After almost 3 years of posting to this blog I've decided I am going to simplify my life and put all posts (for all my children!) on my "photography blog": SHINE! I hope to see you there!
It has been almost 2 years since we first saw the face of our precious daughter Tia. On August 12, 2007 we were emailed her referral information which we excitedly accepted. A few days later we were able to view the entire new special needs list where we would see another little girl living at the same baby house who surprisingly looked so similar to our future daughter - with a birthday only 1 day earlier. I had a few hours of fear imagining that somehow these two little girls were actually twins and someone would take our baby from us to keep the twins together... After (unsuccessfully)trying to convince my husband that we could adopt both of the girls I emailed our agency. I was comforted by them with the fact that they didn't think the girls looked much alike, had different special needs and were found in different areas so it was unlikely they were twins. I was relieved but I still had a sense that these girls needed to stay connected somehow. In the following days I was able to get in touch with Judy, little "XiXi"'s mom-to-be and was excited to learn they lived in a suburb that was very near where my sister lived. Someday we hoped to meet and get the girls back together. It was a highlight of our trip to America in July when we were able to reunite these little YiWu Sisters and meet XiXi's family! It took a little while for the girls to relax with each other but by the end of the visit they were really enjoying each other as can be seen in the photos of them drawing on themselves with chalk! XiXi even said she remembered Tia :) We had such a wonderful visit with Judy, Steve and all their children and I was amazed that immediately they felt like family! confirming the sense that these girls should stay connected . . . they are after all sisters! Happy 3rd Birthdays XiXi and Tia! May you grow up to be friends as well as sisters!
Tia was a lucky little girl being able to celebrate her third birthday in America! She had two parties, one with each side of our family. Here she is trying to figure out how to blow out her candles at her first party at Grandma Cookies house. The second photo was taken at Grandma & Grandpa Froggie's house for her second party. I wasn't happy with the quality of either photo but I guess it is a good excuse to make another birthday cake and have some of her little Australian friends over to celebrate her birthday again!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Kristiana Hope "Tia"
Referral Photo - 9 months old
Our Romanian Princess
Casiana at age 22 months
Tia with her brothers & sister
Where is Tia from?
Below Shanghai on the coast of China is a city called Hangzhou - YiWu is very near to Hangzhou.
Referral 8/14 LOI sent 9/05 PA 10/05 DTC 10/11 LID 10/18 LOA 1/02 TA 1/29 CA 3/10
Hope . . .
This blog was set up to chronicle our journey to adopt a little girl from China. Her middle name will be Hope -"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 TNIV
Our Timeline
January/February 2007 I start feeling a strong desire to adopt a little girl from Asia. Could this be something God has planned for our lives?
March 2007 - I mention to Matt that I really want to adopt a little girl - he says OK - let's do it! (If Matt agrees It MUST be God's will!)
March/April/May - Research countries, agencies, Visa's into Australia, homestudy agencies etc. Leaning towards Taiwan. I fill out an application for Taiwan with the intentions to send it the next day. The agency never returns my email about how to apply! The next day I find an email on the CHIWaitingKids site by an American who is at the Embassy in Canberra. Their family is already matched with a waiting little girl in China with CHI. She tells me more about their agency and their overseas co-ordinator. This feels so right! It seems this is where our daughter is! We contact CHI and have a pre-application sent to review their next list of Waiting Kids - List #18.
May 2007 Our daughter is not on list #18 but we sign with CHI and start gathering all the documents to be totally paperready for List #19 Just in Case!
June 16-18 Our social worker flies into Sydney to do our homestudy.
July 12 Email final documents to our social worker Megan, she sends me a draft 2 hours later.
July 14 Our social worker Megan emails me to let me know she has made the revisions requested by CHI and myself and has emailed her final draft to CHI.
July 23, We mail the rest of our dossier documents to CHI.
August 1, Heidi at CHI lets us know our documents have arrived, they look good and are being sent for authenticating.
August 7, We receive our homestudy from CHI We also find out List #19 has arrived at CHI and the files are being translated! We are told we will most likely receive a referral in the next 2 weeks.
August 8, We send our homestudy to Bangkok Thailand where it will join our other documents required to satisfy US immigration requirements.
August 14, We receive the referral for a 12 month old little girl our agency has given the name of "Crystal Spring".
August 16, We accept the referral for Crystal Spring
August 17, We receive an updated photo where Crystal Spring is in a creeping position.
August 21, We receive our I171 approval from Immigration!
August 23, We receive the paperwork to submit our LOI (Letter of Intent to adopt) at 1 pm via FedEx, at 4:30 we give the signed and completed LOI to the Fed Ex man - to go back to the US!
August 27, 10 :30 am CHI receives the LOI from us.
September 5, CHI sends LOI to China - expected arrival September 7
September 6, Completed dossier sent away for authenticating, state seals and China seals.
September 7, LOI arrives in China
September 28, CHI emails us that our final agency payment has arrived in their office and our completed dossier is just waiting for PA so it can be sent to China!
I get smacked on the face by a ladybug while at the park with the kids . . .
October 5, We receive Pre Approval from China.
October 11, Our Dossier is sent to China. (DTC)
October 15, Our dossier arrives at the CCAA
December 1, We find out we have a LID of 10/18
January 2, We are shocked and THRILLED to find out we have an LOA!
January 7, Our LOA arrives in Australia - Matt and I sign it and run it to the central office so it can get on the night flight to the USA.
January 8, LOA finally leaves for the US
January 9, Attempted delivery - it is 4 hours past expected delivery and noone is home to accept it - will be re-delivered tomorrow :(
January 10, LOA is delivered - but for some reason doesn't get sent to China - we've now lost 2 days! This is frustrating!
January 11, LOA sent to China January 14, LOA arrives at CCAA January 29, TA granted Huge snowstorm in China, Trains are not leaving and the trainstations are congested with hundreds of thousands of people. We worry that our CA will be affected, and we worry about leaving in 3 weeks If it isn't.
We find out our CA is 3/10 - a week later than we hoped, so we are relieved that the effects of the snowstorm should be cleared up by then.
February 27, Fly to Beijing March 2, Fly to Hangzhou March 3, Meet Tia! March 7, Fly to Guangzhou March 10, CA March 12, Go to HK Disney March 14, Flight to Sydney March 15, Arrive home in Sydney, Australia
Why adopt?
I would gather children...
Some would gather money Along the path of life, Some would gather roses, And rest from worldly strife. But I would gather children From among the thorns of sin, I would seek a golden curl, And a freckled, toothless grin. For money cannot enter In that land of endless day, And roses that are gathered Soon will wilt along the way. But oh, the laughing children, As I cross the sunset sea, And the gates swing wide to heaven I can take them in with me!
This was our prayer for Tia while waiting for her to come home. God heard our prayers!
As the days, weeks and months creep by I am only too aware that only God can take care of Tia until we can go get her. Please stop and pray for our precious little girl: "Please Lord, watch over Tia in China. Keep her safe & healthy, warm and well fed. Please give the nannies a special place in their heart for Tia so they will hold her, smile at her and talk to her. Thank you Lord that you promise that if we ask it shall be given to us. We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen."