New Picture

We got a very happy surprise today. We got 3 more pictures of baby Tae today. I can't post them all because she is with her foster family and I'm really not supposed to be sharing these on the Internet anyway. OMG she is getting so big. This is one of the outfits we sent that didn't think would fit.

She has changed so much and looks so big to me, she is growing too fast.

I can't wait to meet her. I'm counting the days until she is ours forever. The boys are so in love with her too.

Adoption Tax Credit

Adoption Tax Credit -Sample Letters for Senators..
I got this site from another blogger. This is an easy way to write your senators...Keep this going and post it on your blogs as well.http://adoptiontaxcredit.wetpaint.com/
Thank you

This is the Day the Lord has made

SO I started my day off today in a very good mood with a good feeling that it was going to be a great day. When I told Bill he sang "this is the day this is the day that the lord has made".... and in chimed the boys.

Any way I was on the hunt for the mailman and when he arrived early I was thrilled. I had to be at school and errands to run and if he wasn't there before I got Kai I knew I couldn't get the mail until close to 2 and when your waiting for mail who wants to wait that long.

Well I was right, We got VISA APPROVAL today. What does this mean you ask? Well it means that Immigration granted us approval for bay Tae's Visa to be issued and for her to come her to live with us.

Your next questions is WHEN- Right? Well normally it takes 6 to 8 weeks from the Visa approval however there has been a back log of Emigration Permits being issued in Korea. First they ran out last year and then there seems to be some delays in country (Korea) so the program coordinator at our agency told me travel could be perhaps late May. She said she is telling families 2 to 5 more months wait from this point. I however seem to be on a direct line to God and I believe our travel will be in April. If we went by the normal time line of 6 weeks (April 7th) to 8 weeks (April 21st) as you can see it would put us in April so I have decided to believe it will be April.

I'm off now to freak out some more and then go look over my travel packet and start making lists and of course stare at my beautiful little girl waiting for her forever family on the other side of the world. YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

February Well checkup

I was happily surprised to get a February well report already. Tae-hui has not gained any more weight so at least the last box of clothes we sent should fit her.

The report said she is briefly sitting, she plays peek-a-boo and is now saying dada & mama. I get more anxious to hold her and play with her the more I learn about her. The report said she is growing well.

Hoping for a visa approval this week, Thursday will be 8 weeks since the paperwork was turned in.

Reflecting

I couldn't sleep last night and kept thinking of travel. It's almost 8 years since we got our travel call to meet Julian. I remember starting my day at work thinking it would be any ordinary day when the phone rang. I couldn't stop crying after the call and I think the girl I worked with thought I finally cracked. The call came on a Wednesday Feb 27th and we left for Korea that Saturday. Here's Julian referral picture, Our fist meeting and him now. Time moves too quickly

Moving along

We got Kai's passport yesterday, YEAH. We are close to choosing a hotel and working on our list of "must dos" while we are in Korea.

We found out that we will be able to meet with Julian & Kai's foster mothers while we are there. The boys are really looking forward to meeting these woman. I am so excited about this trip. Things seem to be moving smoothly along, praise God.

We finally got our tax information off to the accountant and are praying for a good tax return. If we get the entire adoption tax credit this year (since we finalized Karley's adoption) we will be able to take a friend with us to Korea to help us with the plane ride, translation and hopefully some sight seeing. I must admit the thought of flying home with 3 children is a bit overwhelming. I'm so thankful that Karley is able to stay with my Mom so we won't have a 2 yr old and a 10+ month old on the trip home. It is hard thinking about her not being with us though.

Now I need to put together a list of things to bring on the 14 hour flight to keep a 6yr & 8yr old boys busy. I tried to google this information but didn't come up with much. I keep thinking I need to put all our experiences together of the last 9 year and 4 adoptions and write a book that could help others traveling this road.

Hoping this week brings more good news.

Thinking of Travel

Talked to our caseworker yesterday to get a feel for when to expect travel. She seems to think April. April's not that far off but yet still 6 weeks away.... 6 weeks that's really not that long I better get planning on gifts, hotel, schedule........

We are traveling with our 2 boys but leaving our daughter home. I hope we don't regret it but I think she is too young and I can't imagine flying home 12 hours with 4 children.

So many things to think about to keep my mind busy so hopefully time moves smoothly.. my problem is I'm a incubator(leaving things to the end, don't confuse with slacker) I work better under pressure so I'll be making plans in the 11th hour. I'm going to give myself a heart attack one of these days by doing things this way. I'm wondering if I'll ever change.

Email

I've checked email like 30 times today. I don't know what I'm looking for because we are waiting for Visa approval which will come in the mail. So why am I checking email? I keep hoping to find something there.

Did I mention I'm not a good waiter. I don't like to wait on things I have no control over. Maybe it's a control issue? :0)

Maybe a new picture... that would be nice. We did receive a few pictures but that was almost 3 months ago. I'd love to see what our daughter looks like now...

7 months

Happy Valentine's Day & 7 months to our baby girl in Korea. Can't wait to celebrate all these holiday's with you.

Snow Delays

So it dawned on me.. If we got all this snow and everything is closed than no one is working on our Visa process :( . We still have so much more to do so I just need to focus on those things.

Status update

Friday, August 21st- 11:20am unexpected referral call
Saturday, August 22nd- Face Sheet Application turned in
August 25th - Application package received

October 16th - all application paperwork turned in
October 29th- Home Study

November 12th I600A applied for
November 22nd Criminal Clearances & November 23rd Child Abuse Clearances applied for
November 24th applied for FBI fingerprints
November 25th- Bill & Gigi fingerprinted (FBI)

December 3rd- Official match meeting
December 21st- fingerprinted
December 28th- turned in all match documentation
Dec 31st- match paperwork mailed to Korea
Dec 31st I600 A approved

January 20th- Legals finally arrive
January 21st- I600 filed

Waiting on visa approval

Fianlly

Finally a well check up. It appears the baby is doing well. She is now 17lbs at 6months which is crazy. She was born a few weeks early and only weighed 5lbs so to gain 12 lbs in 6 months seems alot. Our other daughter was 18 lbs at 9 mos.

I'm really starting to go crazy, I really need to have her home. It's been over 5 months since we learned about her and to know we could still have anywhere from 2 to 6 more months to wait is driving me crazy. The boys are starting to ask more often when we will be traveling to get her.

Some days it seem so unbearable the wait and that no one understands. My life feels like it's on hold.

I have so much to be thankful for and believe me I am so thankful for the amazing family God has blessed us with but I'm ready to be done with the wait and moving along with forever....