What You Need When You Need It, Packing, & Luke Stone

Warning-I think this may end up being longgggg

I sure wish I was writing to say we got Travel Approval. Unfortunately not.
I haven't had the heart to tell this so I'll type it...
Remember that one time when Ch*na forgot to print our LOA? For 21 days? Yeah, me too. It's come back to bite us again. That, and Snowmageddon.
Our LOA was finally delivered to our home on January 7th. It was stuck somewhere (we think Effingham Fed Ex) for a few days due to the blizzard.  Fortunately prior to that, the email copy had been enough to proceed and we had continued on with the immigration process. We signed the LOA and took it back to be express mailed the same day. So we thought. It ended up being a week before it made it back to Colorado.
Which means it was late getting to Ch*na. Which means our Travel Approval has not been issued.
I had NO idea this could be a problem. If I had known, I would have sent Jason to Effingham on a tractor. In the Blizzard. Had I known it would take a week to get to Colorado, I would have happily gotten on a plane and hand delivered it. I could have driven it there myself  WAYYYYY faster.
Apparently, we are going for a dramatic finish. We basically have 2 days left to get our TA, otherwise we are back to a standstill till after Ch*nese New Year. We either get it Monday or Tuesday, or basically nothing happens until February 10th.

Simply Unacceptable. We are praying Monday is the day!!!

So back to What You Need When You Need It....

Today Jason, Q and I were at Chili's at Terre Haute. A beautiful blonde girl came over to introduce herself. She was from Newton too. Sidebar-Colleen, thank God it did not turn out to be someone who was in our high school class that I should have remembered but didn't. We both know that happens a lot. Sidebar over. She told me she's been reading my blog. She had the kindest words for us and Penelope. I hope she reads this and knows she made my day! 

So Ashley, thank you. Today you were what I needed when I needed it!

I know people are reading this, over 20,000 views. They can't all be Nanny and Mam ;). I am definitely late entering the world of social media. Is a blog even social media? I have no clue. What I know is I am so happy to share this story. I am so happy to think of people reading about how a tiny girl on the other side of the world somehow ended up here. How can that be anything short of a miracle!

I love that this might get a conversation going for you that you've never had before. I love that maybe before this, you never knew anyone who adopted, but now you do. And in knowing us, I hope you see, we are SO NOT special! We are the most regular of regular people. Our kids aren't our adopted kids, they're our kids. Just like yours. If we can do it, anyone can do it! 

I'm very happy to hope that maybe, just maybe, someone who had never thought about adoption before might think about it now. If you see me out and about and have questions, ask! I love talking adoption! I know lots more about that than football ;). 

Adoption is an amazing thing. It has connected us to new friends. It has reconnected us to people who were in our lives in different ways-that's right Jason, many of your former students are old enough to be parents themselves now! I've met adoptive mamas in online groups that have supported me in a way that no one else could. Very soon, I hope I have the privilege of meeting some of those amazing Mamas and Babas in China!

In the mean time, I've started packing for Penelope.

Her room has turned into travel headquarters.

Just a taste of what I'm bringing

 

                     16 outfits are enough right?

Here's Hoping at least some of it fits her!

Packing Cubes. Best invention ever!

 Bringing her some friends :)

While we wait, life goes on. We go to work, to school, to practice, and to Newton Eagle basketball games. The boys are very into it! They play basketball all the time in the basement. Most recently they are requesting to be called Luke Stone. Luke has been dunking it and the boys are impressed! 

Here are each of the boys doing what they believe is a Luke Stone impression and then working on their dunks. 

Today at different times of the day Quinn also insisted I call him Lebron James, DD, and Luke Huston. 

Dear God, thank you for the basement. Amen.