Happy Easter...

Every holiday that passes I have moments of sadness knowing that Anna is not with our family, but the fact that "this" is the last Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc. that she will not be here is my comfort. Easter is a time to remember the most miraculous event in history, the resurrection of my Savior. It is the basis of my faith and the hope of my eternity. I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter and that God gives us all a clearer picture of who He is.

We had a great, busy day. We started our day with the traditional Easter Bunny treats at the front door, Sunday School, Sunday Message, Egg Hunt, Lunch at my Parents-in-laws, Egg Hunt, Kids playing and finally home - only to clean the kitchen from Sunday morning and to do some laundry for the next day. My mother-in-law is a great cook and lunch was delicious. Rodney's sister and husband were also there, as well as friends of ours and their two kids. We have known them for a long time and our kids love playing together. I have posted some pictures of our day.

Have you ever tried to take a family picture with three rambunctious boys? Not possible.

Happy Easter to you all and sending love to my Anna.

A Heavy Heart...

We don't see the big picture many times. Nor do we understand all God's plans. But, if we believe in Him, we have to believe that He knows what is best for everyone involved. His plans are perfect, I know that, but it doesn't mean that I understand it. My heart is heavy for my dear "Friend in NY" and a little boy named KC. God knows and He is in control. I pray His will be done and for Him to comfort all those involved.

Praying for peace and sending love to my Anna.

L - I - D !!!!!

Finally!!! Our dossier arrived at CCAA on February 14, but we didn't know about our Log In Date (LID) until today!!! We received LID on February 25, which means that we are on day 27 of our LOA/SC wait!

I guess you can tell from my use of exclaimation points (!!!) that I am just a tad bit excited today. We received a call from Terri at CHI this morning. It is so funny how that every step of this process is laden with emotion. Another major step taken and closer to Anna than we have ever been. We hope that we will travel in May, but it is likely that it will be June...but I still pray for May!

We are ecstatic today! We are very thankful for what God has done in our lives and what He is doing. We know that we are so blessed to be a part of this miracle and to love this little girl a half a world away. What a blessed woman I am. Sending thanks above and love to my Anna.

No News Is Good News?

It has been a while since my last post, but honestly nothing has happened. Well, we haven't heard anything. Our dossier is in China, but no word on a Log In Date (LID).

LID is the next step for us before our SC/LOA (Seeking Confirmation/Letter of Acceptance). Once we receive this, sign and return to China, it is "suppose" to be about 2 weeks before TA (Travel Approval). The SC/LOA is basically a letter from CCAA saying "we are processing this adoption of this child to you - do you still want to adopt him/her?".

So, hopefully we will hear of LID within the next week or so and have a better idea of where we stand. Of course, all that is subject to change at any given moment. There are poor adoptive parents who have waited 150+ days for SC/LOA after their LID and others that waited under 60 days. There really doesn't seem to be a reason, that we/agencies can tell, why some get skipped and others go faster, but we are really hoping we end up on the faster end of the spectrum.

I will keep you posted as news becomes available. When I know - I'll let you know. Hoping for some good news soon and sending love to my Anna.

Our Anna...

It's There...

Delivered February 14, 2007 @ 11:06 am in Beijing, China. This is a huge milestone for us. Our dossier documents that we have worked on all summer long FINALLY made it to China. Now we await our LID, log in date. We hope that it comes very quickly with a LOA/SC, Letter of Acceptance/Letter Seeking Confirmation, and TA, travel approval, soon thereafter.

Right now, the "expected" time for LID is about 1 month from the actual arrival of the dossier. After that, the LOA/SC can come anytime really. The "usual" I think is about 3 months. After the LOA/SC is returned, the TA is to be issued w/in 2 weeks. This is what we should "expect", however...I want LID much, much faster than 1 month. The CCAA will be closing for 2 weeks for the CNY, Chinese New Year, celebration. I figure, they will try to get as much done before closing as possible :-)...it makes sense to me. After our LID, I really do think that our LOA/SC could come long before the 90 day mark. I suspect that they are expecting a very high number of dossiers to come in March and April to beat the new regs going into effect May 1, 2007. Therefore, I think they will try to push through as much paperwork as they can in order to prevent being further behind.

I really would like to travel tomorrow! I know that isn't going to happen, but I do think we can travel in April/May. I know for some that is pushing it, but I don't think it is unrealistic at this time with the upcoming regulation deadline. But, for now it is all speculation. We will only know, when God gives us a divine revelation or notice from the CCAA.

So, we will anxiously await any phone calls from our agency, check e-mail frequently and pray that things move along quickly. We believe God's timing is perfect and His plans are complete. We know that His hands are protecting Anna and we know that God is everywhere, even with our dossier. He can move and the CCAA process documents faster than ever before! We want to bring her home - soon! We are totally in love with this little girl - we know it, God knows it and we can't wait until she knows it. Until then, I'll keep sending love to my Anna.

We Are Blessed...

When we started our adoption journey, there were so many emotions involved. We were embarking on territory we had never journeyed before. We didn't know what to expect along the way, how it was all going to fall into place, or how people would react to our decision. Well, a lot has happened that we didn't expect, our journey changed directions and we got some reactions we didn't anticipate. But, this last weekend, we had another unexpected event. We were surrounded by family and friends in a tremendous outpouring of love and support.

"Have a Heart for Anna" was a benefit held in our behalf to help with the adoption expenses. Our families/friends sold tickets, made chili, desserts, collected silent auction items and worked in the benefit. There was a great turn-out for the event and a lot of community support for the auction. There was over 64 auctions and the majority were multiple items. They had everything from a cute Valentine Starbucks basket, with coffee, mug, after-coffee mints, chocolates, Valentine card, etc. (thanks Aunt Stephanie & Uncle Rick) to a Coconut Cake that brought $45!! (Thanks Aunt B for baking and Uncle Woody for buying) There was gift certificates, a photography package, a taxidermy "mount" (we do live in KY - big Whitetail fans!), home decor, an Avon Anew basket, quilt rack, movie night basket, game basket, the list goes on and on... Not only the auction, but people came out to eat chili (you know people don't really want to pay for chili on a Saturday night at a Community Center). It was freezing cold outside and people came to support us and Anna. I was shocked. Every time the doors opened and more people came in, I just couldn't believe it. God always out does what we think He is going to do. The event raised well over $3500.00, and people are still sending gifts!!! You know, the money is a real blessing...we have to have it in order to do what has to be done, BUT, the people...that was the real blessing. People that live in rural communities, not a lot of ethnicity present, came out for a little girl in China. They came out to show their love to us. They came out to show their love for our daughter...how can it get any better than that? Okay, if she were there, it would have been better :-) But, that will happen soon!

We are so thankful to all those that came, supported and/or sent well wishes for the event. We are thankful for their open hearts and loving spirit. We thank God for surrounding us with such loving family and friends. We are blessed! God's timing is perfect and His plans are complete - He doesn't leave us, He prepares a way for us. God shows us His love in many ways - this weekend He showed us through this event and through those that showed their support of us in our adoption. We will never forget it and we will pass along this story to Anna. She will grow up knowing that she was loved by many, long before she knew we existed. Thanking all of you for your support and sending love to my Anna.