Praise Report ...Prayer Request....It's Getting Close

Okay everyone we got a call yesterday from CCAI, our adoption agency saying that they anticipate a BIG batch of TAs (Travel Approvals) in next week and that they expect ours to be there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They got some information from us and were making calls to other families to go ahead and get some preliminary information. (and yes Kelly's should be in there too!)

So dates, at this point the plan is that we would leave on June 16 returning July 2 or 3rd. This would work great for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is where I need your prayers. If the consulate appointments are booked (pray they are not!!!!) we would travel one week later June 23. If we do this it would mean we have to send Christian with one of other families on the baseball team to Cooperstown and meet him up there a couple days later. We should still be able to catch all his games (maybe only miss 1 worst case) but it woudl be more intense, unpacking, repacking and leaving from China straight on a 12 hour drive to New York. Not ideal...but will do what we have to do and find God in whatever that is! He is there with us I know each step of the way.

CCAI is very optimistic we will travel on the 16th and are aware of our other obligation. We are remaining positive, this is great news. God has taken us this far and is about to take us to our daughter and we can hardly wait! We are very very excited....2-1/2 weeks from now we could be on our way to China...no we will be I just know it.

Thanks to all of you for your support on this 3+year journey, it is about to come to an incredible end ....we covet your prayers in these last days and with this final check point. Thanks..we love you!

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Received Article 5 Today!

Great news! We received our Article 5 today - right on time, 2 weeks exactly. Basically the NVC issues this stating that the U.S. approves our adoption. Yahoo!

So next step - TA. This is our travel approval. We should get this in the next 2-4 weeks. Pray it is quick, we are so ready to go. As soon as we get our travel approval we will be able to announce our travel dates. This usually is about 1-3 weeks after you receive the approval, so it moves really quick once you get TA. You are making airline reservations, packing up and heading out really quick. I can't wait for that day.

Okay so prayer warriors, bring those prayers please, we really are eager to get over there and get our daughter...pray everything is on the early side and we get a quick TA and a quick travel date. At this point we could travel in as early as 3 weeks...we are not even speaking to the 7 week end because we need to travel within 5 weeks due to our family trip to Cooperstown for Christian's baseball. It is an exciting time. God has brought us so far...and his timing is perfect, trusting in that and His ability to move fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Picture of Grace - She Went to the Park

Grace went to the park. Get this - totally trips me out you know what the caption says under her photo (Braveheart Yao – the second “iron woman”). Yao is her name in Chinese. I knew she was a warrior! Not sure what that is on her head…I guess her head dress..hehehe....I can't wait to get a hold of my baby girl!

Two More Things - Checked Off!!

We got our Visas so we are good to go there. We also are mailing off our orphange fee today so that our adoption agency can wire it to China. Getting closer. We are expecting to receive our final approval (LOA /Article 5) from CCAA in China next Thursday, May 13. Praying it is even sooner, but holding fast!

Kelly and I had our Baby Shower

Well Kelly and I had our baby shower for Lily and Grace. It was so much fun! Thanks Kim, Mom, Elizabeth and Missy for putting this together. I know a lot of hard work went into it. Thanks to all our family and friends who came and shared in this day with us, we are truly blessed. The cake and invitations said "Two Sisters, One Journey, Two Miracles" - love that!