Holy cats!!

We crossed a MAJOR hurdle today! Our letter of acceptance is confirmed and sealed delivery to us by the Chinese Consult. { little misty eyed as I write this...}

What does that mean? It means:
1. We can now start sending our baby girl packages, letters, pictures, scents from "home". Lilly's caretakers will now start prepping her for her new home, family, and Mom (mama) and Dad (baba) ;)

2. China has accepted us into their country- and found us to be the perfect fit for Lilly ;)

3. We are 3 steps from traveling. Though the agency kept stating JANUARY- we KNEW in our hearts it was November. Todays phone call " Rarely do things ever progress so smoothly- you are looking at ... uhmmm... November?" or sooner. Thank you, Lord ;)

OK- Since September is next week- my heart skips a few beats now.....

HUGE milestone!

So... how does one sleep between now and then? Printed off the "to pack " list- suitcases come out this weekend. Literally- the call comes and we could be traveling the next week ;) Yikes!

I sometimes wonder how crazy it is... to fall soooo in love with a little girl I have never met? Yet, I believe in destiny- I believe in God's will- and I KNOW why we love her so very much. She is our daughter... and a precious gift! We ARE Blessed!

Are we ready? I think so. I will be rapidly updating the blog ( esp as we travel- you will be the first to see pics and video of our baby girl. -From here on in- we pretty much "overnight " express send finalized documents. The race is on ;)

Sending all our groupies- family n friends- giant hugs! Love ya's!

Inquiring people wanna know....

Why is your adoption taking so long?

There is speculation that the child match process has slowed down considerably this time due to the increasing popularity of Chinese adoptions. We don't know for sure. We do know that 100,000's of children are waiting in China for loving parents. Because of the nature of any international adoption, the time frame may change... and the journey seems like forever. We know "His" timing and hand is in this, so we patiently wait for our Lilly. Oh, how precious the uniting of our addition to the family will be!

Why are there so many babies in China?

Millions of baby girls and boys are abandoned each year in China. The Chinese government allows parents to have only one child. If the mother is found pregnant, they are fined a year's wage. If the first child is a girl, they will abandon her in a safe place with hopes of having a boy in the future. Sometimes, the couple will keep the baby girl until they have a baby boy, then abandon the first child. It's very important to have a son to carry on the family name. It is the son who takes care of his parents when they are old and will carry on the family business or farming. Thousands (95 percent girls) live in orphanages and foster homes in China. If a family already has a boy and they are pregnant with the second, they are not allowed to keep that child. If they do, they will be fined. The child will not be "registered" and will not be able to attend school or get jobs as an adult. Because of the one child policy we are seeing more and more boys being referred to families as well.

We also learned that children with disabilities are viewed as a "curse" to the family. Lillian Grace is all BUT that-- she is so precious and priceless. WE feel Blessed to be called to be her family!

Why does it cost so much to adopt an orphan?

Good question. We figure Lilly's adoption will end up costing around $27,000 . We are within the final $10,000 .. and somehow, someway... it has always worked out. I can remember initially going to MANY banks and applying for a loan ( DENIED- no loans for children. Cars? Sure. Home? Sure. Yikes!) We exhausted our resources and spent nights awake wondering how on God's green earth we would do it. Now, we give thanks! It has been a trust builder, and a humbling experience. We are better people because of it! Maybe that's why it is so expensive ;)

What? No pics?

Because of our travel date(s) being in the very NEAR future- we have had to remove any personal info re: Lilly... ie: pics, location, identity, info, etc. It is against CCAA rules and regs to post them. So...thankfully we can still see that sweet smiling face daily in our pics... but we ask you to please remember that same face... she is very real- very deserving of a family and home... and please keep her in your prayers ;) Thanks !

Another 2 weeks, and.....

We feel a little heavy hearted with today's update....

Ultimately, we hold firm to our faith, and KNOW it is HIS perfect timing...

Hi Bill and Lisa!

How is the beginning of the school year?

I followed up again with the update request, again, but still have not received any information. Things are still moving through the process. Based on other families timelines receiving their Letters of Confirmation, I anticipate yours will come early to mid September. That is my best guestimate, so it could be quicker or it could take longer. Once we have your LSC, there are several smaller steps along the way. Most families feel more like they are making forward progress as they are able to check steps off every few weeks, and the list of remaining steps gets shorter. Although you won’t be able to give specific dates until you actually have the confirmed consulate appointment, it is likely you will be ready to travel early next year. I know waiting is hard, especially when you have so little information. Hang in there!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,
Heidi

Again- we will see.

Bill & I still feel November.... with our good Lord... ALL things are possible!

Holding tight to the thought of each day that passes being just one day closer... each and every day ;)