Happy New Year MYA

     Happy New Year to our beautiful Chinse Princess!!  It is now 2012 in China.  This is very sad and also very exciting for us all!!  We cant wait to become parents again to our 4th child!  God has blessed us sooo much, there are no words!  Although Mya is bringing in the New Year without us, she will soon have a forever family to go out of this year and bring in every other New Year forever!  Thank you Jesus for giving us this opportunity~ we have truly enjoyed our journey!  Happy New Year All!!!

Mindy

Just some thoughts~

     Im starting to get nervous~anxious!!  I have been on Rumor Queen alot lately, okay, I am addicted, anyway, I was told recently by our agency that possibly due to the CNY (Chinese New Year) that people may be rushing to "clean off their desks" in time to close for a week.  YES, a whole week...YIKES!!  As I am reading Posts on Rumor Queen, I feel like possibly we may be pushed back to mid-February.  I know, I know, I am suppose to be okay with this timeline, but to be perfectly honest, we are getting so close and every day, every day, I just sit and wonder about MYA, travel arrangements, packing...oh wow, packing~~  I am a packer, or not a packer..just depends on how you look at it!  Our paperwork states not to pack much, but holy cow, when I pack for a night, I could very easily bring 3 bags.  You never know what outfit to where..you know a girl must have choices!!!  LOL     Another concern with packing is, bringing our "Gifts" for everyone, including the orphans.  I believe we have to pay for extra luggage if not a person to account for it..more money:)  BUT, a plus side to that is......extra luggage for our purchases!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited for our shopping experiences!  I sure hope that Mya will LOVE to shop!!    Just a little update on how we, no I am feeling..I really think my husband just takes things one day at a time and is just....relaxed...HOW??????  My baby girl is waiting for us!   But if you ask him, she is HIS baby girl!  Mya is already wrapped around her Daddy's little finger just like the other 3!!  I am blessed to have Josh as my husband and a wonderful father to our "4" children..  That was fun..."4" children!!
God Bless!!!
Mindy

IMMIGRATION~ CHECK!!!!!!

     As of 2:30 am I woke up and emailed the National Visa Center because I wanted "CLAYTON ADOPTION" to be at the top of their email list in the hopes of getting the pdf file that is needed to "move on" to the next step. 

     I was thankfully and happily woke up by the text "are r up" from my sister, Hollie!  We talk every morning on our way to work.  Which I absolutely LOVE!  Anyway, I real quickly checked my email and there it was......NVC email and had all kinds of information on it that I had never received before.  And per this very trusty website, I thought THIS WAS IT!!!!  So I emailed this to my caseworker and called my sister and told her and was SO excited!!  I then texted everyone to let them know!  I checked my email and my caseworker emailed back and said, well this is closer but not the pdf. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ok, I have to admit, I didnt respond very well to this..I ended up having to pray and apologize to God for how I was acting towards my family, I was in need of a serious attitude adjustment.  I was so upset and I let my frustrations flow out of me and thats not the testimony that I want to have through this process.  This is all in Gods time and I need to be pleased with that.  Well, I am trying very much!  After my "tude adjustment" my family and I had a wonderful day together! 

      We were at walmart, getting ready for Christmas and I thought, while standing in the VERY long lines, that I would check my email....NVC..PDF!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THERE IT WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My husband was about 10 or so checkouts from me walking towards me and I am waiving my phone in the air, we got it, we got it!!!  He is smiling from ear to ear!  I then, still in the line at walmart, forwarded it on to the caseworker and we are moving on the next step!   That is, waiting on article 5 letter..I have to admit, not real sure what that is, but it is next on the list!  Then its TA (travel approval)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

     Again, If you let HIM, Gods timing is always the perfect!!!!!  Merry Christmas Eve Eve everyone!!  :)

WOW~its been quite a day!!

     Yes, it has!  Ill start with waking up late!  Getting the kids off to school and counting the minutes til the school bus leaves..You Moms know how much 2-3 minutes gives you when it comes to the bus leaving!  Im praying, driving to the school and hoping the bus is still there and YES, thank God, it was!!!
     I send the boys off and off to the station I go to have "coffee" or (hot chocolate or Mt Dew) with the girls (other Moms in town)!  Now, today is a big day for me!   I get to go to the kids, Christmas assembly and Christmas parties at school!!!!!   I am so excited, because since I had been working, I havent been able to go,,:(
      Since I just had my gallbladder out one week ago,  today was a THE DAY to actually put on blue jeans and a "real bra" YIKES, it HURTS!  So in order to get on with my day, I just took a couple of the pain pills that I have been trying to stop taking.  I thought I would be able to "tackle" anything today... WRONG!!!!!!  I am talking with the girls and, of course, my two front (bottom) teeth start killing me. (no jokes about All I want to Christmas is my Two Front Teeth, LOL)   Now I have been dealing with a HUGE abscess and undergoing root canals, but things seemed ok..til TODAY!  I had an hour til the assembly and I call the dentist and he is, of course, OUT til the first of the year...I hung up and all I could do was cry, yes cry.  I thought no matter what, I was hurting so bad, I called them back and "tried" to explain to the receptionist what was going on, but again all I could do was cry...She said come on in and a doctor will see you!  I get there and a wonderful Doctor saw me and wrote a RX for an antibiotic and sent me on my way!!!!  I was then able to make it to the assembly!
      I get home and take more medicine, (to help with the rest of my day) and move on to the grade school for the class parties!!  I am walking down the hall and my son yells, MOMMY, YOURE HERE!!!!!!!  That, right there was worth it all!!!!  Mason says, Mom, good thing you got your gallbladder out so you could come to our party!!  SO CUTE!!!!!!!  Myles was so happy and said, Mommy, your not at work today!  This my friends, is what life and being a Mom is all about!!!
     Ok, next, I come home to an awesome email from the NVC (national visa center) and we have been waiting on our next baby step and there it was!!!!!!!!!  I then emailed my caseworker and she said that hopefully we can continue to get our "baby steps" and possibly push to get TA (travel approval) before CNY (Chinese New Year)  
     YAY~~~~  that means the earlier we can be on our way to get our little Chinese Princess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hang on Mya, We are working hard to come and get you!!!!!!  :)

Immigration APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!

        I just had gallbladder surgery and the first question when I woke up from surgery was, "is there an email from Immigration??"  Unfortuantly my phone went dead, right when I tried to download.  Josh had said, "whoops, probably because I was playing Stack the States while waiting for you  to get into recovery!"  Just so you know, We highly recommend this game, its addicting for children and obviously adults:)  Very good with learning about your states/capitals!! 
      Anyway......... We go to the car and plugged in my phone and there it was..... Email from our immigration officer!!  Stating that Mya's immigration has been approved and is now being cabled to NVC (National Visa Center)!!  This is very good news!! 
     Now we are waiting for our NVC letter and we send that through email to the agency and they give it to their contact in China and then we wait for Article 5 pickup and then.......................TA!!!  
      I spoke with our caseworker and she said if this all goes quickly, then we could possibly get TA (Travel Approval) before the CNY (Chinese New Year)...She stated that they really like to clean off their desks so we may be looking for a very fast and timely TA!!!!!!!!!!!
      Please help us and keep praying!!!!!:)

Immigration ~ IN PROCESS

     YAY!!  We pulled up to the post office and my daughter, Madison says, "Hey Mom, what are we waiting for now in the process?  Would it by chance be something that we could get in the mail?"  I said yes, we are at Immigration and we are waiting on the "in process" letter! She says, "Oh good, can I get the mail?"  She came back and had a Christmas card and.............................an envelope with Dept of Homeland Security on it!!!!!!!   My boys were in the back and said, put your hand over your ears, Mom is going to scream!!!!    
     Yay, we are now IN PROCESS!  We are looking at any day within the next 2 weeks to be approved!!!  We will keep you all in touch!!!   1/2 step down!!!