I-800 progress

If you have been following our journey to A', you know that we are now waiting for her final immigration clearance to come. It is quite a lengthy paper heavy process, but we are moving ahead again. We mailed in our applications about 2 wks ago to the National Benefits Center lockbox-Chicago(aka...mailing into ether). From there, the apps. get pre-processed, and then they are forwarded on to Lee Summit, Missouri for clearance You can not fill out these specific papers until you have your LOA from China, which we received on March 10. This whole "govt. mailing system" seems a little unorganized to me, but what do I know anyway??? I was told that it can take up to 2 1/2 weeks for it to reach the correct person after mailing it, which seems grossly inefficient!

Anyway, we received an email from our immigration officer today. She looked it over, and she needs yet another form from our agency. I feel so sorry for our social worker. She is putting the poor lady thru quite a bit of unnecessary work. Thankfully, our SW was able to type it up and will FedEx it to her for a Monday delivery. I called the National Benefits Center (aka. NBC) and was told that we could circumvent the lockbox this time, so YIPPEE!! We shouldn't have to wait another two weeks for her to look at it....maybe only a day, or two after delivery this time. From there, the NBC cables the approval to the US Embassy in Guangzhou, China. They then process a few more forms, which can take a few more weeks. After that, they communicate that all is well with the Chinese govt. from an immigration standpoint, and China will issue travel dates.

To be honest, we still have no idea when we will travel. We are thinking it will be in May, but it could be anytime this summer, as our govt. works thru their new process. It only took 5 wks after LOA to travel w/D', but it doesn't look like that is the case this time.

On a more uplifting note, Miss A. is doing really well in her new foster home. We were told that she enjoys being spoon fed (cracks me up...so does mommy:). She also loves music and dancing. She is quite fond of blowing bubbles with her mouth when she is bored. She loves to be carried around, so I'm sure her sister and brothers are going to have a blast with her:0).

Perspective....

I've been told a number of times over the years that I tend to be rather opinionated about certain things, and I will be the first person to admit it. I like to think of it as "strong character," however I'm sure that it may be offensive to some. I like to "call it as I see it," and I know that I need to remember to zip my lips from time to time, but it is just so hard:).

Anyhoo, today D' and I went to Auntie J's house to celebrate Grandma O's birthday (Happy Birthday, Grandma O!). While there, we were fortunate enough to spend some time with Great Grandma T. She shared a story with us about how she and Great Grandpa T. immigrated here from Holland many years ago. They boarded a boat (this was not a fancy cruise ship w/all the amenities either!)bound for the US when they were in their 20's with a 9 month old baby in tote. They spent around 2 wks at sea watching countless people succumb to severe motion sickness and many of those traveling were already ill. They arrived with very little money, but HUGE faith that they would find food, shelter, employment opportunities, etc. After going thru the usual procedure at Ellis Island, they boarded a train and spent a few days traveling across the country. Great Grandpa T. found a job working at a dairy farm in California and rode his bike back and forth to work (which was evidently a bit of a distance) armed with a weapon (I believe that she said a baseball bat:) to ward off dogs that would chase him. They didn't have a car, nor was it in the budget for sometime. Great Grandma T. remembered having very little, and she would make dresses for her girls out of flour sacks. Toys were not a priority either, and a bucket of clothes pins served as entertainment for their growing family.

Similarly, my own grandfather (who passed away many years ago) was orphaned at the tender age of two. He was raised, along with his 5 siblings by his very strict Norwegian grandmother who would wake them during the middle of the night to gather wood for the furnace. At 12 years of age, he had enough, and "ran away" from home and fought to live. I imagine that he relied on the kindness of strangers. I imagine that he also begged for food, perhaps eating trash or whatever he could find.

Can you imagine being 12 years old and not having parents, nor a place to call home? Can you imagine fighting to provide basic necessities for your family, often working for hours on end with no breaks, no paid vacations, no annual bonuses, no retirement accounts, no portfolio's? Can you imagine leaving your native country and embarking on a journey to find a better life for your family. Sheesh, talk about sacrifice!

I think we are all guilty of complaining and grumbling about our present situations, whether it be lack of work, lack of time, lack of money, too many responsibilities, crooked politicians, not enough energy, cranky children, etc., but come on folks.....we really don't have it that bad! God provides us with exactly what we need. He provided for Great Grandma and Grandpa T, he provided for my grandfather, he provided for the Israelites time after time, and he certainly provides for you and me. Let's take a minute to realize the sacrifices made for us, and thank the Lord for all of the blessings that He has given us. In the long run, none of these "temporal" things matter anyway:).
----just my opinion....

Thank you......;o)

Just want to say "thank you" to my dear friend (although I'm not sure which one of you:) left the envelope on my counter yesterday. I think I have a pretty good idea, though;)......

I am so thankful to have such amazing friends and family. It makes me tear up thinking about how many people love and pray for our sweet baby A. Although none of us have held her in our arms, we all carry her in our hearts:).

Me

LOA and pictures all in the same day!!!!

No time to type a lot, but we received these adorable pics of Miss A. this morning! And, another huge surprise....our LOA was on our doorstep this am, too.....very exciting day at the McJ's.

Mr. Fix-it...

D' loves to work w/his daddy "fixin" stuff. It is pretty apparent from this picture that he is a great student! He was riding his NEWHOWLAND ride on toy today, and decided that it needed some minor adjustments. The next thing I knew he flipped it over on its side, grabbed a screw driver from the tool box, and implemented his own maintenance program. After he was done, he announced to me..."there, it all better now." What an imagination!

Wanna' move to Louisiana??

Miss M.'s latest project for school was to create a sandwich board encouraging others to have the desire to move to a state selected by the teacher. She really didn't want to do Louisiana, but after further research she thoroughly enjoyed herself! She found out a lot about her state (as did her mother;), and her board turned out great! Here she is, modeling her advertisement.....

D'.....pondering life:)

The other day I was frantically racing around the house trying to get Mr. J and Miss M. ready for school. Imagine chaos...backpacks flying, socks un-found, shoes being dug out from wherever they were last left, etc. I was calling for D' to come down and get ready to go, and as I passed the stairs, this is what I found.....He was obviously enjoying watching it all from his vantage point atop the stairs:).

D' has the funniest sense of humor, and there really is never a dull moment at our house.

Mater and Me...

I am really not keen on getting my picture taken, but Mr. J. asked if we could take one together the other day, and I couldn't say no. So, here we are...J-man and mom. He poses for pictures just like his Papa Tom:).

In his spare time....

I have SPRING FEVER! We all love being outdoors! I love to do yard work, and the kids can literally play from sun up to sun down (as long as it isn't too bitterly cold, of course) outside. The sun was shining last weekend (although it was slightly frigid), and we took advantage of it to the fullest. I donned my "yard work" clothes and headed outside to clean up debris, weed out flower beds, rake old leaves, and prune back plants. When Mr. J., Sr. arrived back at the house, he even got in on the action. He LOVES to prune trees (just ask his mom and dad:), and supposedly he has inherited his grandfathers love of the hobby. So, here he is...right before dark pruning our pear tree. Now, that's dedication:). I love my husband! Mr. J., Sr. on the pool ladder w/D'

D' assessing the situations