Happy Birthday!!

In case you missed it, when I first started this blog, I wrote a post about Effie's very first BIRTHDAY here. But today I've chosen a letter I wrote when we first found out about her and knew she was our daughter.

A letter written just days after we got our original file for Effie (January 2012)

Dear Chen JinLing,

My dear daughter. I am sitting here on the floor of your wide open bedroom. Up until just a few short weeks ago it was just Daddy's Office. The door is opened about once every week to put back something into the closet; a suitcase after a trip or the battery charger or cord for one of our many electronic devices. But today, it is your room and it's your space and it's here waiting for you. It is empty right now, but in my mind I can see you here filling the space with joy. Overflowing this room with your spirit and that precious smile I have yet to see. I can't imagine ever feeling so filled with love and emotion yet so absolutely empty inside knowing I have to wait thru this cold winter, spring and summer's heat until I can see your sweet face, pick you up and hold you. I feel like screaming and crying and laughing and running down the street waving my hands. We have finally found you. Our sweet daughter Chen JinLing. I am picking out pictures for a photo book that we will send over to you in a care package. I want you to see what a nice home you'll be coming home to. I want you to see my face and know that I am MAMA and that your DADDY is a sweet, loving, soft hearted guy. I want you to meet your brother JACK and the family doggie, BEAN. I hope that you are happy and loved and cared for. And for now this is all I can wish. I will pray for you daily that you are safe and that the very instant we are able to come and get you, that you will be ready to come home and by your amazing spirit, make us parents of a precious little girl named Chen JinLing.

All my Love,

MOMMY

"Lucky" the kitty cat and Brother Jack

Today Jack and I took a road trip to KC to Build a Bear and he picked out a cute little kitty cat for Effie's 2nd Birthday. We named her "Lucky" like the lucky Chinese cats I see all over (okay, mostly just in Chinese restaurants, but you get the idea) He is going to be such a wonderful big brother. We are all getting so excited for our upcoming travel.

I started a request for a medical update for Effie today via email. We are supposed to have to pay for updates now, unless it's been 9 months since the last one. All of the medical information and reports we have are still from her original referral file that we received in January, so she will be due for another exam and report by the 10th of July. Let's pray we can get some pictures of that lovely face in our email inbox really soon. I would love it!!

I plan on leaving them up til she's home.

As of today, the most up to date news we have is that our A5 or Article 5 will be ready for pickup on June 27th. This means that our travel approval should be just a few weeks away. Most of the families on the 1-800 spreadsheet in our Yahoo group have received TA just 2-3 weeks after their A5 was issued. Lets keep wishes, hopes, prayers and good vibes going for the shortest amount of time possible. I have marked August 2nd in my calendar as "The day I'm leaving for China" so we'll see just how close my prediction is. At the very least I hope I get to meet her by my Birthday. What a gift that would be!!.

I am currently in a soul searching and organizational period for this blog. I'd like to have  format to follow so I don't just put you all to sleep with acronyms and details, but I also want to share what's going on for those of you who are interested. I'll be thinking about it and praying on it to find the "almost perfect" format for the blog posts. Because life's no fun if it actually is perfect. Believe me, there's no threat of perfection in this household. And, we love it!!

Check back for updates and photos.