I800 Approval Received - Getting Closer to Travel

We received our I800 approval on November 20, and got the official letter in the mail November 24.  Now we await the National Visa Center (NVC) to do something, then cable that to China.  Once we have a letter saying they have done that, our agency will email the letter to China for our Article 5 to be dropped off with the US Consulate in China.  It takes 2 weeks for that to be completed, then our paperwork is delivered to the China side and we await travel approval.  It's getting so close!

As we wait, we're trying to raise some money to help offset our costs for travel and unpaid time off (for me) once we get home.  Since Olivia is going with us, and Drew will likely be 2 when we bring her home, that will be 3 tickets over and 4 home.  Plus hotel for 2 weeks in China, and we want to leave a few days early to stop in South Korea to show our families where Olivia is from.  I've tried to estimate costs, but um...

If anyone can, we have a fundraising site on Adoption Bug - they have some awesome t-shirts and we get a percentage of the sales from our site.  I'm also selling jewelry that I've designed (and some donated by my friend Teresa - those items are posted on Facebook at Chrisa West Jewelry.  It all goes to help us travel and/or stay home.  Thanks!

Waiting on I800 Approval

Our I800 was received last week at USCIS, now we just wait for approval.  Hopefully this week we will hear that it's approved and on our way to the National Visa Center.

I've emailed with our contact in in China so that we can start planning our trip.  Getting excited!

What! More Pictures

I checked my email and much to my surprise I got 7 new pictures of Drew!  Our agency was in China last week and delivered a package we sent and Christie got to meet Drew - we are so excited about this!  And we're going to get a video - yay, video!

We've learned that Drew is shy and very attached to her foster mom.  That sounds like Olivia when we met her - so pray for us when we go to China - it could be a rough transition for her.

Here is what we sent to Drew - all in a gallon-sized ziploc:

And here is Drew receiving our care package - she is just so beautiful!

LOA

LOA, LOA, LOA!!!

Our LOA arrived Thursday, November 1 and we signed on Friday, November 2 - Happy National Adoption Day to us!