2 Year Gotcha Day Anniversary

Happy Gotcha Day, Mia!

Last minute request, a Monster's Inc. cake (good

thing that we had some leftover fondant in the freezer)

Mia could spend hours in the yard just kicking

a ball around, so we got her a soccer ball.

We also celebrated Gotcha Day with a Chinese dinner, still some of Mia's favorite food. We recently found an international market that carries some items that we can't find anywhere else, like steamed buns. These are common in China, but rarely seen in Chinese restaurants in the US. They are a roll that is steamed rather than baked. We also get dumplings there, which Mia thinks are extra special. Sharing a Chinese meal is one way that we like to celebrate her culture.

It's hard to believe that it's been two years since Mia was placed in our arms. We love this little girl so much.

                                                                     LORI

Just Waiting (and obsessively watching for the release of shared lists)

Today I learned that our agency has 13 LID families, including ours, currently waiting for a SN match. Families aren't necessarily matched in order ,however, because it all depends what child each family is open to regarding age, gender, and special needs. The families waiting for an infant girl with very minor needs will probably have a long wait. Our wait might be shorter with our openness to either gender in the 3-5 year range. Of course, there's really no way of knowing, and anything is possible. And of course, God's timing is perfect. I need to prepare myself for a long wait, because sadly it is a possibility.

Also, in emailing our agency this morning, I found out that they just received a grant for us for $500 from Heart of the Bride. I was shocked, because we didn't know that they had awarded us a grant. Maybe the letter or email was lost, but it was a total surprise. This amount is going to go toward our agency's $700 referral fee, which isn't actually due until we have LOA. Praise God as He continues to provide!

LID!!!

We have LID! It's official; our dossier was logged in with CCCWA (China's Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption) on July 10. Our agency, CAWLI, is now searching for a match for our family. There's no way of knowing how long it will take for us to get a referral; it could be days or months. It seems that every wait in the adoption process gets harder. 

CAWLI has told us more than once that it's okay to say no to a referral, if we do not feel comfortable with the child's medical needs. I felt a heavy burden just typing that last sentence. I can't imagine seeing a child desperate for a family and then saying no. Please pray for us concerning this: Pray that we are matched with the child that God has chosen for us, pray that our agency has discernment,  and pray that we have peace. AND please pray for our waiting child and all orphans.

                                                                                                         LORI

DTC!!!

We have DTC!!! Our dossier was sent to China on Monday (just found out). We are now officially waiting for our LID (log in date from China), after which we can get a referral for a waiting child. For Mia's adoption, it took about 6 months after our LID to be matched. That was a very long, torturous wait. We think that we will be matched much sooner this time because we are open to a boy or a girl a little older, 3-5 years, and our list of special needs that we are open to is longer. We shall see. I will continually remind myself that God's timing is perfect. It is my  prayer that we are matched with the child that He has chosen for us, regardless of gender, age or special need.

                                                                    LORI