It's OFFICIAL!!

After 4 years of waiting & more than 4 months since referral, we are heading to CHINA!! Today we received written confirmation of our Consulate appointment in Guangzhou, China...July 21st. Since this is actually one of the last appointments of the trip, we will be leaving Lake Charles on or around July 6th!! I can't believe this is FINALLY happening!! In less than two weeks we will be heading half way around the world to bring Eva home!!

Happy Birthday Eva!

Dearest Eva,

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We had really hoped that we would be holding you today for your birthday. We want you to know how much we missed being able to celebrate with you but are so thankful to know that this will be the last birthday you spend without your family. We look at your picture every day and cannot wait to have you with us.

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I know I shouldn't, but I can't help but wonder if anyone acknowledged your birthday today? Did someone sing "Happy Birthday" to you or do anything else to mark this special occasion? Fortunately we have a lifetime of birthdays ahead of us with lots of spoiling to do!!

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You are a very special little girl to us and we all love you so very much!

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Happy Birthday Sweet Girl...Love,

Mommy, Daddy, Noah & Nicholas

A very special "Thank You" to Ann at http://www.redthreadchina.com/ for putting this birthday care package together for Eva. Ann has also arranged with a local bakery in China to deliver a fresh birthday cake this week. Thanks Ann!!

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"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20 NIV

(Eva's birthverse from www.birthverse.com)

TRAVEL APPROVAL

Today at 3:50pm our agency called to say that they had received our "Notice of Traveling to China for Adoption" otherwise known as Travel Approval (TA).

This is the final document that we needed from the Chinese government. Now our agency will be able to make our Consulate appointment in China. We should have the date of that appointment by Tuesday of next week and then we can plan the rest of our trip around that date.

Bottom line is that we should be heading to China in 2-3 weeks....WOOHOO!! We are on our way to get you baby girl!!

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step" (from my fortune cookie last week)!!

Getting Ready for Eva

It has been so much fun getting ready for a little girl!

I truly hope that Eva likes Pink!!

The canvas over her bed was a gift from the boy's art teacher...

thank you Mrs. Blalock! It is the perfect touch to her room.
Of course Daddy did the lettering on the wall; it says "Princess - Daughter of a Heavenly King".

A new highchair...thank you Suzanne!

A new stroller...thank you Nana & Paw-Paw!

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Now all we need is Eva!! Our packing has begun and we are hopeful to hear news about travel this week. We are all getting very anxious and can't wait to bring our beautiful baby girl home!!

Travel Visas

The next step in our adoption process is to apply for travel visas into China. After finding out that this is done by submitting our passports and visa applications to the Chinese Consulate office in Houston, I decided to do this in person rather than hiring a courier.

On Monday, May 24th, my friend Suzanne and I made the 3 hour drive to drop off the documents. I have to admit that I was very nervous because I had received conflicting information on how to fill out the applications. I actually ended up filling out the forms two different ways and hoped to ask questions to make sure that I left the correct information. The lady working at the office just kept telling me "they are fine," took one of each of the applications with no rhyme or reason for the ones she chose and told me to return on Thursday for pickup. I left with a prayer that everything was in order.

On Thursday, May 27th, Dawn & I made the trek back to Houston to pick up what we hoped would be our completed travel visas...SUCCESS!! Inside these passports are our visas that approve us to enter China multiple times over the next year with a maximum stay of 60 days. Although all we need is one entry, hopefully sometime within the next 6 weeks for a maximum of 21 days, I am thrilled to have all of our bases covered and another step in the process completed! All we need now is a travel date!!

Signing Day!!

Our Storks!!

Daddy Signs First...

then Mommy...

and Big Brothers look it all over after school!!

Have you ever thought about how much weight a piece of paper could hold? For me, that is all I could think about today. One thin, 8 1/2 x 13, piece of paper held all of our hopes & dreams, fears & frustrations, joy & sorrows that we have felt for the past 4 years. This one, thin piece of paper holds the future for our family and a new life for our little girl. In less than 5 minutes, all the time it took for us to check a box, sign our names and date it, this piece of paper changes our lives forever!

LOA!!!!

Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25

After 70 days of waiting...at 6:03 pm tonight our prayers were answered by a phone call from our agency telling us that our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) was received and sent by Federal Express to us! This LOA is from China and officially approves our dossier and child match...Eva is ours and we are so excited!!

We praise God for His faithfulness to us and thank all of you who have been praying for us! We are truly blessed!!