Show Hope 10 Year Celebration

still waiting... LOA

We are on Day 44 waiting on our Letter Of Acceptance- full approval by China for our son.  With each new day the "wait" is becoming much more challenging!  Oh, how I remember the growing impatience of waiting on each of the girls to be born.  I just have to believe the "waiting" is also growing a deep love inside my heart, to a little boy who God has orchestrated to be our son!  The time is moving really slow these days but the love is so strong and so real.  I've started playing out in my mind the many different ways our first seconds with him might be...

plays- softball- and fishing!

The month of May has been busy with the girls, which is a wonderful blessing when you are waiting and needing to be preoccupied!  Rachel was in our church spring play and Alaina has started her 2nd season of softball....

   

                                                                                   
              ......and Maddie had a great day of fishing with her dad and grandad, they caught more than they could count!

a lot happening around here❤

April...has been a pretty spectacular month for us, just as March. 
1)We had numerous friends from college and from different periods in our lives/marriage who contributed to our adoption financially. It's been such a sweet, sweet blessing to see who God continues to use in this journey to bring home our son.  It's really an incredible blessing. 
2)Our dossier arrived in China, we formally did our acceptance submission to China for our son, LOI.  
3) Only one week later we received Pre-Approval of our son. 4) We have chosen a name for our son, Luke O'Neil Perry. 
5) We received 2 new updated pictures and a video of our son walking.  He looks like he's doing well and his orphanage is colorful and has many toys.  It relieved us to see the happy, bright things in the room with him.  We can post pictures of him after we receive full approval-LOA.  

the fundraising and orphan awareness continues...

2nd Annual Orphancare Auction

March 14th,  We helped with the 2nd Annual
Orphancare Auction at church. Our agency
coordinator, Bethany, came as a resource to
those attending.  What a blessing Bethany has
been to our family!  The girls have fallen in love
with her.  Many members at our church helped
with donations, set-up, and contributing to the
evening.  We were told it was a great success, and
definitely a sweet evening for our family:)

Craig finishing up with the dollhouse bookshelf as a

donation for the auction event, he and his dad built together!

Authentication day and submitting dossier (#2) to China

                March 13- I800a approval came two days ago.  Today we went to the Sec. of
       State's office to complete our final step and submitt the dossier to agency (for the 2nd time)! It should be in China within 2 weeks.  God reminded me of this verse: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, and thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (So thankful that God is so faithful and generous with His love to us). 

Secretary of State's Office getting dossier authenticated!

UPS Store mailing dossier to agency!

We got a referral!

March 5th-  WE GOT A REFERRAL- here is our son!! 

(Pic posted-8/24/2013)

In such a short amount of time we have had so many things happen.  It's almost unreal for us.  As these last few weeks have passed I've been longing so badly to see the face of our sweet baby... today that happened, HOLY COW!  A phrase that we've heard numerous adoptive families say is, "hurry up and wait," and this holds so true with this adoption journey.  After 16 months in the process- today we know who our son is, wow!   We have a pretty busy, exciting SPRING ahead of us;) and we are ready.  Thank you Father!

This month we also mailed the USCIS PACKET (x2) getting closer!