Get the stuff outta here!

The attic has been cleaned out.

Furniture sold on craigslist....well, except for Jonah's crib.

All of Reagan's clothes under 18 months sorted.

Clothes, shoes, toys, and other various baby items tagged and sorted for 2 different consignment sales.

It feels nice to get unneeded things out of the house and to make a little money for our adoption. But it's a little sad at the same time.

Good bye sweet baby shoes.

Good bye bouncey seat.

Good bye baby bathtub.

Good bye precious little dresses.

Good bye baby toys.

All of this stuff...well, it's just stuff. And I would sell it all again in a second if it helps bring Miss Rylie home. But getting rid of it all is bittersweet.

Reagan's tiny feet filled those baby shoes. Both kids sat in that bouncey seat, and got their first baths in that tub. And those precious little dresses ....well, it's hard to believe my girl ever was small enough to fit in them. I have snapshot memories of my kiddos with each toy and thing we have gotten rid of. And it makes me a little sad to see how they are growing, how they will never be those same munchkins who needed all of that stuff.

Yet, I have to remind myself....it's just stuff.

And with kids, well, there's always more stuff coming.

Add in another kid, and you guessed it....more stuff.

But, the first stuff....the littlest stuff, well, that will always be my favorite stuff.

2 more checkmarks!

Chinese Visas?

Check!

Airline Tickets? Check!

T-minus 19 days and counting!

Consulate Appointment!

Today, we were able to make the final checkmark on the long list of approvals for our adoption! Praise the Lord! What a long road it has been!

We were notified that we got an appointment with the US Consulate in China on September 29...this is needed to get Rylie's visa and passport straight before we come home to the US and she becomes a citizen! We couldn't do anything until we had this appointment set, because basically the rest of our trip is backtracked from this day.

Now.....on to buying plane tickets and getting the rest of our itinerary set, making plans for the kids here while we are gone, getting them ready to start school, and about a billion other things!

It's hard to believe we will be on our way just 3 weeks from now!

TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!

We got the word this morning......we have Travel Approval from China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a HUGE answer to prayer!! TA's had been coming in pretty quickly, but I have not seen any come in less than 2 weeks! Ours came in 12 days! Thank you God!!

This means we will probably leave on September 16th to go get Rylie! Most likely, we will get her on September 19th!!! We just have to wait to get our appointment set up with the US Consulate before we book our tickets.

I am so happy right now....we are completely on Cloud 9 around here today! September 16 is the exact day we have been praying for and the timing works perfectly in every way for our family. God is so good, and so faithful!!

Let the to-do list making begin!!!!!!!!!

Chuck E Cheese

Today we ventured out to Chuck E Cheese. We haven't been in years....I usually avoid that place like the plague, but my mom wanted to take all the kids out for some fun before school starts back up, so we went. It was actually a lot of fun and the kids had a blast!

While we were there, Jonah hit the jackpot on one game! As you can see, he was shocked!

Article 5?!?!

Well....I wish I could definitively say it, but I can't. So, I'll whisper it....

I THINK WE ARE WAITING ON TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Shhhhhhh.......

Supposedly, our Article 5, aka the last adoption approval we needed on the US side of things, was picked up and sent off to Beijing on August 12. We were told by more than one entity that was the day it was set to happen. But, we were never notified it was actually done. Sigh....

I am trusting it actually happened, and thus am excited and anxiously waiting on getting our Travel Approval from China. Once we get that, we just have to be fit into an appointment at the US Consulate before we can make our travel arrangements!!!! Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This could be tricky though. With everything going on in China in October, as I've discussed before, it could be difficult to get an appointment in September. However, it's not out of the question. Tricky....but not impossible.

The time frame from Article 5 to TA has been running about 2-3 weeks. IF we are on the lower end of that, AND we can get a consulate appointment, it could happen! Which means that a month from today, we might meet our daughter!!!!!!!!! I have goosebumps just thinking of the possibility!

Yes, our agency sent us an email that told us to "emotionally prepare for November travel." I know, I know. I shouldn't get my hopes up. I can't help it. I KNOW it's a possibility that we could make it before then, so I am choosing to believe it will happen! That, and sending up lots of desperate prayers! Oh, and I emailed both of our Senators. Can't hurt!

Hang on sweet Rylie....we're trying to come get you!

This morning....

Reagan: Mommy, I love Daddy all by myself.

Me: You do? What about me? Do you love me?

Reagan: Actually, (yes, she did say "actually") I love you just a little bit.

Me: Wow, thanks babe. (said sarcastically)

Jonah: Well Mommy, I love you a ton!

Me: Thanks Jonah!

Jonah: But, I mean, I love everybody a ton, so.....

Nothing like a little shot of self-esteem on a Sunday morning.

Caught Red Handed

It's so HOT outside, apparently Reagan wanted to be prepared.

Some good news?

I found out yesterday that our last adoption approval on the U.S. side of things, our Article 5, should be issued on August 12. The last step we need then is for China to issue our Travel Approval. Right now those are averaging about 15-22 days to receive. There's still a chance we will be able to travel in September to go get Rylie! I can't say how much I want to go before China's national holiday and other craziness when things are either shut down or super expensive!

There are desperate prayers going up over here for speedy paperwork approval and September 16 travel!!! Please, join in! :) We're so close, yet so far!

No Time Like the Present...or Not.

Last week, we had Bible School at church. The kids LOVED it. They had such a good time! It also prompted some pretty serious conversations initiated by Jonah. Although he had heard the information before, he had a lot of questions.

"What does it mean to be a Christian?"

"How do you become a Christian?"

"What happens if you don't become a Christian?"

"Why do you get baptized?"

...etc, etc, etc.

I felt like I was giving a theology lesson half of the week!

Anyway, on the last day, we were driving home and he told me he was going to become a Christian that night. I asked why he was going to wait, and he just said he thought that would be a good time. I tried to tell him there was no reason to wait, but trying to change his mind was rather futile. He was set on doing it that night. I prompted Rush to be on the lookout!

Well, I had to work that night, but the next day, apparently he told Rush that he became a Christian already. Rush talked to him some and discovered that he had indeed prayed, admitted his sin and asked for forgiveness (on his own). Rush asked if he had asked Jesus to live in his heart.

Silence.

Then, "Oops! I forgot that part!" Rush told him he should probably do that part too....just to complete the deal. Again, he decided it would be best to wait until that night to do it.

I don't know what the hang up was with waiting until the nighttime....and honestly, I really don't care at this point. I just thought it was cute. And of course, I was quite pleased with his choice! :) Hopefully, when he decides he wants to be baptized, he won't care that it will be in the morning!

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to our fundraiser thus far!!! We cannot thank you enough! You guys rock!

Just FYI....we will send you a confirmation email within a day or so to let you know we received your donation. A few people's donations have not gone through...so if you do not get an email from us, something happened and we did not get your donation! Check with us or re-try!

Don't forget to spread the word!! :)