LID-YEAH!!!

Great news to share...We are officially LID...our dossier (paper work) is logged in by China officials.  This means that China officials have accepted our dossier.  This happened really quickly for example when we were adopting Lily it took about 4 weeks for us to be LID from the date our papers were sent to China this time it took less then one week.  Praise God!  Now lets pray that God allows all the paper work to go at this great speed so that Cali can come home.  

On another note... Lily has had her Visa pictures taken.successfully  :-)

Xiaoli-What is in a name?

The things I do when waiting for our adoption to proceed is not much different from when I was pregnant and waiting to give birth. You pray, you wonder, shop, research names and so today I took to researching Cali's Chinese name. We were told her name is Li Xiaoli. The first Li would be her surname which how they refer to people in China. Li means upstanding. Xiaoli means morning jasmine. For those of you who know me it is once again God's hand in this adoption because you know how much I love gardening. When we were waiting for Lily to come home I planted Lilies in her honor. Well this time of year in NC my Carolina Jasmine is blooming and the Confederate Jasmine that is literally attached to my house now is even more special to me. Incredible how God has HIS plans for us. We chose Cali because it had the "li" at the end, to keep part of her Chinese name with her. So now my garden jasmine will be another source of comfort in my wait.

PS-Greg added his 2 cents-I spend time on the computer when I waiting ;-)

Visa pics of Lily-Not

Our dossier has flown over the rainbow to China.  The DHL man delivered it on March 31,2008.  I wonder if he knows how important the package is that he was delivering.  

 The last time we went to China I said some one should have been following us with a hidden camera.  I am sure some of the footage could have made it on to "Funniest Home Videos"  Well the tape for this adoption should have started yesterday.  The girls and I went to Kinkos to get our visa pictures taken and well have you ever tried to take a passport picture of a 2 1/2 year old.  I will say the woman was not very patient and did not look like the type who had children of her own.  Well, on a positive note,we did provide entertainment for everyone in the very busy store but left  without pictures of Lily.  We will try another day.  

I met a woman through one of the adoption groups who is picking up her little girl from the same orphanage as Cali.  She is traveling 4/9 and offered to take a package to Cali!!!  We packed PJs, a dress, socks, hair clips (not sure if she even has hair), a stuffed panda, a small musical toy, a blanket, some candy and Burt's Bees lip balm for her care takers and a photo album of us, HER forever family.  I am so excited.  I have got to say with both adoptions I have met the most incredible people.  

 Thank you all those who posted comments, they really lift me up during the wait.  God is so good.  His mercy is so generous.