Merry Christmas Friends and Family!

It has been seven months since my last update...The problem is, there is nothing to report. That is both good and bad news. The bad news is that our documents have made little to no progress on the big pile in China, but the great news is that we are still in line. There are many reasons, excuses, etc. as to why it is taking so long. I personally try not to put stock in any of them, because if you do, you ride such an emotional roller coaster. Good news...our documents made it safe and sound out of review (July 5, 2007.) We were not asked any questions by the CCAA. Here is a review of our process of adopting from China so far.

Step 1-Lots of papers put together and send to China called the dossier (this is the hurry up part before the wait.)

Step 2-Mail to China and hope that you didn't' mess a page up.

Step 3- Wait.

Step 4-LID-the date that China "stamps" on your papers or your place in line (May 15, 2006)

Step 5-Wait.

Step 6-Documents sit around until a reviewer reads through them to see if there are any questions or if documents need further updating or clarification. (July 5, 2007.)

Step 7-Yep you guessed it-wait...

So here is where we will sit as the people in line in front of us are matched with their babies. The question on everyone’s mind-how long until you get your baby—we are not really sure and actually every time we guess we are extremely wrong. My best guess right now…Christmas 2008 (half full guess), a closer guess…Summer 2009.

One of the most comforting parts about the adoption process in China is that we are not matched with a child until the end of the process. We will only have to wait 6-8 weeks once we receive our referral (picture and info on Ellie.) Some countries match the babies with their parents early on in the process and then you wait, worrying that your child is getting older and older.

We are truly fine with the wait. I can't explain what it is, but the wait is not destroying or killing me... I know, I know, this is hard to believe because I am a complete control freak--my motto, if you want something done right, do it yourself... I think it may be that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long that tunnel may seem. I also think that the adoption journey has made me trust God and have much more faith than before.

OK...since May.

May I got a new car!

June-Dec. Lots and lots of landscaping at the homestead.

July 5 We are out of review!

Aug. School started. I continue to teach at OSU evenings.

I coached again at St. Bernard’s

Sept. Tom starts RCIA. Yvette is jealous it took her 8 years to be a Catholic and it will only take Tom one.

Dec. We are coaching at Blackswamp-look for updates on the team!

Tom got promoted at work! Tom’s birthday (he’s 38!)

Please keep asking how the adoption is going- I love to talk about it! Please don’t be sad when I tell you that the wait continues to grow. It just means that our daughter is not ready to come home from China yet!
 
Without Rain there would be no Rainbows!