WOW - so much to update, its just been too long.

8/22/2008
Well, so much has changed since I last updated the blog but the biggest new is WE GOT HER FILE AND KNOPERS GOT YAN!! Thank you Leighanne for your dedicated HUNT for the girls on the lists!!

On July 10, we (Knopers and us) got a email with forms to complete just in case their files showed up. Of COURSE we read way more into it than that but only could dream it would be happening soon. Well on July 11, a Friday I got a call from Stacy in the morning as I was having coffee with Marcia. She said she just got off the phone with Leighanne and that they GOT YANS FILE!! I was sooo happy. What a long weekend waiting to find out where was Bellas file. They were sent to CCAA at the same time! Well on Sunday as everyone was taking their nap and about 2:45 the phone rang. I could not find the phone – normal occurrence in this house – ANYWAYS, my mind kinda wandered if it were Leighanne but I would not let myself think that. So about 15 mins later when the phone rang, I ran all over the house looking for it. When I finally found and answered it, it was Leighanne. I started to cry and could hardly breath. I knew she must have found her. She was watching all weekend and finally SNATCHED her file on Sunday!! What another blessing! Well after quickly sending her the letter and forms she needed I waited for her email with pictures and info. It came at 2:52 with a email heading “GOT HER” Ran upstairs to wake Dan up and he had already heard me on the phone and was crying tears of joy! We are soo happy. I ran back downstairs to email the info to Stacy and then back upstairs to wait for her call. FINALLY I called her, Dan called his family and then we called our dear friends.

Well what a celebration we had that night. When we first thought we would be celebrating Yan, we now could celebrated in full force with Bella’s referral also. We spent all that night looking at pictures and comparing the girls files.

So our Letter of Intent (LOI) went out to China on July 15. Our Pre-Approval (PA) came back on July 23 stating that we had till October 22 to get all our papers in or we would lose Bella’s referral. We were so happy that we had already had our home study completed and mailed along with the I-800A form to Immigration because we had 90 days to get all the papers done and in China in order to keep Isabellas file.

THANK YOU LORD for Debbie at USCIS who not only did our papers but also Knopers in plenty of time.

We are still working on the $$ of the adoption. Had our furniture appraised that we can live without and Dan is still hitting the markets on sat. selling plants etc.

I look are her picture daily and just can’t wait to meet her! It has been since 2004 – 4yrs since I first met her and she has been in my heart ever since. I dream of meeting Bella and Yan at Civil Affairs and wonder what they will think! I’m sure they will be conforted that they get to stay together – what a gift that is to be able to give them.

August 18 was Bella’s 7th birthday and Coty’s 17th. We had a party and teased Coty that his birthdays will never be the same. I hope Bella was able to receive the gifts we sent her for her birthday. We sent a build-a-bear which was (actually a bunny) and the girls recorded “Happy Birthday Fu Xiang, we love you” It was so precious! Along with the normal party supplies, we sent some $ in order to purchase a cake and also picture for her in a album. I hope they received it and she had a wonderful birthday. We will have to make next years even more fun!!