Cabled today

This means the I-800 approval has been sent from the US to the US Consulate in China. Austin's visa application is ready in China for when we get to the Consulate to take the oath of citizenship for him. 2 steps to go. We are on the downhill slide. So amazing to be this close to our son.With the holiday next week, our next step is a little delayed but we are used to delays now. This one is short hopefully. On to the Article 5.

Shopping day

I spent the day shopping for China supplies. I decided to get prepared early and start packing now that we have 2 months til travel. 2 months sounds like a long time but that time will go by fast and I don't want to be stressed at the last minute. Today I bought gifts to take to China, medicines to have just in case, baby supplies to be ready for our first days with Austin, and other supplies I think we need. I spent almost $200 just today for these China packing items. I am so excited to be this close. Keep the prayers coming for Thanksgiving in China and for our children that will be waiting at home. Our little one KK  especially is having a hard time. She wants to go to China but she is in kindergarten and needs to be in school. She is not old enough to handle the trip in China. This trip is not a pleasure trip, all work to get the adoption completed. One day we hope to take a family pleasure trip to China so we all can appreciate Austin's first culture.

I-800 Approved!!!!

That was the last approval we needed. We have a yes on both China and USA side of the paperwork. I-800 was Austin's application for U.S.Citizenship. It was approved yesterday. That was the last unknown step. Everything is in order and we are praying to finish the final steps to travel in November. Now we wait for our USA file to be cabled to the U.S. Consulate in China so they will be ready for when we arrive there. The only thing that is messing us up now is the holiday the first week of October. China closes for the whole week. Nothing can be processed so our paperwork will sit an extra week.we see light at the end of this tunnel. Please pray with us we are with Austin for Thanksgiving.  

Now China has said Yes....

We can finally share his photos. This is what we got with our match.

And this is the photo update we got. He has changed so much in these 3 1/2 months since we got our match. He no longer looks like a baby. I am sad to miss out on the baby days. We should be ready for travel approval and not just starting the wait for I-800 immigration approval.

We are ready to fast forward to the day we have waited so long for. Forever Family Day when we hold our son for the first time. It is so hard to look at the photos and know we are still months away from this very special day. Our agency is trying to expedite the rest of our paperwork but I am not holding my breath after the ridiculous wait we have already had for LOA. Please help us pray the expedite works out. We want to go to China.

I-800 is sent

I-800 is the final US immigration application that has to be approved. The I-800A approved us to adopt a child. The I-800 is approval to adopt our specific little boy. It should only take 2-3 weeks. We hope for 2 weeks since we waited so long on the LOA. Once we get that I-800 approved, US immigration will send Austin's visa file to China to be ready to go once we arrive in China. We are getting much closer to actually going to China. We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel now.

Finally LOA!!!

After 3 plus months we have LOA. Praise God prayers are finally answered. LOA is the official letter from China that offically offers Austin for adoption to us. This means China has read over our entire life story and believe we will be good parents for our little Austin. We are so excited. The rest of the process should be much faster. Our agency thinks we will travel Thanksgiving or the first week of December. We are so ready to love on our little boy. We never thought we would wait so long to get the LOA.