#18 Never Looked So Good!

We have Travel Approval!  We also have our dates, booked our tickets and are raring to go, but are going to keep vague on the blog for now.   We got the dates we want and are SUPER excited to be leaving SUPER soon! 

We also received an update today, so we have 2 new pictures of her and 1 more video! 

During our journey, we've met some WONDERFUL people that have helped guided us through this process.  I'm super excited that there are several we'll get to meet while we are in China!  We have learned through our BTDT (been there done that) adoption families that this journey is NEVER the same.  We have seen children react to the adoption in numerous ways (some taking longer than others).  Therefore, we will be taking things as they come and on her pace.

Does Izzie know she's being adopted?  We get this all the time and until today we had NO IDEA.  We learned today that she has seen our photo album, often shown it, told who her future family members are, and she is prepared for the adoption.  Last words of the update paraphrased and for us MUSIC to our ears!

Waiting on Travel Approval!

For those following along, we are on waiting step #16.

Yesterday, we received official word that our Article 5 had been approved and that our paperwork is going to the CCCWA to get our Travel Approval!  This usually takes anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks.  Please pray for us to receive a REALLY quick Travel approval.  This would allow us to make our goal of leaving on May 16.
After travel approval, we apply for 5 potential dates (in ranking order) in China to meet for our Visa for Izzie to go back into the US.  This is also known as the Consulate Appointment.  These appointments (I've been told) fill up, so the quicker the travel approval the better chance of us leaving when we want to leave.  Once we have our official Consulate appointment, then we find out our leave date, gotcha date, etc.

This whole time I'm being telling Bob that we will be home around our 10 year anniversary.   This is also VERY important because my Mom had already taken the week of June 15th off and has plans to travel via car with Dad to meet their granddaughter. 

For this to happen, we need BEST case scenario:

***Consulate Appointment for May 27

This would have us leaving on May 16th, meeting our daughter on May 19th, and returning home with her on or near May 29 (our 10 year anniversary).

We are also waiting not so patiently for our final update on our little girl.  We put a request in 4 weeks ago and REALLY hope to have new info next week!

Local Request:  

If anyone could loan us the following item(s), we would be greatly appreciative:

-Plug converter for China

-Wireless Pocket travel router

-Neck Pillows