************TRAVEL APPROVAL************

Today we received Travel Approval (TA) from China so we can bring Jack home. We are hoping to leave on the 6th and meet him on the 10th, but have to wait to make plane reservations and final plans until our agency is able to confirm our appointment with the American Consulate. This is one of the last things you do before heading home. We could possibly end up leaving on November 13th also. We will be gone about 2weeks. It's a good thing we have lots and lots to do, it will help these last few weeks go by quickly.

Annie and Jack have birthdays only 3 days apart. Now they will have Family Days very close together also. We left for China 3 years ago on November 7, 2005 and met Annie on November 9th.

After waiting for so long, Jack will finally meet his family in a few weeks. We know he knows we are coming, but we don't know if he knows how soon it is. I can't truly imagine what he is thinking right now - he must be excited and scared at the same time, just like we are. For him, though, almost every single thing about his life will be different - the language, the people, the tastes, the sounds, the smells. I am always amazed at how brave Annie and Bethany have been in coming to their new lives and I am sure Jack will be the same way.


Bringing Jack home will complete our family. It will be strange after we get back because since April 2005 (when we started the process for Annie) there have only been a couple of months where we weren't formally involved in some step of an adoption - and during those months we were thinking about it. But it will be time now to settle in and watch all three of our wondeful children grow.

See you later, Alligator

Annie and Bethany and I went to a birthday party for the little boy across the street on Saturday and a visit from Reptile World was the main attraction. So we saw turtles, snakes, lizards, a tarantula and, oddly, a hedgehog. The star of the show was an alligator that both girls got to touch. Pretty cool, but thank goodness they don't have any desire to have any pets of this sort. And yes, if you look closely, it's true, the alligator is wearing a dress....

Today we had a belated family birthday lunch for Uncle Chris, Bethany and myself with my parents and my sister and her family. Here's a picture of Bethany and her beloved Aunt Joan.


Doesn't she look grown up?

Bethany is 6!

Today our little girl turned 6 years old. As always on these days, I think about the people who gave her life and know that they are thinking about her today as we are thinking of them.

At Miss B's request, she had a bowling party, which turned out to be lots of fun. It is so funny to watch little kids bowl...it seems almost impossible that a bowling ball can move that slowly. One time it just stopped dead 1/2 way down the lane and they had to come retrieve it. Anyway, she had a wonderful time and was excited about her princess cake and all her gifts. We got a ton of pictures and I will do a slideshow or something later, but here are a couple of pictures as a preview....

I'm going to marry him !

Tonight after school Annie announced that she has a boyfriend. The man in her life is not new, he is her age and they have been in the same before and after school program for a couple of years. He is just the sweetest boy, looks like a little angel with curly blonde hair and big blue eyes.

I suspect this has been going on for a while because last spring I found a bungee cord in her backpack. When I asked where it came from, it turned out he had given it to her. He told me very seriously it was to help keep her stuff safe when she rode her bike.

Anyway, this year they are not just in day care together, they are in the same class, which Annie thinks is totally cool. Today must have been a milestone of sorts because as Annie was telling me he was her boyfriend, I could hear him telling his mom that Annie is his girlfriend. Later on, amidst many giggles, she told me "I'm going to marry him then I'm going to his house to kiss him then I am coming home!"

Jack is coming home!

Today we received our Letter of Acceptance from China - which means we have received our final approval to adopt our Jack. We will sign it and it should go back to China on Tuesday with LOAs for other families with our agency. Then we wait for Travel Approval, get an appointment with the American Consulate and the next step...we are on a plane to China to bring him home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOA Blues

day 73..nothing...Nothing...NOTHING!!! That would be zip, zilch, nada.....
ARRRGGGHHH!!!

Questions about Mommy

I saw this on another blog and thought I would ask Annie and Bethany the same questions. Here are their unedited responses:

1. What is something your mom always says to you?
A - She will always love me B - I love you
2. What makes mom happy? A - Us B- When I am silly
3. What makes mom sad? A When we cry B - Her computer
4. How does your mom make you laugh? A- Tickle B - Tickle my back
5. What was your mom like as a child?A - Little B - A daughter
6. How old is your mom? A - 49 B - 4
7. How tall is your mom? A - Taller than us B - ???
8. What is her favorite thing to do? A - have fun with us B- Make a funny for me
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? A - Go to work B - Play
10. What is your mom really good at? A- Computer B - Make a funny for me
11. What is your mom not very good at?A - Running B - Spiders because that’s Daddy’s job
12. What does your mom do for her job? A - Computers and talk and have meetings B - The computer and says hello to people
13. What is your mom's favorite food? A - Cottage cheese and chips B - Eggs
14. What makes you proud of your mom? A- Being my mommy B- She’s good at the computer
15. What do you and your mom do together? A - Play hopscotch B - We do good together
17. How are you and your mom different? A - I don’t wear glasses and I don’t have brown hair and I don’t have the same nightie B - we have different shirts
18 - How are you and your mom alike? A - We have the same brown eyes B - Our underwear
19. How do you know your mom loves you? A - She gives me hugs and tells me she loves me B - Because she’s my hero

This week in Review

Annie and Bethany have both started school. Annie seems to like 2nd grade so far. Bethany was quite disappointed that kindergarten started a few days after the rest of the school (you can see how she felt in the picture above). She kind of had a tough week, partially because there are no naps in kindergarten! Big change there. Below is Bethany on her first day.



Well, no progress to report on our LOA. We are at day 67 so hope we hear something very, very, very soon. We were blessed this week with some new pictures of Jack and some info from a man who was visiting the orphanage to help install a water purification system. He was able to meet Jack and called him a wonderful, active little boy! He also got some video and will be sending us a DVD once he is home in the States. And by the way, he said Jack is eating some hard candy in this picture!




Today was the annual Heritage Adoption Services picnic and although poor Charlie had to work, the girls and I got to see lots of old and new friends. There were kids there from the same orphanages as all our kids. It still amazes me that these kids come thousands and thousands of miles and end up living just a few miles from each other.

One of my very favorite Yahoo groups is for families whose children were all on the same Waiting children list and two of the families from that group were at the picnic. One family we had not met before. We got a picture of all the kids together--with Bethany holding a photo of Jack. Next year he will be there in person!

Hiking on Mt Hood

This is one of the things I love about the Pacific Northwest - last weekend we spent at the beach and today we spent the afternoon up at Mt Hood, hiking along a beautiful mountain trail.

Summer Fun

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Weekend at the beach

We spent the long weekend at the house in OP and it was wonderful. Decent weather and the girls (and dogs) had so much fun digging in the sand. We even dipped our toes in the water (everyone except Mr. Cold Feet). We had several big fires, shopped in Long Beach and played some games. Here's one of my favorite pictures, but of course I am working on a......montage. What else. So will put more pictures up in a few days. We forget how much we need the beach until we are there for even a few days.

One year ago today

One year ago today we submitted our Letter of Intent to adopt Jack. I wish he was here with us today but we are hoping very much that we are close to getting our Letter of Acceptance (LOA), our Travel Approval (TA) and then it's off to China to bring him home. It won't be much longer, Jack!

We are such lucky parents

The other night when she was getting ready for bed, Annie said she wanted to
tell me something. She said that "When I was in the orphanage I wished
and wished for a Mommy and Daddy. My aunties told me to be patient and
wait. Then one day my best wish came true and you and Daddy came to get
me. I was a little scared at first but then I got to know you and I
found out that I got the best Mommy and Daddy in the world and you are
the right Mommy and Daddy for me."

Wow.

River Cruise

Charlie turns 50 in two days and to celebrate we went on a brunch cruise down the Columbia in a Sternwheeler. It was great and here are some pictures:

Yes, another video montage (please turn off the music player at the bottom of the page)

These pictures were taken last spring by a wonderful local photographer, Morgan Pace. We think they are just wonderful. The song is about adoption and the words are so meaningful to us. It's called "Swept Away" by Geoff Moore, who is the father of two girls from China.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here are the lyrics:
Swept Away
Written by Geoff Moore and Blair Masters

We would say your name
A hundred times a day
Like speaking words in faith
And with a mixture of
Hope and fear and trust
We prayed for the strength to wait
And dreamed of how we’d feel the day
You’d be in our arms and…

Swept away
Caught up in our love
Home to stay
You’ll never be alone
You’ll be amazed
At how much you are loved
Your life will never be the same
Once you’re swept away

What once was just a dream
Is now reaching up to me
And I hold her in my arms
Father thank You for the way
You held her all those days
That we had to spend apart
And now I see the impossible dream
Is holding me and I’m…

©2002 Songs on the ForeFront/Geoff Moore Songs
(SESAC) Admin. by EMICMP/Blair Masters Music (BMI)

Pictures of Jack's Birthday!

We just got a surprise email from Ann at Red Threads, the people we used to send a birthday package to Jack. The package included a disposable camera and we were hoping to get it back when we pick him up.



But what a great gift to get some pictures sent now--and Jack is actually smiling!!!!! We even got a note:
"Annie and Bethany

we are chunke's teachers, We and chunke and other children had a nice birthday for chunke;Thanks for your cake!
happy every day!
teachers of chun ke"

Wow!