I-800 Approval!!

Today started out kinda yucky.  Text message from Miranda, "Just threw up."  She was still on the bus.

Nothing like a little vomit to totally change your plans for the day!

Painting got replaced with kicking Keziah out of bed early to get dressed so she and I could go retrieve her big sister, pressing redial over and over to reach the doctor's office to schedule an appointment, and visiting the doctor just to check to make sure it is not strep.  Negative test.  No strep.  Go home, rest, lots of fluids and a mild diet til she feels better. 

So my day was now gone and my plans all forgotten.

Email arrives...I-800 provisional approval!!!  Woo hoo!

FedEx drop off...Passports with visas to travel to China!!

We're not there yet, but we're getting closer step by step. 

For those who don't live their lives by the lingo of international adoption, the I-800 is the US approving us to adopt the specific child named Pei Wu (Hadassah).  Now there are more letters and emails and paperwork that need to be transferred between governmental agencies and countries.  The final big step is the Travel Authorization/Approval (TA) from China that gives us permission to travel to bring our precious little girl home.  Once we have that, our agency can schedule our Consulate Appointment (CA) which is an important final step in China to allow our girl to receive a US visa to come home.  Then travel plans can be made and airline tickets purchased. 

For all my prayer warriors -

God knows all the details and has them taken care of...but we don't. 

1) Care for five kids and a dog while we're gone

2) The finances to travel.

3) Timing of the trip.  My heart aches to bring my littlest princess home and already aches with missing my other kiddos while we are gone.  Though our agency told us that we might be traveling in late December, I'm honestly hoping that things move quickly and God moves mountains so we could travel in early December to be home with all our kiddos for Christmas.  (Not for presents and celebrations so much as snuggling and cuddling with no where to go and nothing to do.)

4) For all the kids, but especially for Hadassah Peiwu whose world is about to be turned upside down.  Adjustment, attachment, bonding, and blending into our new "normal" as a family.