Still Waiting....

I am so tired of waiting!  I know we are getting close, but I really don't want to wait for my TA anymore!!!  Please let it come today...I am ready to pack up and get to China.

June's friends

So, I am very excited to say that Yun, June's LP friend from the SWI, has found her family!!! Her new family received preapproval from China, allowing them to officially pursue her adoption. We are thrilled that June will have the opportunity to see her friend again, as this family is only about 90 minutes from us : ) And we are so happy that she will have a family of her own!

Since posting about her has had a happy ending, I am now advocating for this little guy - Lin Lin. He is missing one leg. He appears in several photos with June, and he is just cute as a button! He is just 3 1/2 and would do so well if given a chance with his own family! Here is what I know about him: He walks with a walker or can crawl extremely quickly. He will require a surgery so that he can be fitted for a prosthetic leg. He is brave, happy, and outgoing. He is under the care of the same program as Junie, so we know he would be well-prepared for his adoption and would truly benefit from the love and care of a family of his own! Please pass this info on to anyone who might help him find a family.

Family Fun!

Thanks so much to our fabulous family for the Junie shower yesterday! Quinn is making me tote her around in the backpack carrier! Can't wait to get June's bedroom together in the next few weeks, and to bring her home to meet everyone : )

Our birthday girl!

Here are some fabulous new photos from the birthday party last week! Isn't she gorgeous??? Thanks to Ann at Redthreadchina.com for getting these photos to me. Junie always seems to be with this little guy on the right in the photo with the cake; he is so cute! His family must be out there somewhere! I have more info on him, as well!

Happy Birthday Junie!

Our littlest girl is 4 years old day! It is really sad not to be with her today. We started the process to adopt her before her 3rd birthday, and here we are getting close to our big family day. It has felt like a really long year; and it has been a very busy one at the same time. Delaney and Riley has great school years, doing really well in 4th and 2nd grade. They have had a great time in their sports and other activities. They are so smart and are really excited to be big sisters again. Quinn has had a great, HEALTHY year and gained tremendous independence attending kindergarten this year. She loved her first day of cheer camp yesterday; although she can't do any stunts or tumbling, she gets to yell and that is always a plus for her : )

This year we learned a lot about Junie! She is very girly, likes to have her hair done; she is smart, and is learning a lot in her kindergarten classes. We learned about the care and love that ICC, along with her nannies, gives her and the other kids in her SWI; this is a real blessing, to know that the quality of her care has been so good. In all of her photos she is adorable, her hair is always done up, and she always looks clean and healthy. None of that makes it too much easier not to have her on her birthday, though! We hope that she got her birthday package today, and that she got to share her cake and treats with her friends. This will be her last birthday in the country where she was born, with the people she has known. We could be off to bring her to her family in just a few weeks! And now, the girls and I are off to our first Chinese class.

Article 5

Yay!  Our Article 5 was picked up today (as scheduled, yay!!) and is off to the C*CAA!  This means that we are OFFICIALLY waiting for our Travel Approval.  When we receive that, we will work with our agency to schedule a consulate date and PLAN THIS TRIP to our little girl!!

ICC

Read about this great organization that works directly with disabled/special needs children in China. They specifically work at June's SWI in HengYang, and at another facility in the capital of Hunan, Changsha. Changsha is where we will stay when we meet June! Take a minute to see the great work that they do, and how you can help them.


www.english.chinaconcern.org

For the birthday girl...

This is part of the package we are sending to Junie for her big birthday next week! This time around we included photos of the house, yard, things inside the house, her school, etc. I guess the doll tells me that Kai-lan is in China! I have picked up a few Kai-lan things to bring with us - coloring books, etc. I wanted her to get a baby doll, but I guess this will have to do! We are told that she is very girly, so I hope she likes the little jewelry! We sent a letter, some candy for the kids, and June will get a cake on Tuesday to celebrate with her friends. We also sent an envelope addressed to us, and asked Junie if she can draw a picture for us - I am not counting on getting anything back, but it would be a great surprise!

June's friend

We just learned that June has a 5 year old friend, living in her same SWI! She also has achondroplasia and would really love to find a family of her own. She is described as "clever, cheeky, with a great personality and very loyal to her friends". Dwarfism is very stigmatized in Ch*na; so she could really use a family of her own! Could she be yours? You know if I could talk Tom into it, I would : ) If anyone thinks she could be your daughter, message me and I can put you in touch of the agency advocating for her!!

Waiting for Article 5

Today is the start of our 2 week wait for our Article 5 - the piece of paper that officially begins our wait for Travel Approval!!! No variables on this one, our agency says that the A5 is ready exactly 2 weeks after drop off. Then we start wishing and praying for a fast TA!!! I would love to get there in July to have more time at home with the girls before school starts again (yea, we don't get out of school until Thursday, but next school year already feels too close)!