DTC!

Just in case you missed the overzealous, hey-look- new-Word-functions announcement I made earlier this evening, it is in fact true.  Our dossier was sent to China Tuesday!  A dossier is basically your huge file of paperwork condensed into 13 basic documents, which have been notarized, certified, and authenticated.  It is what we send to China for processing.  There, it will be translated and reviewed, and we will receive a log in date, hopefully in 2-3 weeks. Your log in date (LID) is what makes you official in the central authority's computer system, and we will be matched with our son or daughter based on that date, the medical needs we have indicated, and the agency's consideration of what is in the best interest of each child.  Basically, it is all out of our hands now, for a good while!  I love this part.  Some people hate it because you are not in control anymore, but I love it.  I love knowing we've done all we can and once we have LID nothing comes next but seeing our child's face! 

Agencies give time estimates for matching, and I could share the current estimates...but you know what the best thing to do with matching estimates is?  Toss 'em!  They are based on too many variables...how fast files are coming to your agency, how those files coordinate with your age range and the special needs you are open to, how many families have LID's  close to yours....it's just too much to say.  We are hopeful for everything to work out to be able to travel to bring this precious one home next year, hopefully early next year! 

Summer Update

A big thank you to everyone who took part in our summer fundraiser!  We had a last minute flood and are placing an order for a grand total of 154 shirts!  We are SO excited to get these printed and shipped out to you!  And so ready to see who is going to fill one of those toddler shirts, especially ;-)  We heard so many wonderful stories.  One family is traveling to Hawaii very soon to adopt their son- it was so neat how their destination and our theme flowed!  A friend told me the jade shirt's colors happened to be her sorority colors- who knew?!  Several times people shared that the Isaiah verse also worked it's way into their hearts as they pursued sons and daughters in far away places, or traveled for mission.  A couple people have a passion for sea turtles- kinda fun!  If you ordered, I will be communicating when your shirt ships- not long now!

Here is our summer progress on the financial side!
Total paid towards the process: $12,707.25
Balance remaining: $22,068.75
(If you read this previously and notice the values have changed, I apologize- I am seriously looking forward to breaking past the next milestone in this process I guess!)

We have now officially paid all expenses up until the time we are matched!  And, we are fully prepared to write the checks which will be due at the time of matching.  More on that momentarily, but first a little adoption update!

Currently our dossier is waiting for the courier in Houston to return from a well deserved vacation.  Next week, she will bring our dossier to the Chinese consulate for authentication, which is the final step in the sealing process from my last post.  A courier is necessary because our dossier must be hand-delivered to the consulate, and couriers are also experienced enough to know the ropes of the consulate well.  Once the authenticated dossier is returned to our agency, the agency will do a detailed review of it one last time.  Everyone wants to makes sure this paper representation of us and our life is presented exactly right, because after this the dossier goes to China!

This next step is known as being DTC (Dossier to China) in adoption circles.  It means any shred of control you thought you had in the process is officially over!  That bothers some people, but personally I think it is one of the best parts of the process!  Ahhhh, we will have done all we can for a while.  The central authority in China will log us into their system, and that log-in date (LID) is the date our official wait for a match begins.  So be watching the blog for LID news this summer, possibly next month!  Every step from that point forward happens as a direct result of seeing our child's face for the first time- pretty crazy wonderful, huh?!