Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!

Well....I officially fail at blogging!  But I have two of the most wonderful reasons in the world!  If you are still following this....you are very, very patient (perhaps to an extreme, friend ;-)!).  However, I have a hard time leaving loose ends, so here we go anyway!  It is my joy of joys to share with you that we did indeed welcome our precious Hannah GuangYue on March 2, 2015.  She is just incredible, and these 9.5 months have flown by far too quickly!  This baby girl is sweet, caring, smarter than her mama, and has a real flair for the dramatic!  She is an amazing sister to Vivienne, and we are simply so, so blessed with her.  Those of you who helped bring this child into our family....thank you is just ridiculously inadequate.  We are so grateful!  I could talk about this child, and about watching her change our family in wonderful ways, for pages and pages.  But if you know us in "real life"....I think I may have already done so (eeep!). 

Suffice it to say we are home now, we are doing truly well, that adoption is this rich, crazy, beautiful thing that God graciously did in our lives.  The vast majority of adoptive parents will tell you that adoption will change your life....and they will immediately tell you they would not have it another way.  This self-centered, entitled culture tells you not all life is equal....that some lives are not worth pursuit or protection.  That if it is work, it isn't worth it, or is less authentic.  That you just can't love someone you don't share biology with (Long side note, but it throws me that the people I hear this most from are generally married...so a person can love unrelated adults, but just not unrelated children... just saying...huh?  They also had no idea beforehand how much they could love their biological children, if they have them!  My adoption mama friends with biological children would tell you it's not different).  Oh my gosh, how upside down wrong.  How turned on its head.  There are hard parts to adoption, some parts very hard....as with anything you will ever do that has any value at all in life. 

There are things that will be difficult, but they are so rarely the things people who have never adopted before or known an orphan (including social orphans) gossip about.  The hardest things for us have  been that "stuff" deriving from the realization of the harm done, the brokenness of this world, that sinks further and further in when you choose to enter the suffering of your child and walk it with them towards healing.  And the sleepless nights...yeah, totally do not often get to "skip that" in adopting a toddler or older child, sorry friends!  Trauma is a real thing.  So is Healing.  The best things are those blessings and joys you already know children bring with them by simply being themselves, and the incredible work God really will do in your life as He knits your family together until the alternative of never having known this precious little child is just almost literally unthinkable.  The love.  The grace.  The JOY.  This is not rosey-painted speaking.  It is not everything I would tell you if we were face to face over coffee, but these are my overarching thoughts about adoption packed into in a short, simple blog post. 

We are in a "nesting" season right now and for some time, spending some time not "in process," just nurturing each other.  We are open to adopting again (okay, yours truly may never be emotionally "done"- you can't undo what you know once you know it, right?), but are also open to however God wants us to fulfill that call we were all given to care for these little ones, whether that's through adoption or giving, praying, advocating, volunteering.... 

I have been dying to say this through two blogs now, and since this is it for a while, I am just going to go for it!  If you are ready to accept a child where they are, and accept that healing that takes longer than a couple weeks is going to be necessary....If you are someone open to learning a lot in preparation for this child and as you take one step at a time together....If you are okay being the grown up and delivering love even when (when!) a child is hurting or struggling (that whole little thing where you are the person in this relationship who needs to "grown up" :-))....And most of all, if you are willing to allow God to do something awesome in your life in bringing you into a deep, forever relationship to a child.  My advice from the other side is to dip that toe in...no, DIVE!  Trust that His desire is for these precious children to be in families, to have roots and foundation and relationship, to have the chance to know Him.  Trust that He will equip you as you seek to gather up one of His own, and that He is trustworthy with your life- and your whole family's life.  Deep breath and go, they don't have time to wait where they too often are, and love is waiting.  Thank you so much for listening to me ramble, for praying, and for caring! 

With much love and appreciation, 

Elizabeth

In Guangzhou together

 God knew exactly what- who, actually- these two needed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Precious little life

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

I-800, Cable letter, and Article 5

We have some good movement to report!  Last Wednesday, we heard from our immigration officer that our I800, the petition to classify Hannah as our child, was approved.  Thursday, we received the physical approval by mail.  Friday, we confirmed that our visa paperwork for Hannah, which is necessary to be in place before we can travel, was sent to the US consulate in Guangzhou, China!  We completed more paperwork ;-) and early this morning we learned that an important letter from the National Visa Center was cabled (okay, now it's an email) to the US consulate in Guangzhou, where our interview on Hannah's behalf will take place.  This is still called being cabled....So, we have been cabled!   

We are now waiting for that letter, along with some other paperwork, which together comprise our Article 5 documents, to be dropped off in China.  Once they are picked up (a standard two weeks later), we will be waiting for our Travel Approval (TA).  Yes, that is exactly what you think it is.  How awesome is that?  TA typically takes two weeks, but can be more variable.  We will need to secure a consulate appointment (CA) once TA is issued, which usually takes only a couple days.  And that's it- at CA it will be time to book flights!

Receiving our I800 approval and being cabled allows us to better calculate our travel dates.  Or it would, except for Chinese New Year coming up!  The couple weeks everything is shut down, plus the fact that Hannah day and our consulate appointment are really bookends in a two week process that includes several steps from the legal process of her adoption, obtaining her Chinese passport, her medical exam for immigration, and our immigration interview.  So although we might have all the approvals needed to travel, we most likely will not be able to complete our adoption process in time for the holiday.  There is a cut off date that is our latest possible family day prior to Chinese New Year- after that, it's almost a month until the next possible date....that's if the consulate does not get a backlog of appointments following the holiday.  Our travel window is happily getting too narrow for me to talk about dates here, though!   

Our updated prayer request list includes:

• Continued prayers for Hannah's heart to be prepared for her adoption and for her to heal and thrive while she waits
• Preparation for our hearts as a family
• Safety and protection on all fronts as we progress through the last steps and travel
• Praise!  We need to guard her circumstances because this blog is open, but we can share that Hannah was moved this past fall, and she is receiving wonderful care where she is now.  On Christmas Eve, we received a beautiful update about her.    
• This new home for Hannah is also a prayer request, because her adoption will now make a total of three huge moves where the important people in her life all changed...all of it in the space of a couple years of life.  We are thankful that Hannah will have had several months in this healing home before we meet, and we know she is there and our timing to come for her is all for a purpose.

Thank You

You are one incredible, uplifting, adoption-loving circle of family and friends!  In December 2014, our final fundraiser, hosted by With Every Act of Love, totaled $1,200 towards Hannah's homecoming!  All of 2014, you dove right in with us, donating piles of items to a crazy huge garage sale, purchasing t-shirts, jamberry nails, art prints, envelopes, and sometimes even going undercover, donning anonymity to help Hannah come home.  If you played a role in any of that craziness, we have "tagged a bag" we are carrying with us to China and back with your family name (or a single initial, Anonymous!).  And we are going to make it!  Despite a (wonderful) 60-90 day forward leap, and some last minute challenges of the variety that are known to present themselves at the eleventh hour, we are still going to make it!

What else is there to say? 

Thank you.

You are simply amazing.
We are mightily blessed to be surrounded by you. 





   

Final days of With Every Act of Love and I-800 received :-)

Our immigration paperwork to classify Hannah as our daughter was officially received at the lockbox and should be in the process of being processed :-) sometimes between now and among and amidst the holidays.  After this step, the two countries start coordinating between themselves to allow us to travel to bring Hannah home!  We get a tighter and tighter time window as each step is completed.

If you have not yet heard about With Every Act of Love, we are their December family!  For the next 4 days only, they are continuing to host an envelope fundraiser for us, to help with that last big set of expenses that are coming months faster than we could have ever imagined.  You can see what it's all about by clicking the picture!  

Envelopes still available are #'s 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13,14,15, 16,17, 18,19, 55,74,144.  Meanwhile, we are continuing to work and save, and if we are awarded the Adopt Together grant we've applied for, we will be so close!  God has provided in ways we never saw coming- and you can believe I am writing these stories down for Hannah to keep.  They are uplifting stories, about people who will be part of her childhood, and some she may never meet.  When I know the outcome of the grant for sure, I'll share more, but for now, thank you, thank you for joining us!    

 

Side note, the day after I started getting antsy about it, Vivienne's adoption decree and certificate of citizenship followed her brand new US passport to our home.  One of those is impossible to replace as far as I know, the other is very costly to replace.  And originals were required, so lots of happy dancing this morning!  Back to safety with those documents!  Whew!     

With Every Act of Love

I'm writing from home today, as Vivienne's caught her....fourth? fifth? cold this fall...first year at mother's day out.  So we are keeping her away from you lovely people and trying to get it fought off in time for Christmas!      

If you see my facebook page, you probably know by now that our family is With Every Act of Love's family for December!  This will be our final fundraiser to bring Hannah home.  Here's how it works:

With Every Act of Love is hosting 12 days of giving, which is an envelope fundraiser.  144 envelopes, each ranging from $1-$144, you choose your number (amount of donation #33 envelope=$33.00 donation) by commenting below the facebook post or by messaging them & they will send you the information.  If you need a last minute Christmas gift, they can send you a personalized card to give to your loved one as well.  Here is the link you need to learn more!

https://www.facebook.com/actsflove

 

 

 

Because our 12 Days end on Christmas Eve, I want to say this now.  And probably again after this last fundraiser ends!  But I want to get the word out now.  We are amazed at the people in our lives who are doing this with us!  Thank you won't ever be enough.  Your gifts have pressed us deeper into our commitment to walk with other adopting and newly home families, moving forward, which is the nature of loving acts.  I was so unsure and nervous, not having done this before, but knowing we needed to respond "yes" to the overwhelming leading we were in agreement on.  Understanding what I know of Hannah's story up to now, I get it more- why we had to get started when we did, the perfect timing of events, and I also know the Lord is stretching us yet again through the adoption process.  I know this time of year, we are wrapping our hearts around God taking on flesh and coming to live among us.  We're remembering what was done for us, and learning to love more like that.  What a busy time of year it can be as well.  Thank you for your love, your prayers, and your patience!   

 

The Lord has done great things for us; and we are filled with joy. - Ps 126:3

 

LOA Baby!

It came Wednesday!  That hard LOA, the physical approval!  This is a formal letter China sends adoptive parents, asking them to accept the child to be adopted.  So Wednesday, we eagerly signed our named beneath hers and said that she belongs with us forever!  Photos to follow once I am able :-)

Next steps is I800, petitioning US immigration to classify Hannah as our daughter.  This step will take a month, and then everything starts to move even faster!  She will most likely be coming home in late February or early March!  Hurray!

Our Best Gift Came Early This Year....

So, re-reading my last post about feeling so easy-going this adoption is gonna make me laugh out loud.  Because about a week after that, I was in a whole other place...you know the one, adoption mamas! A couple of amazing, compassionate, spirit-led adoptive moms and friends helped me hang in there in November, let me tell you! 

Surprise!

 



You know how I've been reminded throughout two blogs now that God's ways are so very different than man's?  And how good a thing that is, too?  Last Monday our agency received some unexpected files, and sons and daughters were made known at last to their forever families.  The phone rang with that Alabama number- just 10 ordinary digits, but they make my heart leap and my stomach drop (in purely a good way!) every time they pop up.  There was a file.  Our wonderful caseworker, who has now matched us with both our precious children, sent it over, and it was actually very much like knowing Vivienne.  "Oh, there you are; we've been looking for you, precious one."  Really peaceful- no fireworks, just seeing this child and knowing that it was right.  That night we wrote our Letter of Intent, which presents our family and our ability to care for this child and asks the central authority for permission to make that babe our own.  I had a few days where I was physically dizzy over how quickly life had changed!  I am really glad all we were assigned for Thanksgiving this year was the green beans ;-)  It was probably all I could manage at that point!  It was a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving.

The Best Surprise!

 

The need for families for little boys is very real and serious, and we gladly expected to be one of those families.  But God places the lonely in families, and it does not always follow our logic or math...It's about ONE.  Our second surprise that day was that our family's "one" is the sweetest little girl!  It's about time for a picture, isn't it?  Here is our daughter, Hannah!

 

 



We are using her current name for her middle name, and it's important not to publicly disclose specific identifying information about her, but I can tell you that God knows her by name, and in our waiting the last few months He has provided for her in ways I'm not even sure I can share until this is all completed.  Just like He sent a caring nanny for Vivienne, He has provided something beautiful for Hannah.    

And Just One More Surprise!

 

Normally, when you write a letter of intent to adopt a child, you wait a week or often two for provisional approval, or PA, and then you wait 2-3 months for your final approval to be matched with this child, called the letter of acceptance, or LOA.  This letter is a letter issued by the central authority in China, essentially saying your request is definitely approved and seeking your confirmation, via the parents' signatures, that you are adopting this child.  

 

Well...our agency sent our letter of intent to adopt Hannah last Tuesday, and today...you guessed it, PA!  But not just PA...no, the computer system used by China to show the status of our dossier says that we are match reviewed, meaning that our actual, physical LOA should be here in about a week!  This moves our timeline way forward.  Like 2-3 months forward.  If the remaining steps progress on the normal schedule, it will still be chilly weather when we travel next year!  We are coming SOON, baby!

 

Next Steps

 



You know what?  I don't even know exactly what happens next, our timeline just got so bumped up!  I have to review the steps!  This is the part where it gets more complicated to explain the process.  I know the next step must be I-800 (back to US immigration) because we just got the paperwork to prepare for that step once our hard LOA arrives.  There will be a ping pong between those in each country's officials responsible for approving us to travel for adoption purposes, I know that much.  I also know that after LOA, things move fast step to step!  Oh my goodness. 

 

Can I just?  Ahhh!  Oh, there is a busy little list ahead!  I need to pull Vivienne's clothing and see if anything is small enough for this tiny child (or warm enough, since we traveled in summer last time).  I need to pull my packing list...and buy supplies...and re-arrange rooms!  These are things I save to do during the LOA wait to keep busy then.  But the LOA wait is already over! 

 

Prayer requests are now fairly numerous, but I'll try and keep it quick :-) 

-Please lift Hannah up in prayer as often as you think of it- she is pretty tiny, and we are also praying for total healing for her whole body. 

-Pray for those involved in her care, and the special endeavor happening to pour intensive love into her and the children with her.  And for those who see and hear about it- that it would be a blessing to everyone who encounters it. 

-We'd sure also love to ask for prayers for attachment and bonding.  It's a serious business, this breaking of a child's trust over and over, which is just a part of orphanage life even in the best of circumstances.  This is probably among the very least well understood aspects of adoption, and I do want to talk about it, but later, as we approach travel. 

-Please pray for preparation of Vivienne's heart.  She has adjusted so very well since her own homecoming, and she is getting pretty excited (Hannah is "Baby"), but those little wheels in her head are turning, and it's our job to reassure her of her incredibly precious, permanent place. 

-Pray for us to accomplish each day's work from now until we travel, and for travel mercies.

-Pretty earthly, but pray for our adoption fund to grow quickly, because we just (joyfully) lost 2-3 months worth of saving time!  But it is going to be good!!!

 

Okay, another novel from me.  Bless you people for reading!  ;-)