Awwwwww!!!

OK, I just have to share this....first of all...I LOVE clearance!!! So, we were shopping tonight and I checked out the clearance boy clothes. For those who don't know I like to occasionally get matching tops for my girls. I found matching T-shirts for Brian and Adam! Ok, let's hear it ladies...AWWWWWW!!!! Guys, feel free to say it, "Oh brother!"

So, I had to include a pic. Basketball shirts (b-ball is big in China) and USA shirts. I can't wait until "my boys" can wear them!!

Almost Adam's birthday!

I forgot to mention, Adam's birthday is September 9th, so he will be turning 11 in one month. The girls are very upset that we can't send him presents or a cake (we're not at the point where our adoption agency will allow it) so we told them we can make a cake and celebrate here. We will be praying for Adam on his birthday but I wish we could hug him too!!


Beth

God's canvas!

We had a storm this evening and when it was ending I glanced out the window...this is what I saw. A double rainbow! The second is very faint and above the darker one. I don't think I've ever seen a double rainbow in real life. The kids were all so excited. When I saw it I said, "Come outside, quick!" They called both sets of grandparents and told them about it. God does amazing work, doesn't he?

Beth

Urgent prayers needed...also CDC contact needed!!!

There is a family in China right now who may not be able to bring their adopted daughter home with them. Here is their blog address http://jayscruggs.livejournal.com/ Their daughter is 4 and because she tested positive for TB she will not be allowed to enter the USA. (She has been on medication for 1 month and is not contagious) The family is trying to find someone at the CDC to allow them to bring her home. If this is not successful they will have to leave Harper at the orphanage and she will have to stay in China for 2-6 months. Her parents will have to leave this week and if something doesn't change they will have to leave their daughter in China. The recent change in testing of TB for adoptees was put in place for imigrants to the US. Please pray for Harper, Jay (dad) and Candace (mom). There are phone numbers to contact them if you know someone in the CDC. Check the blog entry for July 30 entitled "Very Bad News".

I don't have any more words, just tears.

Beth

I800A update!!

We got a letter yesterday saying that the USCIS has received our I800A application. They will be contacting us to let us know when we need to get our fingerprints done.

We have our dossier almost done, from our end. We are waiting for our certified copy of our marriage license. And on Monday we have to contact the police department to get our Police clearance letter. After we have everything together, including our I800A approval, we get all our Delaware documents certified with the Great Seal of Delaware. From what I understand we can take all our Delaware documents to Dover and get it in person. We have already sent off my Maryland birth certificate and Mark's Michigan birth certificate to be certified with their Great Seal.

After that we send our paperwork to Bethany Christian Services to be checked and they send it to Grand Rapids, main branch of BCS, then then it is sent to the Chinese consolate in USA. At some point in the process it is translated into Chinese and after all of this it is sent to China!!

The kids keep asking me to count down the days until Adam's 11th birthday....38 days until our little man's birthday!! Mark and I don't think that we will be allowed to send him a care package for his birthday. We have to wait for several different steps in the referral process before we cane send a care package and we just don't think we will be at that point before his birthday. Of course, Abby's response is , "Well, I'll send him a present if you won't!!!" We explained that we would love to send him a present and cake but that we weren't allowed to yet. His birthday is Sept 9....maybe everyone could send up a pray for our little man on that day. I think I'll have the kids decorate a cake for Adam on his birthday. Adam, we love you and can't wait to bring you home!!!

Prayer requests:

Please pray that all of the government paperwork (Chinese and American) gets done as quickly as possible, and maybe even that God does a miracle and it is quicker than ever!

Please pray that Abby, Emily and Brian do not feel threatened by all the time that we have to spend on adoption related things (time spent preparing the dossier, adoption reading "homework", preparations for Adam, etc)

Please pray that we are awarded several adoption grants, we have alot of money left to raise.

Please pray for Adam that he is prepared for the adoption and that he is able to transition to life with a family easily.


Have a great day!!!