A Message to Anna

This past week has been filled with excitement for Xuzhou families. Three families are currently in China with their new Xuzhou daughters and son and many more are preparing to take the trip in early November and the coming months. For the families waiting it means we get updates of our precious children with whom we are getting to know and love through pictures and stories of the families who have just hugged them half way around the world.

When we traveled to bring home Lily in May 2008 we had a list of waiting families and were able to talk to and hug the children at their families request. It’s become a tradition that when a family travels to Xuzhou, we try to meet with all the children and send “special messages” to let the children know their families will be coming for them shortly. Many of these kids are home now and we’ve had the pleasure of watching them blossom and flourish. Now that I am once again waiting, I understand how special the orphanage visits are to the waiting parents.

Our Anna has been at the SWI for the past two years and has witnessed many of her friends become united with their forever families, including Lily who was her Xuzhou sister before we even knew it! Anna’s best friend April and her family visited the orphanage last week to say “goodbye”. The girls hugged and Mark promised Anna we would soon be coming to take her home too. You can read the story on Lisa’s blog.

http://ourmishpacha.blogspot.com/2009/10/day-6-nanjing-trip-to-xuzhou-orphanage.html

John teases me that I when I want something, I put my whole heart and soul into it. And I want to get this little girl home with all my heart.

10 weeks ago today, we were told by the China Center of Adoption Affairs that we were pre-approved to move forward with the adoption of Fang Ran. I moved mountains and raced through the paperchase in record time. As of today, we are DTC!!! - our paperwork is in China. Our paperchase is over and now the wait to travel begins!