LOA and send it on to our agency.  There are a few more items of paperwork and official steps to complete but we have been given the estimate of 8 to 10 weeks until we board the plane and go to meet our daughter!

This week has also been a HUGE week as far as fundraising goes.  We have been receiving donations from many friends and family for Emsley's puzzle.  We are so grateful to all the people who have "purchased" puzzle pieces to help us bring Emsley home.  We have felt such support and love from our family and friends.  It is a beautiful thing to see people coming together to help change the life of a little girl half a world away!  There are still 623 puzzle pieces waiting for names of people who would like to help bring Emsley home.  Information on Emsley's Puzzle Fundraiser is on the previous blog post.

This week we also received a few very generous donations toward our travel expenses.  We are getting close to being fully funded for this adoption!  Praise to our God who called us to this adoption knowing EXACTLY what was (or wasn't) in our bank account!  We have been reminded over and over that when God calls you to do something, he will make a way!  We have a goal of $33,000 to cover all the adoption expenses and travel and as of today, $27,024 has been raised, donated, and saved!  We are getting so close!!

This was the first picture we saw of
Emsley back in January

This is one of the most recent
pics we received in May

It has taken 11 months to get to this point.  The wait has been LONG!  We first saw Emsley's face in January and found out she would be ours in March.  We are finally nearing the day we will meet our little girl whom we have prayed for and prepared for.  There is so much I want to know about her.  What will it feel like to finally have her in my arms and be able to whisper "ngo oi nei" (I love you) in her ear?  What will she think of this crazy family that she is joining?  What makes her laugh?  What does her voice sound like?  Does she still have the sense of humor and playfulness that was mentioned by the orphanage staff?  We look forward to the day when we will be able to start to answer some of these questions!

We have a lot to get done in the coming weeks before we leave for China.  There are numerous details to work out and a room to prepare.  Our prayer during these weeks is that God would do a great work in our hearts and in Emsley's heart.  We pray that God will prepare Emsley's heart for the dramatic change that will soon take place in her life.  We pray for protection for her as her whole world is suddenly turned upside down.  We also pray that God would continue to help us see things from Emsley's perspective so that we are able to give the care, comfort, and understanding she will desperately need.  We pray for wisdom to know what to do to best help all of our children adjust to our new family.  We ask that you would pray these things along with us.

Our God is faithful and he is good!  We are over-the-moon excited to bring Emsley home and we are trusting God to go before us and prepare the way.  "Don't be afraid, because I am with you.  I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west." - Isaiah 43:5

Putting the pieces together to bring Emsley home!

Our precious little girl is waiting for us to bring her home and make her part of our family and we are counting down the days until we will be able to get on a plane and go meet her.

We are 32 days into our wait for the Letter of Approval (LOA).  The average wait for LOA is around 70 days.  We are hoping to be able to travel to China in late November or early December.  Emsley will turn 2 in mid-December so we are praying that she will be able to celebrate her next birthday as part of a loving family.

In order to complete the adoption we will need over $30,000 and, as you can see on the thermometer to the right, we are over half-way there!  Praise God!  We have been working hard toward this goal through fundraisers, grants , and saving every extra penny we can!

We have been blessed by many people who have given to our family over the past many months.  There are so many people who have become a special part of Emsley's journey home to her family.  Because we want to always remember these special people, we have created a puzzle that will eventually hang in Emsley's room.

1,000 pieces waiting for names.  We look forward to the day when we can
show Emsley her puzzle and tell her about all the people who prayed for her
and helped bring her home!

If you would like to help us bring Emsley home, you can "purchase" a piece of her puzzle.  For every $5 donated, we will write your name on the back of a puzzle piece.  When the puzzle is complete we will frame it in a double-sided glass frame and hang it in Emsley's room as a reminder of all the wonderful people who helped bring her home.

To donate to our Paypal account, click on the "donate" button on the right side of this page.  (If you are on a mobile device, you will need to scroll to the bottom of our blog page and click on "view web version".  The donate button will then be visible on the right-hand side of the page.)  You can also see regular updates on our Facebook event called "Bringing Emsley Home".

Thank you for your support and prayer as we get closer to the day that we will be Bringing Emsley Home!

Pieces added to the puzzle: 0

Pieces left: 1,000

$5 = one piece

Vacation week

This past week the kids and I took a trip with my Mom up to Washington to visit family and my hometown.  We had a busy week and loved getting together with part of the family that we rarely get to see.  We visited the beach, went swimming multiple times, walked down memory lane in my hometown, and just enjoyed a few rare days of sunshine in western Washington!  It was a long week with a lot of traveling in the family van so it was also nice to make it home yesterday and reunite with  Daddy!!!

Cade, Jack, and cousin Haily

Boy (superhero) cousins

Girl cousins taking a break from the trampoline

The kids getting their snuggles in with their favorite furry friend, Jack!

I had an inbox full of email when I got back and in the middle of the all the messages, there was a  super exciting bit of news from Lifeline...we are out of translation!

Our dossier documents have been translated into Chinese and are now in the process of being reviewed for final approval!  These last few steps have moved very quickly.  Translation only took 10 days!  I've recently heard of people waiting more than 40 days for translation.  We are praising God that things are moving right along.

We also have a great fundraiser planned!  We are calling it "Chinese Dinner for our China Adoption".  We are working with Panda Express here in our town to hold a fundraiser on August 1st!  This one is pretty simple for those wanting to support us.  Just get a support flyer by clicking on the picture here:

Show this flyer (either on paper or on your phone) at the register when you place your order for drive-through, dine-in or catering on August 1st.  20% of the proceeds from those orders will go toward our adoption fees at Lifeline Children's Services.

Logged In!!!

I took the kids swimming yesterday so we could cool off a little from the HOT weather we have been having.  Amidst the splashing and laughing, I heard my phone ring and saw that it was our agency calling!  Great news!  We are "logged in" in China (LID)!

Our dossier paperwork made it safely to the central authority in China and they have entered our information into the system.  This begins our wait for a Letter of Approval (LOA) that grants us permission from China to adopt Emsley.  The LOA is the last major step before we can book flights and go get our girl!

The very first part of this process will include translation of our documents from English to Chinese and then the review of every little detail will begin!  This is both a nerve-racking and exciting time.  The wait for LOA can be up to 90 days or more.  This wait will be a great time for John and I to do some more training with our agency about attachment issues.  We'll be able to get through more of our reading list and prepare our family and home for Emsley's arrival.

We have also sent more questions to Emsley's orphanage to ask about her daily life there.  We hope to have some of those questions answered in the near future.

That's all for now.  Get out and enjoy the sunshine!