This upcoming week???!!!
A batch of Travel Approvals were processed and on their way to the USA!!!
A family we've been in close contact with emailed today with news their travel approval is on its way from China!Their agency has a way of knowing when TA's are processed. We are sharing in their joy and pray they are able to travel at Thanksgiving.
The additional joy in all of this is that our Article 5 was delivered to the CCAA before this family....4 days earlier! Our Article 5 was delivered on 10/25 and this family's Article 5 was delivered on 10/29.
TA's are processed in batches. We have a strong feeling our TA was processed in this batch and now, making it's way to our adoption agency.
We also received an email from a different family to say they heard that 100 Travel Approvals were processed today...or rather last night, which is Friday, China time.
Prayers for TA next week!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Family Christmas Pajamas
Mama has her matching Christmas pajamas!!
I've always thought it would be fun to have matching Christmas pajamas, as part of a holiday tradition. It never made sense in years past because it was only Earl and I and my grown son wouldn't be keen on Christmas pajamas, but now with the younger children, it's going to be fun! We are fanatic Disney fans and found the pajamas at the Disney Store. We also bought Christmas Mickey and Minnie stuffed animals, for Sterling & Miao.
I've always thought it would be fun to have matching Christmas pajamas, as part of a holiday tradition. It never made sense in years past because it was only Earl and I and my grown son wouldn't be keen on Christmas pajamas, but now with the younger children, it's going to be fun! We are fanatic Disney fans and found the pajamas at the Disney Store. We also bought Christmas Mickey and Minnie stuffed animals, for Sterling & Miao.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Hotel Reservations in Guangzhou
COME ON, TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!
As of today, we have hotel reservations in Guanghzou!!! Earl has been working deligently toward getting our hotel reserved to ensure we have lodging once we receive TA. There are major events being held in Guangzhou, currently the Asian Games which are making it a challenge for families to find hotels for their adoption travel, especially those families wanting to travel quickly after receiving TA. No more sweating it for us, we have a hotel!!!!
Fortunately, with all the business travel Earl has done over the years to China, we are able to receive a discount, confirmation of the executive floor and couple of free nights! While we don't like daddy traveling on business, it is once again, paying off! Thank you daddy for all your hard work and many nights of waking at 2:00 am in the morning...while in China or back at home when readjusting to the time change!!!!
COME ON TA!!!! WE'RE READY AND WAITING.....AND A HOTEL ROOM RESERVED!!!! YEA!!!!!
Next stop on the list of things to do...purchase the gifts for China officials, orphanage director and general gifts for the orphanage children. Many other "to-do's" on our list but taking it one step at a time.......
As of today, we have hotel reservations in Guanghzou!!! Earl has been working deligently toward getting our hotel reserved to ensure we have lodging once we receive TA. There are major events being held in Guangzhou, currently the Asian Games which are making it a challenge for families to find hotels for their adoption travel, especially those families wanting to travel quickly after receiving TA. No more sweating it for us, we have a hotel!!!!
Fortunately, with all the business travel Earl has done over the years to China, we are able to receive a discount, confirmation of the executive floor and couple of free nights! While we don't like daddy traveling on business, it is once again, paying off! Thank you daddy for all your hard work and many nights of waking at 2:00 am in the morning...while in China or back at home when readjusting to the time change!!!!
COME ON TA!!!! WE'RE READY AND WAITING.....AND A HOTEL ROOM RESERVED!!!! YEA!!!!!
Next stop on the list of things to do...purchase the gifts for China officials, orphanage director and general gifts for the orphanage children. Many other "to-do's" on our list but taking it one step at a time.......
Friday, October 29, 2010
Sterling's First Halloween
Wow, hard to believe it’s already October and the end of October, at that!!! It’s now been 11 months that our lives were blessed with Sterling. 11 months of joy and love!!! Our son is very affectionate and a caring little boy. We’ve been blessed beyond words!
He celebrated his first Halloween party today, at school! He was pretty much at a loss with what was going on around him but at the end of the day, when leaving school and taking with him a bag of “goodies” he was giggling and smiling, ear-to-ear!!
The day started off with a costume parade of all the children at his school. Each class walked around outside, in front of parents. Sterling came to me a couple of times for hugs but overall, he did very well and remained seated with his class, while I sat across the way.
I took a day off work and so glad that I did…..it was a memorable day to have shared the parade and Halloween party, with him.
He celebrated his first Halloween party today, at school! He was pretty much at a loss with what was going on around him but at the end of the day, when leaving school and taking with him a bag of “goodies” he was giggling and smiling, ear-to-ear!!
The day started off with a costume parade of all the children at his school. Each class walked around outside, in front of parents. Sterling came to me a couple of times for hugs but overall, he did very well and remained seated with his class, while I sat across the way.
I took a day off work and so glad that I did…..it was a memorable day to have shared the parade and Halloween party, with him.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
TA Joy For A Guangzhou Family!
I've been in touch with several families who are adopting older girls from the Guangzhou Orphanage. Of the families we've met via email, 3 familes have returned from China and started life as a new family.
Another family received their TA last Friday and today, received confirmation of the day they will be united with their daughter!!! It's always a joy to share in the excitement with other families who have become friends and have followed one another along the journey. Tonight, we are rejoicing with them in the joy of receiving their TA and CA!!!!
Sadly, Miao will be the last of the group of girls to come home. We are praying our TA is processed swiftly so that we can jet-over to China, ASAP!!!
Our dear friends did say that when arriving China, they will try hard to include our daughter at the McDonald's party. The only challenge is that our daughter is at the boarding school and our friend's daughter is at the orphanage, preparing for her family's arrival. Either way, they are going to try and include Miao. We are grateful for their thoughtfulness and generosity!
YEA SHEILA.....we are cheering you on and singing praises from Houston!
PS: If you're wondering about the McDonald's party. There seems to be a trend with the children being adopted. They want a party with their friends, to celebrate their new family. Of all the places, the children request McDonald's. The children consider it "special" having the opportunity to stand at a McDonald's counter and order their own food. Something they don't have an opportunity to do until families sponsor parties. Yes, we plan to have a party for Miao and include her friends and perhaps other children at the SWI who don't yet have families. More details to come as we get closer to travel. Another plan to be ironed out. It's not something that is customary but thanks to our wonderful care package service, Gifts To China With Love, they may be instrumental in assisting us in the planning.
Blessings,
Sharee
Another family received their TA last Friday and today, received confirmation of the day they will be united with their daughter!!! It's always a joy to share in the excitement with other families who have become friends and have followed one another along the journey. Tonight, we are rejoicing with them in the joy of receiving their TA and CA!!!!
Sadly, Miao will be the last of the group of girls to come home. We are praying our TA is processed swiftly so that we can jet-over to China, ASAP!!!
Our dear friends did say that when arriving China, they will try hard to include our daughter at the McDonald's party. The only challenge is that our daughter is at the boarding school and our friend's daughter is at the orphanage, preparing for her family's arrival. Either way, they are going to try and include Miao. We are grateful for their thoughtfulness and generosity!
YEA SHEILA.....we are cheering you on and singing praises from Houston!
PS: If you're wondering about the McDonald's party. There seems to be a trend with the children being adopted. They want a party with their friends, to celebrate their new family. Of all the places, the children request McDonald's. The children consider it "special" having the opportunity to stand at a McDonald's counter and order their own food. Something they don't have an opportunity to do until families sponsor parties. Yes, we plan to have a party for Miao and include her friends and perhaps other children at the SWI who don't yet have families. More details to come as we get closer to travel. Another plan to be ironed out. It's not something that is customary but thanks to our wonderful care package service, Gifts To China With Love, they may be instrumental in assisting us in the planning.
Blessings,
Sharee
Monday, October 25, 2010
OFFICIALLY WAITING TA!!!!!
IT'S OFFICIAL!!
We received an email from our agency, earlier today confirming the CCAA received our Article 5 and original signed LOI, TODAY!!!! So, as of today, 10/25 we are officially waiting TA!!!
We've been keeping watch on recent TA's and they seem to be coming in 2-3 weeks.
We are beginning to put plans in place for travel, details to make our daughter's homecoming and transition as smooth as possible and to place finishing touching in her bedroom.
Please pray with us the TA is received smoothly and swiftly!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
We received an email from our agency, earlier today confirming the CCAA received our Article 5 and original signed LOI, TODAY!!!! So, as of today, 10/25 we are officially waiting TA!!!
We've been keeping watch on recent TA's and they seem to be coming in 2-3 weeks.
We are beginning to put plans in place for travel, details to make our daughter's homecoming and transition as smooth as possible and to place finishing touching in her bedroom.
Please pray with us the TA is received smoothly and swiftly!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
Friday, October 22, 2010
Article 5--Still Sitting Idle
WE CONTINUE TO WAIT
Well, as we last wrote, our Article 5 has been sitting on someone's desk since 10/13 and it continues to sit.
As mentioned in our last post, the original, signed LOI (Letter of Intent to Adopt) must be with our paperwork before the TA (Travel Approval) will be processed.
We also learned this is not a new rule from China but rather a rule that has always been in place but not enforced. Now, China is enforcing it. Bad news: those families who are with agencies that have not been including the original, signed LOI are in our same situation.
We Fed Ex'd our original, signed LOI to Madison on Sunday with an overnight arrival. It arrived on Tuesday morning around 10:30. Madison mailed our signed LOI to China on Wednesday afternoon.
We've been told it may take 3-4 days to arrive and also told it may take 7 days. Let's pray it only takes the 3-4 days to arrive!!!!
Once our original, signed, LOI arrives, we'll be back on track!!!! We're very close and at the final steps required before travel---THE TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!
How close we are to travel:
-Signed LOI reaches agency contact in Beijing
-Contact in Beijing hand delivers our original, signed, LOI to CCAA-TA is processed
-CA is scheduled (Consulate Appointment)
-Flights are scheduled
Please pray with us our LOI arrives smoothly and quickly to China AND our TA has a speedy process!!!
PS: For those not familiar with international adoption, CA is the American Consulate Appointment. This is the final step before returning home from China. This step allows us to receive Miao's visa to return home and one of the final steps toward her becoming an American citizen when the plan touches down, in the US!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
Well, as we last wrote, our Article 5 has been sitting on someone's desk since 10/13 and it continues to sit.
As mentioned in our last post, the original, signed LOI (Letter of Intent to Adopt) must be with our paperwork before the TA (Travel Approval) will be processed.
We also learned this is not a new rule from China but rather a rule that has always been in place but not enforced. Now, China is enforcing it. Bad news: those families who are with agencies that have not been including the original, signed LOI are in our same situation.
We Fed Ex'd our original, signed LOI to Madison on Sunday with an overnight arrival. It arrived on Tuesday morning around 10:30. Madison mailed our signed LOI to China on Wednesday afternoon.
We've been told it may take 3-4 days to arrive and also told it may take 7 days. Let's pray it only takes the 3-4 days to arrive!!!!
Once our original, signed, LOI arrives, we'll be back on track!!!! We're very close and at the final steps required before travel---THE TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!
How close we are to travel:
-Signed LOI reaches agency contact in Beijing
-Contact in Beijing hand delivers our original, signed, LOI to CCAA-TA is processed
-CA is scheduled (Consulate Appointment)
-Flights are scheduled
Please pray with us our LOI arrives smoothly and quickly to China AND our TA has a speedy process!!!
PS: For those not familiar with international adoption, CA is the American Consulate Appointment. This is the final step before returning home from China. This step allows us to receive Miao's visa to return home and one of the final steps toward her becoming an American citizen when the plan touches down, in the US!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
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