It Is Signed!

We signed our LOSC (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) today and it is on its way back to our agency's office in Indiana where the China Program Director is. It will then be sent to the CCAA! It felt so great to see and actually sign a document from the CCAA indicating that YES, WE GLADLY AGREE TO ADOPT MISS MADISON! There are a few more steps on the US side of things to go through (all USCIS related) and thus, essentially our wait for TA begins now . . . so hoping for July sometime!!!!!!

Denise

Madison's Room

We are finished decorating Miss Madison's Room. We are very pleased with the way it came together. Now if only we could get Miss Maddie home to enjoy it. The following pictures give you different shots of the room. The four pictures (2 on each side of the windows) were painted by a lady I found on etsy.com. They turned our so cute and match Madison's room so well. Also, she painted the picture frame on top of the dresser. She included this to us as a special gift after reading our blog. She said our blog touched her and she wanted to do something extra special for us. She included a note in the package she sent and thought we could put our first family picture of the four of us in it. We think it is a wonderful idea.

Bummer!

Our LOSC (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) did not arrive at our local agency office today. It was sent via 2-day and must have been delayed due to the Memorial Day holiday. Our agency rep leaves for Haiti tomorrow morning (early) so the soonest we will be able to sign is on Thursday am when the office staff is in the office! I guess after waiting 3+ years, a few days' delay won't hurt too much!

Although I am bummed, I chock it up as part of our journey to bring Miss Maddie home!

LOA BABY!!!!!

WE GOT WORD TODAY THAT OUR LOA HAS ARRIVED. IT SHOULD BE AT THE MN OFFICE ON SATURDAY OR TUESDAY AND WE WILL SIGN IT SOMETIME TUESDAY AND IT WILL BE ON ITS WAY BACK TO THE CCAA!

GOD IS GOOD AND WE ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO BRINGING MISS MADISON HOME!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


DENISE, DALE & SAMANTHA

Referrals and LOA's Arriving . . .

will ours be included (LOA that is) . . . only time will tell! Stay tuned!

Feeling Better and Positive!

Feeling much better today - glad it was only a 24 hour bug! Also feeling positive that things with our China adoption are going to start moving forward again and am feeling very hopeful that our LOA will be here in the short term! We are on day 54!

We're trying to hang tight, but it is hard knowing that an additional two months have already passed since we've known who our little girl is and we have yet to hold her, tell her we love her or give her a kiss!

Hold on Miss Madison, your family is coming!

Denise

Ugh ~ The Stomach Flu!

Down and out with the good old fashion flu! Going home to bed!

Denise

52 and counting

Today marks day 52 that we have been waiting for our LOA. Please send out positive thoughts and prayers that it comes very, very soon!

Denise

Progress

We are about 90% finished with Madison's room, including having the crib set up. The prints I ordered were shipped today and the third (and hopefully final) window valance should arrive this week as well. On a side note, I am very anxious to see the prints I ordered as the lady who is painting them (I found them on etsy.com) sent a note and said after ready our blog, she was so touched by it that she was doing something extra special for us! I can't wait to see what it is!

As soon as everything is in place, I will post some pictures! The room has really come together very nicely. The only piece missing is Miss Madison!

Denise

Samantha Through the Years

I've finally gotten around to uploading a picture of Samantha from referral through age 5. They are located on the side bar of the blog and labeled accordingly. Wow, has she changed! It's hard to believe that our little munchkin will begin school in September as it just seems like yesterday we were in China meeting her for the first time! Our lives have been blessed beyong words! Mommy and Daddy love you big girl!

Good News!

No we have not received our LOA, but we got word today that Sammie will be able to attend the school by her daycare, which means we do not have to look for a new daycare. This is such a huge relief to us as all three of us were dreading having to look for new daycare if that would of been the case. Thank you for answering one of our prayers, now if you'll just answer our other prayer of three little letters L-O-A!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day everyone! On this day, I too want to honor Samantha's and Madison's birth mothers as if it were not for them and the sacrafices they made I would not have the honor and privilege to be called mommy! So to them, I say thank you and know that Samantha and Madison (who is still waiting to join our family) are loved beyond words!

Starting to Feel Frustrated!

I know, I know, patience is the key in International Adoptions, but I'm starting to feel antsy and frustrated as it has been 40+ days since we submitted our LOI and not it has been almost 30 days since we received our PA. All I want is to receive our LOA so we can begin having our paperwork processed on US side of things to we can board that plane and bring our little one home! It is so hard to look at Madison's cute little face each and every day and wish she was home with us already where she belongs!

Like I've said numerous time in the past, we are hopeful that it will be here in the next week or so, but that doesn't makeit any easier on us! Empty words at times . . . really is all they are! People say having your child's picture and having to wait is harder than waiting to see their picture for the first time. I have to concur!

We are coming for you soon sweetie! We love you and can't wait for you to join our family!

Mommy, Daddy & Big Sis, Sammie!

Madison's Room

We are making progress on Miss Madison's room! The wallpaper border, valances and wall art arrived yesterday. We put up the wallpaper border (or at least what we could) as we are approximately 1 foot short! Ugh! I knew when I ordered it I should of gotten three rolls, but no, Dale said we only needed 2 (last time I listen to him - LOL!). In any event, I also had to order one more window valance as the two I ordered just are big enough to look right on the windows. (They are side by side and seem like one large window). The two valances just don't gather enough to look good on the windows. So, hopefully they will both arrive relatively quickly so we can put the finishing touches to the room. We are also waiting on some prints that I ordered from etsy.com. The lady who I ordered them from said she hoped to have them done and mailed out to me in the next couple of weeks! I can't wait. After that we need to purchase a new dresser for Madison and also get the carpet in her room shampooed and then we will put the crib up and get the room together!

Still hoping for LOA this week or next and then move into the final phases of finalizing our paper work on the US side of things and then begin the task of packing and getting ready to travel to China to meet Miss Madison!

Sammie continues to talk about her sister all the time and I know she is excited about travelling to China too! It is so hard to believe that our baby girl will be starting school this September. We are hoping to be to China and back well before September so that we can get into a routine before school starts. It feels like it will all fall into place shortly!

That's all for now!

Denise

5 Weeks Today

Happy May Day Everyone! It is hard to believe that it has already been 5 weeks ago today that we saw Madison's beautiful face for the very first time! How the stress level has went down during the past 5 weeks.

We are making good progress on her room and in fact, I just received an email that the items I had on back order were shipped today! Yippee!!! Hopefully next week we will be able to get the rest of her room together and set up the crib and all. It really feels like "yes it is finally happening"!!!!

We are hopeful that the swine flu pandemic will slowly decline and things will be back to normal in the next few weeks. We remain hopeful that our LOA/LOSC will be forthcoming soon!

I will keep you posted and will post pictures of Madison's room as soon as it is complete!

Denise