This is the story of our Journey to Nanning,China to bring our beautiful daughter Katherine home.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Today, we received word from our agency that the CCAA offices have completed the referrals for the LID dates for April 27, 2005 and will be sending them out before they close for the Chinese New Year Celebrations. The Chinese New Year is January 29th and the offices are usually closed for about 1 week. It will probably be late February and early March before the referrals for May DTC dates are completed. Maybe, after the holidays, future referrals will come quicker to all of the waiting families.
Yesterday I spent the day with the most adorable little girl, Lily. I met her with her parents one afternoon several months ago while out shopping and fell in love with her. Over the past several months, we have become friends through attending various activities through a local support group of other families that have adopted from China. It has been a long time since I have spent any length of time with a little one and the experience was much needed and thoroughly enjoyed. She and I had a blast pretend playing, doing an art project, singing, dancing, watching videos, and reading books. 
She became friends with our little yorkie, Cannolli and as you can see in the picture he fell in love with her too. Lily's parents will soon be traveling to China again to adopt another little girl. Hopefully soon after they return, we will be traveling to bring home our little Katherine. I can't wait to see them all playing together and am looking forward to the new experiences and friendships we will gain from the large community of other families that have adopted children from China. 
She became friends with our little yorkie, Cannolli and as you can see in the picture he fell in love with her too. Lily's parents will soon be traveling to China again to adopt another little girl. Hopefully soon after they return, we will be traveling to bring home our little Katherine. I can't wait to see them all playing together and am looking forward to the new experiences and friendships we will gain from the large community of other families that have adopted children from China.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Katherine's Grandma Mc, has made some of the most beautiful quilts, dolls and animals. She is very talented and has made and given each one from her heart. They all will be loved and cherished
for many years to come. Katherine is blessed to have such a wonderful talented Grandmother who, by the way, is very excited for her to join our family. Thank you Grandma Mc for your beautiful,gracious gifts.
for many years to come. Katherine is blessed to have such a wonderful talented Grandmother who, by the way, is very excited for her to join our family. Thank you Grandma Mc for your beautiful,gracious gifts.
A few of my favorite quotes:
"One hundred years from now,
It will not matter what your bank account was...
what kind of car you drove...
or how big your house was,
but it may matter that you made a difference in the life of a child"
"How can you say there are too many children in the world? That is like saying there are too many flowers."
~Mother Teresa~
"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."
~Ancient Chinese Proverb~
"So don't be afraid: I am with you. I will round up all your scattered children and pull them in from the East and the West"
1 Samuel 43:5
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intent of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and proclaiming, "Wow what a ride!!!"
"One hundred years from now,
It will not matter what your bank account was...
what kind of car you drove...
or how big your house was,
but it may matter that you made a difference in the life of a child"
"How can you say there are too many children in the world? That is like saying there are too many flowers."
~Mother Teresa~
"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."
~Ancient Chinese Proverb~
"So don't be afraid: I am with you. I will round up all your scattered children and pull them in from the East and the West"
1 Samuel 43:5
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intent of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and proclaiming, "Wow what a ride!!!"
Monday, January 09, 2006
We have heard that the China Center for Adoption Affairs has slowed down on Referrals due to several factors. They have been reorganizing and are in the process of registering more orphanages. Apparently there are more "Waiting Families" than there are paper-ready children, and they are also trying to train more people. We are patiently waiting and know that everything has a time and a purpose. It's good to know that so many children will be finding their "forever families" soon.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
This is a Cabbage Patch Doll from Hong Kong
. Joe and I had traveled to the Philippines on a scuba diving trip in 1985 and spent a few days in Hong Kong on the return trip home. I fell in love with this little doll and had to purchase it. Who would have ever imagined that she would someday have a little girl from China to be her best friend? She is holding a British Passport because at the time we visited, the British still had ownership of Hong Kong.
. Joe and I had traveled to the Philippines on a scuba diving trip in 1985 and spent a few days in Hong Kong on the return trip home. I fell in love with this little doll and had to purchase it. Who would have ever imagined that she would someday have a little girl from China to be her best friend? She is holding a British Passport because at the time we visited, the British still had ownership of Hong Kong.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Time Frame:
January 2005: Year of the Rooster - We decide to adopt
Applied for Passports
February 2005: Received Passports
February 10,2005: Sent off for Certified copies fo Birth & Marriage Certificates
February 14,2005: Contacted Great Wall China Adoption Agency for Information
February 15,2005: Received Application from GWCA
Certified copies of Birth and Marriage Certificates issue date
February 16,2005: Completed application and sent with application fee to GWCA
February 17,2005: Application approved / received adoption manual
Received Certified Birth and Marriage Certificates
Contacted Home Study Agency and sent payment for fees
February 20,2005: Received packet from Home Study Agency and began paperwork
February 25,2005: Received notorized Employment letter - Janet
February 27,2005: Received notorized Employment letter - Joe
March 4,2005: Typed Application Letter for GWCA
Typed Financial Letter for GWCA
March 5,2005: Got Notorization for Application and Financial
letters
March 7,2005: Sent Joe's Employment letter to Iowa for State Authentication
March 8,2005: Sent Certified Birth and Marriage Certificates to Louisiana for
State Authentication by Secretary of State
March 9,2005: Received Joe's Employment letter back from Iowa
March 10,2005: Received State Authenticated Birth and Marriage Certificates
March 11,2005: Picked up completed Criminal Record Check letters from local
Police Dept.
Took notorized Application letter, Financial Statement and
Janet's Employment letter to County Courthouse for County
Authentication.
1st Home Study Meeting
March 14,2005: 2nd Home Study Meeting
Mailed I-600A application to CIS
Mailed Joe's Employment letter to Chinese Consulate in Illinois
for final Authentication.
March 16,2005: Received notification the CIS received I-600A
application
Took Criminal Record's Check letters to County Courthouse for
County Authentication
March 17,2005: Janet- bloodwork for Physical
March 22,2005: Received Joe's Employment letter back from
the Chinese Consulate
March 23,2005: Received Fingerprint appointments for April 1st at 2:00 p.m.
Janet - TB Test
March 24,2005: Matthew's Physical - required notorization in Dr.'s office
Janet - TB Test read back - Negative
March 25,2005: 3rd Home Study (Joe)
Took Matt's Physical paperwork to County Courthouse for
County Authentication
Took 7 documents to Secretary of State
for Authentication
April 1,2005: Matthew had wisdom teeth removed
4th and final Home Study
Fingerprinting at CIS - 2 p.m. appointment-waited 3 hours
April 5,2005: Janet - Physical and notorization
May 25,2005: CIS received Homestudy
July 16,2005: Had 2 passport photos taken of each of us for Dossier
July 21,2005: Checked all paperwork in Dossier and made copies
July 22,2005: Received the Authenticated I-171H letter
Mailed completed Dossier to GWCA for review
July 25,2005: GWCA received Dossier
July 29, 2005: Dossier mailed to China by Great Wall Adoption Agency
August 24, 2005: * /LID : Official log in date for Dossier
September 16, 2005: Notified that Dossier is in Translation Room at CCAA
December 19, 2005: Notified that Dossier is in Review Room
Updates:
12/05: Painted,decorated and took pictures of Katherine's room
12/ /05: Joe brings home a very cute, huge ladybug pillow/chair for Katherine's room.
12/23/05: Purchased an antique "wadrobe" from for Katherine's room. It had been painted eggplant purple and hot pink and had foam stars stuck all over it, so it took some work, but it is now painted and in Katherine's room.
12/28/05: ll:00 p.m. : Ladybug sighting (It is considered Good Luck when a ladybug is sighted)
7/01/06: Fingerprints Expire
1/3/06: Two ladybugs sighted around 3:00 A.M.
11/01/06: Received "STORK ALERT" from GWCA agency !!!!!!
11/02/06: Received REFERRAL and Pictures of Katherine !!!!!!!!!!
11/06/02: Received FedEx Package with translated Medical records and Acceptance Forms
Signed and overnighted Acceptance Package back to Great Wall
11/10/06: Received translation of Katherine's Growth Chart which describes where she was found and detailed information about her monthly progress, her personality, and her daily schedule.
11/15/06: Received e-mail from agency that we will be transitioning to the "Travel Team" on Friday, 11/17/06 in preparation for travel to bring Katherine home.
January 2005: Year of the Rooster - We decide to adopt
Applied for Passports
February 2005: Received Passports
February 10,2005: Sent off for Certified copies fo Birth & Marriage Certificates
February 14,2005: Contacted Great Wall China Adoption Agency for Information
February 15,2005: Received Application from GWCA
Certified copies of Birth and Marriage Certificates issue date
February 16,2005: Completed application and sent with application fee to GWCA
February 17,2005: Application approved / received adoption manual
Received Certified Birth and Marriage Certificates
Contacted Home Study Agency and sent payment for fees
February 20,2005: Received packet from Home Study Agency and began paperwork
February 25,2005: Received notorized Employment letter - Janet
February 27,2005: Received notorized Employment letter - Joe
March 4,2005: Typed Application Letter for GWCA
Typed Financial Letter for GWCA
March 5,2005: Got Notorization for Application and Financial
letters
March 7,2005: Sent Joe's Employment letter to Iowa for State Authentication
March 8,2005: Sent Certified Birth and Marriage Certificates to Louisiana for
State Authentication by Secretary of State
March 9,2005: Received Joe's Employment letter back from Iowa
March 10,2005: Received State Authenticated Birth and Marriage Certificates
March 11,2005: Picked up completed Criminal Record Check letters from local
Police Dept.
Took notorized Application letter, Financial Statement and
Janet's Employment letter to County Courthouse for County
Authentication.
1st Home Study Meeting
March 14,2005: 2nd Home Study Meeting
Mailed I-600A application to CIS
Mailed Joe's Employment letter to Chinese Consulate in Illinois
for final Authentication.
March 16,2005: Received notification the CIS received I-600A
application
Took Criminal Record's Check letters to County Courthouse for
County Authentication
March 17,2005: Janet- bloodwork for Physical
March 22,2005: Received Joe's Employment letter back from
the Chinese Consulate
March 23,2005: Received Fingerprint appointments for April 1st at 2:00 p.m.
Janet - TB Test
March 24,2005: Matthew's Physical - required notorization in Dr.'s office
Janet - TB Test read back - Negative
March 25,2005: 3rd Home Study (Joe)
Took Matt's Physical paperwork to County Courthouse for
County Authentication
Took 7 documents to Secretary of State
for Authentication
April 1,2005: Matthew had wisdom teeth removed
4th and final Home Study
Fingerprinting at CIS - 2 p.m. appointment-waited 3 hours
April 5,2005: Janet - Physical and notorization
May 25,2005: CIS received Homestudy
July 16,2005: Had 2 passport photos taken of each of us for Dossier
July 21,2005: Checked all paperwork in Dossier and made copies
July 22,2005: Received the Authenticated I-171H letter
Mailed completed Dossier to GWCA for review
July 25,2005: GWCA received Dossier
July 29, 2005: Dossier mailed to China by Great Wall Adoption Agency
August 24, 2005: * /LID : Official log in date for Dossier
September 16, 2005: Notified that Dossier is in Translation Room at CCAA
December 19, 2005: Notified that Dossier is in Review Room
Updates:
12/05: Painted,decorated and took pictures of Katherine's room
12/ /05: Joe brings home a very cute, huge ladybug pillow/chair for Katherine's room.
12/23/05: Purchased an antique "wadrobe" from for Katherine's room. It had been painted eggplant purple and hot pink and had foam stars stuck all over it, so it took some work, but it is now painted and in Katherine's room.
12/28/05: ll:00 p.m. : Ladybug sighting (It is considered Good Luck when a ladybug is sighted)
7/01/06: Fingerprints Expire
1/3/06: Two ladybugs sighted around 3:00 A.M.
11/01/06: Received "STORK ALERT" from GWCA agency !!!!!!
11/02/06: Received REFERRAL and Pictures of Katherine !!!!!!!!!!
11/06/02: Received FedEx Package with translated Medical records and Acceptance Forms
Signed and overnighted Acceptance Package back to Great Wall
11/10/06: Received translation of Katherine's Growth Chart which describes where she was found and detailed information about her monthly progress, her personality, and her daily schedule.
11/15/06: Received e-mail from agency that we will be transitioning to the "Travel Team" on Friday, 11/17/06 in preparation for travel to bring Katherine home.
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