Another update

I know....it's crazy.  Two updates in the same day!  I don't know what has gotten into us.....  =)

We posted this info on our Facebook adoption page, so wanted to repost it here for all of our friends who are not on Facebook.  This kind of breaks down the next steps in our journey, which honestly I need to see it written out because it can be kind of confusing!!

Our signed LOA and Immigration paperwork arrived at our agency yesterday, and they overnighted our immigration paperwork to USCIS the same day! Here is a picture of what happens next and the time frames:
1. I-800 Provisional Approval (I-800 PA) comes via USPS 2-4 weeks after filing. Once UCSIS enters the paperwork that was overnighted to them yesterday, the clock starts ticking on this one!!
2. Then, the NVC Letter (Titled “Bureau Of Consular Affairs”) will arrive via USPS or via e-mail 5-7 days after I-800 PA is issued.
3. After the NVC letter is sent from us to our agency, CCAI reps will deliver Lily's visa application and other documents to the US Consulate In Guangzhou, China, for processing.
4. Next, Article 5 is issued (U.S. Central Authority’s approval for Hague adoptions), which is express-mailed to Beijing & delivered to the CCCWA 2 weeks after documents are delivered.
5. China will next issue TA (Travel Approval), which is received by CCAI 2-4 weeks after Article 5 is received by CCCWA. This has been running on the longer side lately, mostly in the 4-week range. Once it comes though, there will be great joy! =)
6. Finally, our agency will work with us to plan our trip to China, which will be 10-21 days after Travel Approval is received!!

We are sending out both the paperwork for our visas to the Chinese consulate courier in Chicago and Lily's visa application to our agency today. By the end of June, our agency will wire transfer the child-rearing orphanage fee to China. This fee itself is roughly $5,800 and is a "donation/contribution" required by China to help the orphanage for raising the child.  The funds from the garage sale next week will go to making hopefully a bit of a dent in that.  =)

So there you have it!  We'll try to do a better job of updating our info, especially as we get closer to travel! =)

Blessings,
Kathie

Updates

As usual, it has been quite a while since we have posted anything.  Most of the time since our last post, we have been waiting.  Our dossier made it to China in the beginning of April, and after that was the wait for approval.  After 41 days of waiting, we received word this week that our LOA (letter of acceptance) had come!  Honestly, we didn't have to wait as long as a lot of people, but that is probably a good thing because we stink at waiting.  We are much happier being involved and doing things with the process, which is good because after LOA is quite a bit of paperwork.  =)  As of now, our immigration paperwork for Lily is en route to the National Benefits Center, our visa applications are ready to be mailed to the courier, and Lily's visa application is ready to be returned to our agency for processing.  Having to put her American name on official forms is really making it real!  With the timeline our agency sent us last night, we're looking at perhaps 12 more weeks before we can travel, depending on how quickly all of our paperwork can be processed by the various entities involved.  Not much longer!!

In the meantime, we've been gearing up for our huge garage sale on May 31 and June 1.  Our good friends, the VanderMeers, are graciously letting us hold it at their house since they live in a subdivision in town and not out in the country like we do.  All proceeds go to adoption fees.  We have quite a large chunk that needs to be paid by the end of June, so the sale is coming at a good time!  Here is a link to the sale details:
http://www.yardsalesearch.com/yss-garage-sale.jsp?id=60077715

Also, the Walk-4-Orphans went well in early May.  We are very, very thankful for those who walked for our family or donated to us!  The Walk brought in enough funds for our family to pay the fees that were due at the time of LOA, so we weren't delayed in getting our immigration paperwork filed!  It also helped as we have not had the best success with grants.  Out of 7 grants that we applied for, we really only have 1 that is still a chance for us.  We were turned down for 4 grants, 1 grant suspended applications shortly after we sent ours in due to lack of funds, and 1 more we found only meets once a year in October to award grants, so that is too late.  We will be under review for this last grant in the first few weeks of June, so we are hoping that maybe we'll hear some good news from them.  Either way, God has been so faithful through this whole process in providing what we need exactly when we need it, so He'll provide regardless!

We are very excited to be moving along in the process and can barely wait to bring our beautiful Lily-Mei home.  Here is her passport picture that we were blessed with last week.....isn't she sweet??

Again, thank you for all of the prayers!  We certainly have needed them and will continue to!

Blessings,
Kathie =)