New Pictures!!

We received new pictures of our daughter holding the bags of items we sent her via Gifts To China With Love.

http://www.giftstochinawithlove.com/

The picture reflects the date, 9/1..it's still 8/31 for us here in the US but given the 13 hour time difference, it's morning in China. What a great way to kick off the month of September!!

Our beautiful daughter, Miao!!

A Name for Miao

The big question....her name

We have been asked over and over, what will be her name. 

Honestly, this has been a puzzle to us, too.  So much a puzzle that we are delayed returning the LOA and DS230.  We have discussed, prayed and spent many late nights over this very discussion. 

The name has been determined but out of respect for Miao, we will not discuss or share until we first speak with her.  It is only fair that a young girl her age, have our respect and be the first to know and express her thoughts.

With that said,  tomorrow the LOA and DS230 will be mailed to our adoption agency!!!

I800 Mailed TODAY!!!!

We mailed the I800 today, Sunday, 8/29) via Fed Ex with overnight, am delivery.  It will arrive on Tuesday morning.  The I800 is the first of several steps toward the TA or TRAVEL APPROVAL!!! 

While it's still a bit early, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!  There are several more steps to accomplish but thank goodness, we can now say, working toward our TRAVEL APPROVAL!!

We also received word from email friends that are currently in China adopting their daughter, that our package we sent them to deliver to Miao is on it's way to her!!!  They handed it off to someone who is going to deliver it.  We sent her a T-shirt, wrist watch and Tootsie Rolls.  She loves chocolate and Tootsie Rolls was the only candy I could think of that wouldn't easily melt.  Many thanks to this dear family for hand carrying our package!!

Sterling's Passport

LITTLE BROTHER'S PASSPORT ARRIVES!!!

We received Sterling's passport in the mail.  It didn't take long and fortunately, arrived early and in plenty of time for travel.  Next step is family visa!!  Daddy already has a standing visa due to business travel but mom and Sterling must apply for one.  Fortunately with dad's business travel, our visa will be good for a solid year. 

We are doing everything possible ahead of time to bring Miao home, as soon as possible!!!

We love you, Miao!
Mom, Dad & Sterling

Miao's Little Brother

Another Step Closer to Travel

LOA IN HAND!!!!!

THE STORK ARRIVED TODAY!!

We now have our LOA in hand and are sitting together, finishing up the necessary paperwork to return the LOA to our agency, (who in turn will return it to China) AND finishing up the I800 form to send to the USCIS office!!! 

We had the I800 form completely filled out but found one mistake and for some reason, our computer (or the form has a security measure) will not allow us to make the needed change.  SO, we sit here once again.

Next step is the I800 approval and the NBC office forwarding to the NVC office who will wire it to the consulate in China.  I've forgotten what happens at each step and must review Sterling's information as a refresher..then I can share with everyone, the steps leading up to the TA or Travel Approval!!!!

God willing, we are sure hoping for a November travel...the same as with Sterling's adoption.  This allows us time off work with built-in vacation days!  Earl's work can't afford him to be out of the office for an extended amount of time this year and with the holidays, he'll have those extra days, with the family!  As for me, working in the school district, I'll have a week at Thanksgiving and 2 weeks at Christmas...I will take FMLA which is great but won't be paid for my time off....only the holidays.  For our family, travel in November makes the most sense and besides, we want our girl home for Christmas!!!  Please keep us in your prayers!!

The Stork Has Landed!!!!!

Letter Of Approval

LOA RECEIVED!!!!!!!

LETTER OF APPROVAL RECEIVED!!           

It's a great day in the Moore home--we received an email earlier today from our agency to say that our LOA was received in their office this morning and that it will be sent to us via Fed Ex for overnight delivery!!! 

Having our daughter home by Christmas is looking very good....of course, also very dependent upon several more steps of paperwork but, still very likely!!!

YEA!!!  WE ARE THRILLED!!! And, very glad we went early to apply for Sterling's passport, which by the way was received in the mail last week. Hopefully, Miao's paperwork will continue to move along smoothly and quickly!!

We also received another letter from Miao, yesterday!!  A great week!!!

PS:  For those not familiar with adoption acronyms, LOA is "Letter of Approval" This is a letter all adoptive parents anxiously await, as this letter starts the process for the TA or travel approval.

The LOA is an "official letter" from China that we must sign..it's a letter confirming we want the adoption to continue and want to bring Miao home.  Duh, absolutley we want to continue and by the way China--we can't wait to bring her home!!!!!!

Letter #3 from Miao!

This evening we received our 3rd letter, from Miao!  It was a great joy to see Sheri's email from Gifts To China with Love and attached, the letter Miao had written.

This was a rather lengthy letter, sharing more with us about herself and her adventures at the Expo in Shanghai!  For those who may not know, the Expo is a huge event in China, taking place in Shanghai.  It's comparable to the World's Fair that was here in the US.  Countries have pavillions representing their land and food. 

Our daughter said more than 20 countries were represented at the Expo.  She especially enjoyed China, Brazil and the US.  She liked the movie film shown at the US pavillion.  She earned the priviledge to travel to the Expo by doing well in school.  It was a reward from the orphanage.

She enjoys skating and hopes to skate when coming to America.  Well, she's with the perfect family!  Mom enjoys skating and little brother is beginning to learn.  Her big brother has been skating since he was 3 years old.  We look forward to bringing her home and spending family time together, skating!

She didn't like the heat when traveling to the Expo.  Unfortunately, she's moving to a very warm climate but hopefully, having a swimming pool in the backyard will allow her to better enjoy the summers at home!

She very much likes sweets and ice cream is her favorite!

We sent her a list of names to ask if she was friends with any of the girls.  (it's families that we are currently in touch with that have girls thought to be attending the same boarding school as Miao) But she replied only saying, "Ping-Ping is one of my best friends. I have many good friends.  I precious very friend of mine.  So everyone is my best friend.  (I beleive there is a break-down in the translation, so we aren't sure if the names we listed are close personal friends or, she is describing that she has a lot of friends and her friendships are precious to her)

She asked to keep in touch with her friends when moving to America.  She mentioned QQ.  (QQ has been described to us as a China Facebook)

She likes pets and asked if we have pets at home.  Also adding, it would be terrific if we did. 

We spent a few moments tonight, writing a letter in reply and sent it through, Gifts To China With Love.  Our daughter asked in her last letter, if we will write to her often.  We are doing our best to write as much as possible.  In addition to the letter, we are sending her a camera, bags of candy, a teen style t-shirt.  We want her to be showered with our love, until we can bring her home!!!!!

4th Care Package

BASKETBALL BUZZ IN CHINA!!

Allow me to preface this message with, our daughter has an interest and liking for basketball and if you're like us, once we learned of her basketball interest, our first thought was, Yao Ming!  The US basketball player from China...well, we learned differently.........

We wrote our daughter, sharing with her the excitement that Yao Ming, the US basketball player who is from China, plays right here in our city.  The reply letter from Miao mentioned nothing about Yao Ming but rather, her liking of Kobe Bryant.  Her words in the letter were, "I like Kobe Bryant sooooooo much."

Believe it or not......The basketball Buzz in China is..........Kobe Bryant! YEP....Kobe.  My dh who travels often  on business to China, was reading an article during his last trip, taling about the fondness China has for Kobe.  (He saved the article for our daughter.) 

I couldn't help but chuckle out loud when reading her letter.....I'm not a Kobe fan (sorry any Kobe fans out there)  but all personal feelings aside, when LA comes to Houston to play, we will be in line for tickets.  Our dear daughter added, that in the orphanage she doesn't have the opportunity to watch basketball games.  Well, you better believe that when she comes home, we'll be spending plenty of time at the Toyota Center, watching basketball!

We received a message from our care package service, "Gifts To China With Love"  to say they had found Kobe Bryant memorabilia items.  I simply mentioned to them that our daughter very much liked Kobe Bryant.  Well, they took it upon themselves to shop for Kobe Bryant items!  Wish I could be a fly on the wall to watch her reaction when opening the care package.  Gifts To China With Love, also had the great idea to  send sunglasses.

Our daughter will be showered with gifts of candy (we learned she LOVES sweets), sunglasses, Kobe Bryant book and a Kobe Bryant CD, along with a letter.  She's going to really enjoy this particular care package.

Note to other adoptive families.  If you happen to know your child has an interest for basketball, consider sending information/memorabilia on Kobe Bryant.  You won't go wrong!

Adoption Update: We are almost 3 weeks (as of Tuesday, 8/17) into waiting for the LOA!  Good news is that some LOA's have been received at 4 weeks, while others have waited 6 weeks...so we could potentially be very close to receiving it!!!!  Our I800 form is complete and ready to be mailed to the USCIS office, once the LOA is received.

From Gifts To China With Love: http://www.giftstochinawithlove.com/ 

WE GOT IT--LID AS OF 7/27/10!!!!

We received the email at 9:45 this morning from our agency to say, OUR LID IS 7/27/10!!!!

What a blessing....we were DTC on 7/22 and 5 days later, we were LID!!!

NEXT STEP: LOA (Letter of Approval) 
Good news, we are already 2 weeks into the wait for the LOA!!

The LOA is the "official" document from China that states we have the permission from China to adopt Miao and confirmation that we still want to proceed with the adoption....DUH, absolutely we want to proceed with the adoption!  I can save them the hassle of the wait and tell them this very moment, YES, if it would help to bring Miao home sooner. 

LID UPDATE

Called Madison Adoption Agency today to ask about our LID, since we had been told we should hear something in 1-2 weeks.  Wasn't easy but I waited 2 weeks before calling.  Yes, today is the 2 week mark as to when our dossier went to China. 

I was told there are two other families also waiting and that Madison contacted their representative located in China, asking her to inquire on our behalf.  I was assured we will be contacted as soon as our LID is received and that it's (it as in our dossier) probably already logged-in but they've yet to relay the date to our agency.  Let's hope so!!!!

So.....we continue to wait......praying our next post, will be to share the news of our LID!!