Super Close

This is just a quick update-- all of our adoption paperwork is now signed by nearly all the governing powers and is at the CCAA-- chinese agency in charge of adoptions. The CCAA can now issue us approval to travel to China and our appointment at the US Consulate office in China can be made.

For those not familiar-- this is the final step in the paperwork that will allow us to actually board a plane to China. Well, I guess we could still board the plane, but the getting off of it part might not happen.
:-D

Our agency believes we will be able to fly out on January 1st or 2nd.

I'll try to get some pictures of our tree trimming up in the next few days. We are swamped with holiday planning and my sewing machine is giving me a hard time. So close and yet so far away with this quilt!

Happy Holidays!

The Big Finale!

Josie's birthday week ended with a big Kid's Gym Party at the YMCA. There were lots of fun activities including a rope swing onto squichy matts, a maze of tunnels and slides, a floor to celing rope wall and more squish matts, scooter things, a bounce house and of cours yummy cake, lots of presents and many of Josie's families not to mention ALL her cousins!

First order of busines, was checking out all the fun things to do and welcoming her guests as they arrived.

"I feel Happy!"

Having a hopping good time in the bounce house with cousins Nate and Emily.

Big cousin Abbie swinging around showing off for her little brother and her Dad.

Cousin Emily tooling through the maze.

Josie's friend Angeline chatting it up with Gabrielle.

Josie's friend Kai checking out all the activities.

Big Sis Gabrielle being silly.

After everyone enjoyed some playtime, it was time for Birthday cake!

By the end of the week, this was Josie's third (yes THIRD!) birthday party and she had the routine down, but still welcomed some help from her big Cousin Abbie to blow out the candles.

Everybody was all smiles when the cake was served.

Josie's friend Grace chowing down.

Little Cousin Emily was overcome with all the fun.

Next on the agenda-- PRESENTS! Oh boy! Did Josie get a lot of presents! I don't know that there is much left for Santa to bring her for Christmas!

After eating the cake and ripping through the presents, it was time for one more last blast through all the Kid Gym activities and this crowd was wasting a second! They meant business!

Josie's friend Miles holding on for dear life in the bounce house.

Look at those pigtails fly!

Josie's friend Callie crawling through the maze.

Cousin Nate in the bounce house.

I think he only came out long enough to eat a piece of birthday cake.

Josie helping her friend Angeline's Dad roll her (Angeline) in the cushy barrel.

Josie was quick to dive into her presents as soon as we got home. The top of the list, a remote controlled My Little Pony Scooter.

Josie and Gabrielle making 'pizza' with a toy from Me-ma-- another big fave!

Josie got too many toys to get through in one night. So she was hot on them first thing the next morning. Here she is playing a fishing game with Gabrielle and Wim.

Don't let Wim tell you any big tales about his fishing-- this is as big as He got!

Time for some cool down playing with the todller laptop from Grace and her Mommy Michelle.

Thanks everybody for making Josie's Birthday Party so much fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSIE!!!!

We've been pretty busy around our house lately and there is a lot of catching-up to do! I'll start with Josie's Birthday!

We are celebrating Josie's 3rd birthday this week and what a week it is!!! For starters, Josie has transitioned into the preschool room at her daycare. We had all anticipated the transition taking her longer based on our past experiences, but she actually transitioned fairly quickly into her new room. I think it helps that she now knows most of the kids in the preschool room because several of them were in her old room and transitioned earlier in the year. Josie actually completed her transition into the preschool room last week.

Yesterday, Josie's new room crowned her princess for the day complete with her very own crown-- her first crown I might add as Mommy isn't too fond of the princess themes. I have to admit Josie wore it well and had a splendid day.  I arrived in the afternoon and we had a cupcake party in Josie's former classroom so she could formally say good bye to her friends and especially her teachers in that room. This was something Josie and I talked about and she said she wanted to do the cupcakes in her old room.

Shortly after we arrived in her old room and sat down, Josie whipped-off the princess tossed it to the floor, stating, "I no wanna were this!" I was quite proud!

Last night we had the family birthday party for Josie-- nothing too fancy: Mac-n-cheese with dogs and french fries. Josie loved opening her presents and even wanted to open them before eating her cupcakes.

"Yeah! Presents! I LOOOOVE Presents!"

Things got a little crazy after about the third present.

After presents, we all enjoyed some yummy cupcakes that Josie picked out at the bakery. So far, she always picks the same kind-- chocolate cake, cream topped, dipped in chocolate, topped with little plastic balloons.

After the cupcake feast, Josie invited her Jie Jie to a tea party with her new Kai Lan Tea Set from Auntie Andrada. Josie served tea to Jie Jie and her new Kai Lan Doll that we gave to her.  Josie's Guh Guh (Xavier) made the crown that Josie is wearing in this picture.

Here is Josie being silly in her new Hello Kitty jammies.

Working backwards in time, the next few pictures are from the day before. Josie helped me make cupcakes for her party at school.

"I LOOOOVE Cakes!"

Of course we had to give them a test run before presenting them to the public.

Last and far from least, pictures from Halloween! This year is really a lot more action packed with the holidays. Josie really gets what is going on and is having a blast with everything.

We were using M&Ms as potty training tools and thought it was fitting for Josie to be and M&M for Halloween. Isn't she a cute little "M?"

Me and Josie heading out into the night to gather a few treats or pull a few tricks. I am wearing my trusty mouse ears and Josie made sure I had the tail on as well.

It didn't take Josie to figure out what the deal was and that folks were handing her candy!

"Trick or Treat"

Wim almost gave this poor woman a heart attack when he snapped the picture. He was staning to the side of the door and she hadn't noticed him. She jumped and screamed when he snapped the picture.

After about seven houses, Josie was ready to head home and eat some of her snacks.

"I LOOOOVE Candy-POP!"

Josie is having her big birthday party this weekend with her extended family and several friends. I'll try to get them posted sooner rather than later.

I am really close to finishing the quilt!

I-800 Approval!!!!!

First, I am sorry for the lack of pictures. We need to get an external hard drive or our computer is going to crash from all my pictures. Maybe this weekend-- especially since Josie's Birthday is this week!!!   Big News! After receiving two, yes, TWO, receipt notices from US Immigration that they have received our I-800 (last month!) I called them today and was able to leave a message with the officer processing our case that inquired about our status.   Just before I left work I got an email from them stating that we have been approved and the approval is being mailed to China today!   Yippee!!!   We are now OFFICIALLY waiting for travel approval (TA) from China to travel and bring Clara Rose Home. TA typically takes between 2-4 weeks with travel occurring about 2-weeks after you receive TA.    With a little bit of luck we will still be able to travel by early December, but boy oh boy are we gonna be cutting it close to travel and be home for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!   EVERYBODY CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Reena

A Very Special Play Date and Catching Up

It has been awhile-- sorry, but I warned everyone I would be busy over the next few months and busy we have been!

All of our immigration paperwork for Clara Rose was submitted the week before last along with our Visa applications. Wim and I have decided that we will both travel to China and bring Josie with us-- what a trip this will be!!

Josie is currently napping on a very rainy Sunday. She had a very special play date today. This play date was even more special because Josie's friend Angeline came over WITHOUT her mommy and daddy. They both have colds and I offered to bring Angeline over so they could rest and Angeline could still play with Josie.

Before I left to get Angeline I explained to Josie that Angeline would be coming here without her Mommy or Daddy and that Josie would need to share with her even more than her toys-- she would need to share her Mommy and Daddy with Angeline. Josie said, "I share Mommy Daddy Angeline."

I was very proud of Josie! She did really well with Angeline-- she shared her toys and she shared me, Daddy, Jie Jie and Guh Guh with her friend. She even told Angeline that she loved her while they were eating lunch. It was a really wonderful time and I am so happy with how well Josie handled sharing!

Joise's friend Grace and her Mommy also came over to play. The girls enjoyed playing and eating some tasty doughnuts! What a great way to spend a rainy Sunday Morning!

Early in the week Josie had fun making some chocolate cookies with Gabrielle. Actually, Gabrielle did more actual cookie-making and Josie did more eating of the cookie dough!

Last weekend we went to the Autumn Moon Festival hosted by our local FCC. Josie had a lot of fun making a lantern and then running around on the beach at night-- floating her lantern in the ocean.

I am just about done with Josie's adoption story book. Actually, it is done-- I just a to put the last few pages in the binding. I am pretty happy with this progress.

I have also made great progress on Josie's quilt-- 80 squares are done. I plan to finish the top this month and then complete the batting and back the first two to three weeks of November. Josie's birthday is coming up, so I have to count for that as well.

Other big news for Josie--she is making tremendous progress with potty training and will be moving into the Preschool room at her day care shortly after her birthday in the next few weeks.

YEAH!!!!

Testing Email

Hi Folks,   Rumors have it that accessing our blog in China has become more difficult. I am trying out the email setting to see how emailing to our blog works with posts.   Picture of Clara Rose.   I will also be looking into providing a link on our blog to our shutterfly account. More updates on that when I figure it out.

REFERRAL!!!!

It was with great pleasure and quite a bit of shock that Wim and I are announcing our official referral for Clara Rose!

We are quite surprised with this news! Our paperwork was processed pretty quickly! We knew that eight other families with our adoption agency received their referral news yesterday. We were not really expecting to hear anything this round and since we didn't get a call we figured not this time, maybe next.

One of our agency reps just called me and started talking about travel plans and timeline. It was a very confusing phone call. She apologized that the office was a bit disorganized because the other lady who helps with the China adoptions is on vacation this week and they received several referrals from China yesterday.

She asked me to hold on for a mintute and put me on hold.  She got back on the phone, apologized again and then told me, "Your Referral did Arrive yesterday."

She mentioned that our paperwork was processed rather quickly etc., that we may not be able to travel in early December because China's big Autumn Moon Festival is now and everything is shut down through next week. Coupled with new laws in the US for international adoption that takes a little long yadda yadda.

But, early January is OK too!!!! It is looking like being with Clara Rose on her 2nd birthday, Janaury 17th if not having her home is a real possibility!

We should receive the paperwork from our agency Saturday or Monday.