2011 Update...

Sorry it's been so long since I updated and I aplogize to everyone who has asked me to "get to updating." ha.

We did officially move to the China Special Focus program in January. Our paperwork all needed to be updated and customized for China. After three months of work... the docs are all officially complete and are currently being approved.

Our papers arrived in DC yesterday for approval from the Embassy of China and the Department of State. A very nice man handling our dossier called me yesterday to let me know that he was taking care of our documents and should have everything back to me by the end of next week.

I did have a moment a week ago of utter exhaustion and emotional meltdown concerning a couple of documents that just kept giving us problems - three weeks of delays to be exact. So I started to pray and pray hard. I went to an event at church where the topic of the talk was about "long journeys" and how things happen so quickly for some people and for others it takes so much time and prayer. I opened my heart to why God makes us wait and to trust His timing and plan completlely. The evening was eye opening and life changing for me and the way I look at things. It was one of those moments when you know you hear God speak to your heart and know that you are in the place He put you in at that exact moment in time. At the end of the night, the speaker asked us to stand up and take whatever was in our hearts and just give it to God. So I did. That day Josh prayed over our package as he handed it to our trusted Fedex man as well! The very next morning the man from DC called with news about our papers! God does answer prayers... little by little He is working our adoption and answering our prayers!

As soon as the documents get back to me next week I will check them, add a few additional needed items and send to our agency who will immediatley send them to China. Once in China the papers will be processed and translated (should take about a month) and we will officially begin waiting again. Our anticipated wait time is not terribly long in "adoption time" maybe 6 months.

Continue to keep us in your prayers... we feel it is getting closer! Thanks as always for all of your prayers, questions and support! I am working on finishing up the planning my sister's baby shower and what a blessing our angel Grace will be once she is here! Please keep Kim and Brad in your prayers as well as they start the last leg of their pregnancy. Baby Grace will be here soon! The day the Brennan, Noah, Payton, Grace and Laidyn will all be together to play will be a day for amazing celebration! We all can't wait!

Love to everyone!
Kel