Our BIG news!

For so long, we had NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH going on with the adoption. Everything with the paperchase this time around was slow. It took 8 months to complete our dossier. Back in February, we had decided that if it were at all possible, we'd like to bring home two children. We had contacted our agency and social worker, and since we weren't yet through immigration, we were able to change our paperwork. (Ended up having to pay all sorts of extra fees and everything, even though we got it done in time, but that's a whole different story about the efficiency of government work!)

As of last Monday, April 20th, we still hadn't received our approval, but we knew it should be done pretty soon. On Tuesday, April 28th, we got a call from our sw at our adoption agency, WACAP about a girl who was close to aging out. They knew we were hoping for a second child, and especially one that was close to the age cut-off, which is 14. This girl will age out June 8th, so they weren't sure if the CCAA would even agree to us being her family, because we may not have enough time. However, we decided to try to pursue her adoption, along with the adoption of the son for whom we've been waiting so long.

The CCAA said yes, they would expedite their end, so we were hopeful, but tentative. Our agency received our approval from USCIS, and sent off our dossier on Monday, April 27th. On Tuesday, April 28th we received PA (pre-approval) and on Thursday, April 30th our agency received our LOA/LSC, which is our Letter Seeking Confirmation!!!!

So, here we are. Friday, May 1st. Bo will get home from a business trip tonight, and we'll be completing our I800, along with a slew of other paperwork. (It is remarkable how many forms our government can come up with, and how insanely wordy and complicated they can make things.) We need to choose names, since you now have to have their names chosen before traveling. First thing tomorrow, we need to find a notary so we can sign all the paperwork, and then FedEx them all to our agency. They'll get these off to all the various places they need to go, and we're praying that these agencies will cooperate with rushing them through. It's vital that this all be accomplished in as short a time as possible, because we need to be in province and have the adoption completed *before* June 8th, so we really don't have much time at all.

We have already purchased a 12-seater car! Yep...we're now THAT family! We have so much to do before we leave, and my head is spinning trying to sort through it all. We weren't expecting to travel till November, so all the things that you need to have prepared....well, we don't. We need things like red envelopes, ayi gifts, medicines, and so much other stuff that I unfortunately don't remember from the last time we went to China!

I cannot yet post pictures, but I will just as soon as I can, I promise!