TA!!!

We have finally received Travel Approval!!! Unfortunately, due to the Chinese holiday, we will not be able to schedule our appointments until October. We are hoping to travel the first few weeks of the month with our first stop in Beijing for a visit to New Hope Foundation. We are so looking forward to seeing where HaiYang spent most of her time and to meet those who have so lovingly cared for her. Hopefully with her leaving, another child-in-need will be able to take her place. If you would like more information on New Hope Foundation there is a link to the left of this page. Their work is truly amazing!!!

Testing

This is just a test to see if I can post to blogger from PRC. 

Good News

We received word that HaiYang has been moved to her original orphanage to prepare for adoption. This can only mean that our travel approval is out there somewhere. I am hoping it will arrive today or at least sometime this week. The 1st week of October is a Chinese Holiday so it would be best if we could travel in September.
Keep your fingers crossed for us and prayers for HaiYang, this has to be a difficult and frightening time for her.

Summer Fun

Tessie really loved the Hermit Crabs, maybe next year.

Once again I have no news on the adoption front other than we are still waiting..... it is starting to get a little embarassing too. For those of you who have been here, you know what I am talking about. Sixteen months ago we announced that we would be adding to our family just one more time. Then we thought the journey would be complete around Feb. or March, then we thought end of spring, then beginning of summer and so on. So here we are, after we have told everyone we know, and many people we barely know, saying "well it shouldn't be long now". It is just too embarassing to commit to a time of travel, after already using up all of the seasons, with no adoption. I have a feeling some people think we just said we were adopting but are not really doing so. Some think we should be pushed ahead since we already have 2 kids from China, if that were the case there would be a whole lot of happy families moving to the front of the line. So although I do think it will be soon, I am not going to predict a month or even a season but I assure you our adoption is still in the works and HaiYang is eventually going to officially become part of our family.
Saldy, summer is coming to an end as much as we all protest in this house. It is been a super, fun-filled, summer, busy and a little crazy at times but much fun. I am including some of our hi-lights. Wishing you all a fun last few days off and a great school year ahead.

Oops the pictures were supposed to show up at the end not the beginning.

Packing

It appears we have officially started packing. Above is the backpack Lucie and Tessie picked out for HaiYang along with the items that are being stuffed into the backpack. They each picked a few things they thought she would like to play with. I am sure she will play with all of it the 1st day and we'll be out looking for new things to occupy her. We also plan to go armed with cookies and candy to try to lure her to us.

I attached a pictures of the new clothes we picked up, this is a great time to buy summer clothes as they are all marked down considerably! I still have to sort through the trunk of size 3 & 4 clothes we have from Lucie and Tessie, I am sure we will be able to dress her for a months without repeating outfits.

No this does not mean we have any travel information it just means we are getting anxious and excited. I am sure we will hear something soon and I am still hopeful that we will travel in August, although it is pretty unlikely that we will do so without the girls missing the 1st week of school. Oh sorry, I hate to talk about school this early in the summer, didn't mean to scare anyone we still have 5 weeks to enjoy.

*If you look closely in the right hand corner of the picture with the clothes, you can see Baby, isn't she adorable!! I'll have to post a better picture of her, she is the one that really rules this house.

Daysie it is!

Yes we decided to name the newest member of our family Daysie. By the looks of the recent pictures, her name suits her well. She has grown so much in the last year, since we first saw her picture. We are sad we had to miss it but have so much to look forward to with her. Lucie and Tessie are armed and ready to be her big sisters, I only hope she cooperates with all of their plans :-).

We still do not have a travel date, hoping it comes soon. We are just about ready, the rooms have been successfully completed, almost all of our paperwork is finished (visa apps. going in the mail today) all that will be left is the dreadful packing. I honestly think the packing my be worse than the paperchase!!!! And packing for 3 little girls..... ugh!!! Wish me luck.

Happy 4th of July, I hope you are all having a fantastic summer!!!!