i800A - check.

Today we finally expressed mailed our i800A application in to the Department of Homeland Security.  Essentially, they approve us to adopt.  It isn't a matter of whether or not we'll pass - just how quickly they'll get it back to us.  It could be anywhere from 6-8 weeks.  Once that is back we can get our dossier in to China.  It seems that we have about a 7 month-ish wait from here.  I know that sounds excruciatingly long - trust me - I K-N-O-W.  But our homestudy process took twice as long as it should have for what ever reason(I think that reason was the need to find Esther) and so we are finally getting off the ground.  That puts us at picking the girl's up right around Thanksgiving of this year.  And even though it sounds SO far away I know it will come really fast.  And I'm still hoping that everything will go faster than that BUT I know it's in the Lord's hands and it will happen according to His timing.

And so far, we've been so blessed.  When we've needed the money to keep the process going - it's been there.  And we have been so blessed at both Mike's work and mine.  So, we know the Lord is on our side and that we don't need to worry.  Just work hard, be grateful, and believe.

Last night our friends skyped us from China.  It was early afternoon for them and they has just seen Pearl while touring their son's orphanage.  They talked to her, took video of her and talked to her caregivers.  The caregivers said they knew she has a family(!!!) which I think means she knows too.  They asked the McComas's to please tell us to send them a photo of our family so they could start preparing her.   We are so excited to put together a book with photos of our home, our pets, their future room, and of course, the family.  Which means I want to hurry and make their new quilts for their beds so it's in the pictures.  I want the room to look exactly like the photos when they get home.

Here's two of the images Jessica took with her phone.  I haven't seen many smiles like this from Pearl.  Isn't she beautiful?  And she's getting so old.  She'll probably be 6 before we get to her...