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.