Will, Josh, and the Interview

Second homestudy visit was today. The boys were so excited and really nervous about their interviews. They both did great! The social worker asked the boys what activities they liked to do, how they liked school, and finally how they felt about having a new sister. She asked Josh what he thought of the idea of having two boys and two girls in his family. He responded that our family ALREADY had two boys and two girls in it. The social worker was a bit confused until Josh reminded her that she was forgetting about Ella, our female goldendoodle!

First Homestudy Visit

The homestudy is well underway. Our social worker came for the first meeting today. She talked with me, met the boys, walked through the house....she was great! Super nice and very professional.  

I have been diligently working on the homestudy paperwork for the last couple of weeks....FBI clearance was checked off with a drive to Columbus, medical forms were completed with a doctors visit and lots of bloodwork, reference forms have been mailed out (thanks to Sarah, Erica, Leslie, and Angela), septic tank has been inspected (the boys found this oddly fascinating), fingerprints have been taken (three times and counting), and so much more!  

The social worker went ahead and scheduled the next meeting for December 28th. I am really excited that she wants to do the visits QUICKLY which is fine by me! At the next meeting, she will talk individually with each of the boys. They love that they are going to have their own personal interview! (For those who know my kids, you know that I will be in prayer about what actually comes out of their mouth, but I am glad they are excited!)

You ought to be in pictures!

Tonight I received an email from one of my Internet friends.  Over the last few months, this woman has advocated for my little girl, hoping that she would find her family.  She was so excited when I shared with her that I had committed to adopt this child.  So tonight she sends me a link to a video....well, a TV show really....that has aired in China back in February of 2012.  This television show spotlights two very special children....one is my Abigail and the other is a little boy who will soon be called Edward.  Abigail and Edward are the best of friends.  This video is 22 MINUTES LONG!!!  The video shows where Abigail lives, her school room, her bedroom, her friends.  I can hear her voice and see her smile....what an AMAZING gift it is to have this!  Of course, I have been busy taking lots of screen shots, making some of the cutest pictures!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! 

What's in a Name?

This child needs a name!  Of course, she already has a Chinese name, which I will keep as her middle name.  I have done this with both of the boys...their name at birth became their middle name and I added an American first name.  I also want to choose a name with meaning.  This is important in Chinese culture, but it is also a tradition in our family.   I have been looking for a name that means  "joy" or "happiness".  I have written before how this child seems to exude joy.  How she seems to just bubble over with happiness.  How she is ALWAYS smiling!

I was thinking the other morning about the things in my own life that bring me joy....my family, my friends, even my job, but also many seemingly trivial things like eating a favorite meal, reading a good book, watching a movie, going on vacation...as my mind sifted through these things, I found myself wondering how this child could be so joyful?  After all, she has nothing....no family, no possessions to call her own, really not even a hope for a future.  By the world's standards, she has nothing, certainly no reason to be joyful.  

I found myself wondering then what it was that could fill her with such happiness?   And like a lightbulb turned on in my head, all of a sudden I knew...God spoke quietly to my heart, answering the question almost as soon as I asked it.  What does she have to be joyful about?  "She has ME...she is radiating MY joy.  I am her Father...I am pouring MY joy into her.". And so her name will be Abigail, which fits just perfectly, as it means "the Father's Joy".

So, now that we have a name, let's put a face to that name....introducing our Abigail!

PA!!!

I received an email today from Holt..."Good news! We have receive an update and your PA. You received pre-approval on 12/3/12! Congratulations!"  

So what does this mean?  PA stands for pre-approval, which means that the CCWAA has reviewed my LOI and other preliminary information and has conditionally approved me to adopt this child.  It also means I have six months from this date to get my adoption dossier (more paperwork!) to China.

All this to say that it is time to get started!

And, I also received the update, with all the answers to the questions that I asked the orphanage.  They sent updated measurements, a short video of her walking, the radiology report from recent X-rays, information about the brace that she is currently wearing on her leg, and the name that she is called in the orphanage.  

The video is so wonderful to have!  I do get to see her walk in the video, but I had to watch it several times before I even remembered to look at her leg.  Her smile is so captivating...like you are watching pure joy just spill out of her!  Amazing!