May 2nd can't come fast enough!

After Rykauna came home yesterday and got over the initial shock of me having successfully posted a blog she quickly offered to spruce up the spaces and make it look better.  For the better part of the afternoon she has been figuring out how to add pictures along the side of the blog and making the layout better.  Now it is my turn to write about why I am so excited for May 2nd.

Well it is a bit of a long story so I'll try to keep it as concise as possible.  For anyone out there who personally knows me this will be a feat in itself.  In October 2010 our friend Paul went to volunteer at New Day Foster home in Beijing.  He returned home with many beautiful pictures of little orphans with medical needs.  Our hearts were touched in a big way and we began praying about whether we should adopt a special needs orphan from China.  We had looked into this a few years earlier but decided that it was not God's plan for us.  We decided then and there that if God wanted us to do this at a later date He would have to make His will very obvious to us. Fast forward back to November 2010 and after many situations, biblical affirmations, and prayer times with God, we both felt that God wanted us to adopt. His answer to us a few years earlier was not the "no" we thought it was, it was "not now".

We started the biggest single paper chase of our lives.  Here is a little rundown for those of you who are in the process or are contemplating adopting from the Waiting Child Progam in China.

• December 2010- started homestudy
• February 2011 - homestudy completed including PRIDE training
• August 1, 2011- DTC (Dossier to China)
• August 15, 2011 - LID (Logged in date to China's system)
• December 21, 2011- date of our referral for Li Lin
• December 23, 2011 - LOI (letter of intent to adopt Li Lin sent to China)
• December 30, 2011 -PA (provisional approval)
• March 8, 2012- received LSC/LOA ( letter from China asking us to confirm we are going to adopt her.. also known as the letter of approval to adopt
• March 13, 2012- booked tickets for departure May 2nd, 2012!! 

We are all super excited!  Li Lin is a beautiful little girl that after December 21, 2011 became a permanent part of our life.  She is an adorable girl who turned three two days ago.  We were able to send her a birthday package which seemed to make her day... and totally made ours!  The pictures we were sent from Ann at Red Thread are, in a word, precious!   We are all looking forward to May 7, 2012 when we see her face to face for the very first time.  The kids are having a hard time waiting as are their parents :)

If you are wondering, as I was, what the pink lipstick on the forehead is for, apparently it is a good luck gesture for her birthday.  Her messy face photo is because she dug into this awesome cake that was delivered.

Just can't wait to go get her!

We love her so much.... xoxo