Plannning to Leave Jan. 8

We found out last week that there is more paperwork from Homeland Security that we need, so our agency told James to plan to leave with a group that is flying to China on January 8. So, we're hoping that everything will come together and that he and his parents will be able to leave on that date.
We're sad that it didn't work out to get Haiyan before the end of the year, but we're happy to be able to be together at Christmas and spend some time relaxing in Indiana. We're just praying now that everything will work out for the 8th, and that I don't have our baby early!

Travel Approval Extended-but only verbally

Our agency heard from China today that they would extend our travel approval. So, that's great news, but our agency has to have the actual paper before they can make our Consulate appointment in China. So, we're still unsure about when James & his parents can travel. We're trying to get everything ready so they can leave anytime. It seems crazy that everything continues to be so uncertain, but slowly, all our issues seem to be getting resolved.

USCIS Approved HaiYan's Immigration Papers

This past Friday was exciting. Amy and Elizabeth visited me at work in order for us to notarize some adoption papers. While getting them notarized we received a phone call informing us that HaiYan's immigration papers had been approved. What a strange thing to hear after desperately flailing for help for so long. I felt as if I had been buried alive for months with a shovel. Desperately digging in all directions hoping for just a glimpse of light. Once in the light I wasn't exactly sure what to think or feel. Like clockwork, I went blind in the left eye and my left arm went numb. Fear not, it was not a stroke, but my old childhood migraine. I pulled the car over and let Amy drive. It hurt but at the same time I couldn't help invariably smiling to myself throughout the day. How does Amy feel? Well, she feels pregnant, and the list of things for her to do just tripled in size. Relief is there for both of us, but apprehension is there as well.

Currently, China's approval for us to travel will expire three days before our meeting with the US consulate in China. Therefore, we will need to either get China's approval extended tomorrow, or change our travel plans to accommodate China's process time. There are so many reasons why we would like to travel before the year ends, but we know there is a small possibility that it will actually happen in December. Most likely we will travel the first week of January.

Amy is due in February and therefore will not be traveling with me to China. Instead it will be my mom and dad. Please pray with us for China's approval for us to travel as well as all necessary travel arrangements that would need to happen soon. Also, please continue to pray for HaiYan and her difficult transition.

Still Waiting

So, it looks like our original immigration petition is never going to be approved, even though James has spent countless hours on the phone and internet trying to get people to help us change it.

Our new petition was sent in last week, and we know it has been received, because our check was cashed this week (it figures that our government takes our money quickly, but moves slowly to give us what we're paying for).

It's been a very rough couple days, because we were supposed to leave yesterday for China, so that's mostly what we've been thinking about. We're still hoping that the congressional offices can help get our petition expedited. We know that there is probably some purpose in all of this being delayed, we just hope that someday we know what it is.

On a happier note, I get to have another ultrasound next week, so we should know for sure if we're having a boy (we won't have to wonder if 75 percent sure is good enough to decorate a room on!).

Thanks for all your prayers and concern.

Immigration Denied Again

The immigration form that we needed this week to be able to travel by Oct. 23 was denied again. The Congress offices of Melissa Bean & Barack Obama put in a congressional request to Homeland Security for us, but they said that there is nothing they can do to process it, because it was turned in a few days late. So, that's sad news for us.

But, the good news is, that both offices said that they would help us in any way they can to expedite the new application that will hopefully be ready to turn in next week. The processing time is running about 4 months, so if they can help in any way to cut down the waiting time, we will be so grateful. The people in Bean & Obama's offices have been really helpful and we have been surprised at how good they have been at keeping us updated on any progress.

Thanks so much to Pat Carey, former Grayslake mayor, who helped us get a contact in Melissa Bean's office!

So, we have no idea when we'll be be able to pick Hai Yan up now. Hopefully soon, so I (Amy) will be able to go. Also, we received good news that our agency got China to let Hai Yan stay with her foster family until we arrive. So, she shouldn't have to be moved back to the orphanage.

Immigration Update

We were able to make some connections over the weekend with people in offices of 2 of our congressmen. So all day today, we've been faxing, emailing, & calling for documentation that's needed for them to present our case again to Immigration and try to change their minds. We're so thankful to these people who have been more than willing to help us.

We also got news that Hai Yan is being prepared to move from her foster family back to the orphanage until we pick her up. We were sad to hear this, because we don't know when we'll be able to travel, and we were hoping that she would stay with her foster family as long as possible. The orphanage also requested photos of our family, so they can show her, and they can start preparing her to meet us.

Thanks so much for your prayers. This has been a very difficult few days for us.

Congressmen Connections Needed!

If anyone has any personal connections to any IL congressmen, let us know! We've heard that may be the only way to get our paperwork to go through on time. Thanks!

It's Probably a Boy!

We also found out today that we're having a boy baby! The doctor wasn't completely sure, because the baby was moving so much, but she gave us a 75 percent certainty?.? So, we're very excited, and excited to know that everything looked okay. I think the profile definitely looked different than Elizabeth's ultrasound profile, the face seemed more like James' (so hopefully it is a boy!). Elizabeth wondered if we would see Hai Yan on the ultrasound too :)

Good News, then Bad News

We received great news this week from China! We received our Travel Approval and our tentative travel date is Oct. 23. We were really excited to be able to go pick up Hai Yan so soon.

Then we received bad news from the IL Immigration office. We had been waiting on a form that we had to redo this summer when it expired. We had sent all the paperwork in back in June, and were expecting to receive the approved form anytime. Instead, this week we received a letter telling us that our social worker did not get the necessary paperwork in before the expiration deadline, and that Immigration quit processing our request.

This paper is necessary to bring Hai Yan into the US, and we can't even make any appointments in China without it. So, our agency said that if we don't get it by next week, that we won't be able to travel in October. The worst part is that if Immigration does not process our current petition, we'll have to reapply under new requirements, and the processing time for those is running 3-4 months.

So, needless to say, we're really upset about this mistake, and we're doing everything we can to try to persuade the Immigration office to help us. We've written to many people in the office, as well as congress people. Unfortunately, our agency and social worker have told us that this particular Chicago office has a reputation of not expediting requests, and not budging on processing times.

We feel like we've been on a roller coaster this week. Please pray that we would have patience during this time, and that Hai Yan would be well taken care of until we can pick her up. It's so difficult for us to think of her just waiting in China, while we wait here for a piece of paper to be approved.

...And So It Begins

Amy and I finally made the difficult decision to begin a blog site. It seems to be the norm for adoptive parents, as well as a wonderful way to simultaneously journal and communicate. I hope that everyone enjoys reading this blog and we will do our best to share pictures, stories, and possibly some quirky drivel that will do nothing more than waste your time. Amy is tired right now, so you can blame me for this all too abrupt beginning.

News From China

Today was an exciting day! While I was eating my brown bag lunch at Starbucks, I received a call from Lauren at American World (our adoption agency). She informed me that our dossier was approved by the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs). That means we are now only waiting for China to approve our travel. Lauren shared with us that we would most likely be traveling to China towards the end of October.

We have prayed many times for HaiYan; that she would be shown love no matter where she is. We know that God is in control. Last week Amy, Elizabeth and I prayed that God would have China approve our dossier the following week. We were grateful when this news came the first day of the following week.

Please be in prayer for us as we have a couple of decisions to make. Amy may not be able to travel to China because she will be five months pregnant by the end of October. Therefore, we must decide if Amy and/or Elizabeth will be traveling to China.

We have much for which to be thankful and amongst some of the greatest are your consistent prayers and support.

We love you,
James, Amy, and Elizabeth Tanner