Chinese Visas

This looks pretty concrete doesn't it? 

Dart and I got our passports back today complete with entry Visas for the People's Republic of China. We can now enter the country for up to 60 days anytime between now and March 18, 2011. Ahhhh, let's just hope it doesn't come to that. We are still hoping that May will be our month-that's May 2010.

A few people have asked if we plan to bring the whole fam-damly to China like we did for our second trip to Kaz. The short answer is no. This time it will just be Mama and Baba traveling.

We seriously considered bringing all the kids but circumstances didn't allow for it. With travel being pushed back to May and a homecoming very likely hitting early June the timing just doesn't work with the kid's school schedule. Kiefer and Aidan will be in the midst of finals and Nolan does not want to miss his 4th grade end of year parties. We considered just bringing Nina but frankly decided it would just be too hard to manage two 3 years olds each dealing with a huge life change.

Besides that I like the idea of having one on one time with Macy and if I am being completely honest I like the idea of a few days of one on one time with Dart. Also the difference in my level of travel fatigue with and without kids is night and day, (no pun intended). If I can get to China and mitigate the effects of jet lag I think we will all be better off.

We still don’t have our Article 5 (the next thing we need) or our travel approval but hopefully (fingers crossed) they will be here soon.

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So close you can taste it...

Having a 3 year old daughter who lives half a world away from me SUCKS. I try to be patient but today I’m not having much success. Not for any particular reason (if only it were that easy) just a general malaise that builds little by little each day my daughter is apart from me. It often hits me shortly after I celebrate reaching a milestone (like last week’s NVC letter) and then realize that still she is not here. The patience and endurance required is literally numbing. Sometimes I can’t believe that we have been in this mode for more than three and a half years. But that is nothing compared to the wait since we’ve known who our daughter is. That has been by far the most excruciatingly difficult part of all.


If you haven’t been through an adoption think of it like this, you haven’t eaten all day; you’re starving so you go to a restaurant. It’s a good restaurant and as always there is a line of people waiting to be seated, so you go to the end of the line. After a time you make your way to the front (hooray you’re at the front) only to have the Hostess give you a pager and tell you the actual wait is an hour (boo you have to wait some more). An hour goes by but your pager doesn’t buzz. You watch as another party is seated (you are certain they arrived after you). You check in with the Hostess and she promises it will be just a few minutes longer. She tells you you’re the next to be seated (you think about going to another restaurant but the wait is long everywhere and since you would have to go to the back of that line and since the food here is REALLY great you decide to stay). A half hour later your buzzer goes off and you rush to the Hostess, who finally brings you to your table. Now since you spent the last 90 minutes studying the menu you know just what you want to order and you are more than ready to eat. Just then, the waitress hurries by apologetically, "I’ll be right with you" she promises as she disappears without explanation.

BUT TO REALLY GET A SENSE OF THE PATIENCE REQUIRED TO ADOPT ….

Now imagine the waitress after her inexplicable absence comes back and says “I’m really sorry but I need to take a break right now. I’m not sure how long I will need so just be patient and enjoy looking at the menu until I get back. I know you are hungry but I promise the food is soooooo good it will be worth the wait.”

Well it's something like that.

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Ohio Kaz Kid Play Date

All Kaz Girls living in Ohio. (Four of the girls lived in the same baby house in Ust!).  We all got together on a rainy Saturday morning for brunch and playtime.  Going left to right Nina (3), AJ (2), Zafi (2), Abby (2 and a half) and Cecelia (almost 2).

Paint and playdough were on the rainy day agenda...

The girls brough their fab Mommies for mimosas, quiche and good company...

Lisa & Zafiro

Sue and Abby (home just 5 weeks!)

Melissa & AJ

Paula & Cecelia

  "OUT of my room, no parents allowed!"

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Cable Date and NVC Letter...

Who even knew such things existed much less that such things would be of paramount importance to my ability to maintain sanity.  But they are and wahoo baby I got them both today!  I could try to explain the particulars of the cable date or the NVC letter but I would probably get it wrong or just confuse you more.  It suffices to say that both were required in order to get to the next step on the road to China, (which by the way is mysterious sounding something called an "Article 5"). 

Still tracking for travel in May.  If I have this right, the Article 5 should get here in 2 weeks.  Then the TA (travel approval) in 2-4 weeks then departure in 2-3 weeks.  By my math that adds up to best case 6 weeks/worst case 9 weeks.

At the direction of our agency we did file for our China visa's this week.  At least that felt like progress!

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Somewhere Out There

In just a matter of hours my OL friend and fellow China LIDer Jamie will meet her daughter in Rwanda.  I am so happy for her, for them both.  Having arrived in Rwanda tonight Jamie wrote about feeling good just knowing they were sleeping under the same sky.  Oh how I remember all those feelings in the hours before I finally met Nina.  I am sure it will be the same with Macy.   

God bless the world's newest mother and daughter, Jamie and Zoe!!!!

Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight

Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight

Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer

That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there

And even though I know how very far apart we are

It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby

It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through

Then we'll be together somewhere out there

Out where dreams come true

And even though I know how very far apart we are

It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star

And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby

It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky

Somewhere out there if love can see us through

Then we'll be together somewhere out there

Out where dreams come true

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Prayers for Sienna

If you are the praying sort please add sweet little Sienna to your prayer list. This little girl holds a special place in my heart...

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3rd Care Package

Hello Dear Daughter,


I am sorry it is taking so long for Mommy and Daddy to come to China. How we wish we could be with you now. I am glad though that while we are apart you have your foster family to love and care for you. Soon we will be in China and you will come home with us. It will be a great adventure and I promise it will be fun and you will be safe and happy.

When we adopt you we hope to give you an American name to go with your Chinese name. We love the name Li Ping but it is hard for people to say it here. (You will see that we talk a little bit strangely). In America we will call you Macy. Your full name will be Macy Lisabel Li Ping Printy. It is a long name but a very special one. Macy means “Gift of the Lord”. We feel you are our very special gift from God.

In this package I have included an envelope with our address on it. Please ask foster mother to copy the address so she will always know how to reach us. Also if you like you could draw or paint a picture and send it to us using the envelope. We would like that very much. And, if your foster mother gives us her address we then can send her pictures and letters and drawings too!

I won’t be able to send another gift before I come to China but I will bring you something very special when we meet. I love you sweet Macy Lisabel Li Ping with all my heart. Daddy and I will be there soon. Hugs and Kisses, Mommy

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Welcome to the Travel Phase

The simplest things can move me to tears these days. I just got an email from my agency and as I read the first paragraph the waterworks came...

Welcome to the Travel Phase of the Great Wall process! My name is Nancy Tassin and I am here to help you throughout your travel planning. This is a very exciting and dynamic time in your adoption process and I invite you to contact me anytime with questions or updates. This phase has many details and does move faster than the referral phase.

This my dear friends, after 40 months of dreaming and hoping, is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel...the light that leads to our long awaited, desperately loved, more beautiful than we ever imagined daughter from China.

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