LOA!!! Really!

WOOHOO!!! We really did get our LOA on Saturday morning, got together with our friends that are also adopting and traveling with us, signed our letters and fed-ex'd them right back for delivery today. AND...we got the call that they both arrived safely at the main office and are headed back to China. What a relief!

NOW our last hurdle is to get that new I-171H in the mail. Ours expired on Feb 27, 2008. We have already had our fingerprints redone and been waiting for nearly a month for a new form. We cannot travel to China without this form. SO we need it here. Pray for good news in the mail sometime this week.

We also got an email back from the courier that was handling our visa. They are on their way back to us and should be here in the morning. Everything is starting to fall into place and we will be on that plane before you know it!

We also got another surprise from a family that was able to take some photos of Lukas on the trip. This is from April 1, 2008.

He just gets cuter and cuter every time I see him! Oh and he is not fond of strangers which is why he doesn't smile much when they are trying to take his picture. We ought to have a great time the first few days!

~~FRUSTRATION~~

Well, I have been borderline physco for the past week now! Our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) was supposed to arrive the same time as our travel partners' letter did. They got theirs on March 11. AND we were told that ours was "on the way". We had no reason to believe otherwise since our paperwork has traveled in tantum the entire way in this process. So I waited. And waited. A few days difference was all that I had expected and when I contacted my social worker, she assured me that it should arrive any day and to just 'breath'. LOL!! Easy for her to say!!

So I spend the next 16 days 'breathing' and still nothing arrived in the mail. I was getting worried that it somehow had gotten lost. I contacted our social worker again and she said she would check with CCAA (China). She called me and emailed me the next day with a trail of emails from China stating that it was mailed to the Chicago office on the 24th or 25th and that it should arrive shortly (in Chicago) and then overnighted to us. Knowing this, I started my 'watch' for that delivery man on this past Monday. I was afraid to leave, take a shower or anything that might prevent me from being available when that delivery came.

Monday came and went. So did Tuesday and Wednesday. Then I started the calling again. Today we find out that it was not SENT on the 24th or 25th, but but received in the Hong King office and has officially been sent to Chicago on the 28th of March. Once there, it will be overnighted to us. So I have a free day today. Cleaning and preparing for Lukas is high on my list. Not that I have made much progress, but it is time to step it up and get going.

We should received that long-awaited letter by Monday (that's what they tell us) and then we will sign and do an immediate turnaround so we can get our consulate appointment (CA) which in turn determines our travel plans.

Stay tuned for the updates! We are anxious to get together with our friends and have the celebratory Chinese dinner!!

We are so close to holding Lukas in our arms!

Vicki

A new friend for Lukas!

We just found out this morning that dear friends of ours are leaving on Sunday morning to travel to Seoul Korea to bring their son, Theo home!!!

Three years ago we both adopted daughters from China. They arrived home with Ella just 6 weeks after we came home with Mariella. Now they are traveling to bring Theo home and we will more than likely be coming home with Lukas about 6 weeks after them.

They are only a few miles from us so the boys will have the chance to grow up together.

Congrats Chris, Angie, Ella & Theo!

Happy travels!!!

Vicki

LOA may finally be on its way!!!!!

Our friends that are traveling with us received their LOA two weeks ago and we were told that ours was in the mail right behind them! We were so excited to know that we would be traveling soon and worried at the same time that we were still trying to raise money to get there!!

Anyway, we waited a few days and those days turned into weeks!! Finally yesterday our social worker called to tell us that after much checking and inquiring, our LOA was truly on its way from China and should be in our hands either today or Monday!!! WOOHOO!!

I finally feel like I need to kick it into high gear and start packing! At this point now, they are saying that our trip could be at the end of April or beginning of May. I sure hope we are home for Mother's Day!

We will see what the mail brings!

Vicki

Fundraiser, sort of...

We have been desparately scraping together the money we need to get to China and bring Lukas home. It has been tough but we are making headway!!

If you have a moment, please check out my shop on Etsy.com. I will continue to list items daily. All the proceeds from those sales will help us get a little closer to our final goal.

If you are looking for some really cute boutique items, please take a few minutes to browse. You just might find something you like. Everything (except the clothing) is ready to ship out to you as soon as payment is made.

Vicki

Once again, we have been blessed with updated photos!

This time it is of our sweet boy laughing and smiling. Enjoy! These were taken on February 22, 2008.

Vicki

UPDATED photos of Lukas

We are incredibly grateful to all the families that have or are in the process of adopting children from the Xi'an Children's Welfare Association in Sha'anxi. They have provided us with some awesome updated photos of our son. These were taken on Feb 21. AND I am currently waiting for some more that are said to be of him smiling and laughing!!

How did we ever get so lucky?!?

This is truly a "pay it forward" gift as we will do the same for the other parents waiting for a glimpse of their child who is living half way around the world.

Anyway, I'm sure you aren't interested in my proud ramblings so I will stop now and let you enjoy these photos!!

Vicki