Welcome

Greetings from blog-land! Blogging is not my very most favorite thing, and it is a bit antiquated, but I am so happy to be blogging because it means we are adopting! And this format is so easy, I can keep you  informed on all that is going on in the wonderful world of International Adoption. It is also a more private method to keep in contact with family and friends. Social media is not allowed at this point in our adoption, and we want to be able to share photos, and this is not allowed for about 2 more months on FB in our process. And as all of you who happen to be a FB friend of mine know, I don't share photos on there anyway. So enjoy this blog and please keep it private and share it carefully and please do not post a link to it on any social media. Thank you!!

I am starting this blog today, (we have waited 7 months for this day!!), with the exciting HUGE news that we are finally DTC!!! This is typically the half-way marker in this paperchase to China, but because we had a horror-story of a homestudy social worker and agency (be so grateful you were spared this awful time being documented on this blog), we are several months behind where we could/should have been. In any case we are over the moon relieved, happy, excited, and our hearts are full of gratitude. DTC literally means 'Dossier To China'. This is the  culmination of so so so many documents assembled, authenticated, notarized, great-sealed at Secretary of State in Lincoln, sent for great-great seal at Dept of State in DC, and has been to the Chinese Embassy in DC for whatever fancy seal THEY put on all of it. It is nerve-wracking, anxious-filled, endless weeks and months and months. Here is our binder full of papers before we sent it all off to DC.

 

And now we sit back and wait. Our next big step is LOA (letter of acceptance) that China issues saying yes! we can adopt Lan Shi Qing. We were already pre-approved for her from China way way back in Sept. Now we are just jumping through all the hoops to make it official.

 And by the way, please meet our daughter to be: Lan Shi Qing!!

We are so blessed, so blessed indeed to look at this darling, beautiful, perfect little girl and call her our daughter. She is just perfect.  And her beautiful Chinese name means 'Sunny Poem'.

I have so many stories to share and photos to show, I am so excited to be at the blogging part!

Posting again soon,
Katie

Prayer Request: Please will you thank our Good Father for this gift!