A Package for Alba

We have received word that we can send Alba one package. Everything in the package must fit inside of a flat 5x7 photo album... They suggested we send things like stickers, and sibling artwork as well as the photo album with pictures of her new family in it. Thus, McHaney and I have put together this small little package while we wait on our photo album to arrive:

Pictures and a necklace made by Mc, a frame we made together with a picture of us in it, and some stickers hand selected by Mc.

Two Sisters
Could this be more descriptive of her future? Wearing a crown & eating a cupcake while "dropping her toys" (probably b/c she has so many!)

A picture of her new home :)

Any ideas of other "flat" things we could send? I did get permission to send a disposable camera... there is no guarantee they will use it or even return it, but it's worth $10 to take the chance they may capture a few of her moments over the next few months!

On another happy note, we get word that on April 8th she had a electrocardiogram and there was no indications of her heart condition. They are saying that the condition no longer exists! Obviously, we will still have her checked out, but this is still great news! God is good!!!!!!

Drum Roll Please....

Presenting Huang Xia Zheng... soon to be Miss Alba Lee Phillips!!!!

Selected

If you have not read the post Holy Nudges, start there.... this is, as they say, "the rest of the story."





Friday morning, I called the agency as instructed and was met with good news. She was ours... this beautiful child I had been falling in love with for a week was actually my precious second daughter. She was the child I had known was coming for over 14 years. The child I had visions of, the child God hand picked for me. What an honor, what a responsibility, what a special special privilege.

I weep as a write this knowing God chose me to use as part of his wonderful plan. I cry everytime I take a quiet moment to think about it. That I should be selected to adopt one of his beautiful children, that he finds me in all of my filth and sinfulness worthy enough to bring Christ into the life of a child. That she has been woven into the plan for my life before I was even born.

It is overwhelming at times.

When they told me she was ours, the reaction I had surprised me. You know you laugh at things that are funny and cry at things that are sad, but you feel that emotion coming. You feel it well up inside before it comes out. This was totally different.... crying just spurted out. Laughing at the same time, crying and laughing so hard together that I was snorting. It was a little embarrassing, but I'm sure she gets that alot, right? I was apologizing profusely as she just sat there waiting for me to calm... :) When I finished she said "I'll be sure to let the match team know you were overjoyed at their selection."

So, that was it. She was ours. I didn't ask any details about what's next, where do I go from here etc. I was just savoring the moment and couldn't get off the phone fast enough to be able to call DP and tell him! He was also, happy as a clam and laughed at my crazy blubbering on the phone.

We can't wait to be her parents. To have her in our arms to love her and let he know she has a forever home... a place where she will be loved unconditionally and will never have to be an orphan again.

1 down, 146,999,999 to go!

Holy Nudges

On February 11th, our paperwork was officially logged in to China and we became eligible for a "referral". I expected this referral process to take 3 to 6 months, so I was shocked when I received an email stating we should stay near our phones on Feb 22nd as it was possible we might receive a referral. I was cautiously excited, but didn't expect anything. When that day came and went though, I was more disappointed than I had expected to be. I knew the chances were slim... we had to be at the bottom of the list, right? I mean, we'd only been eligible for a week and a half.

Again in March I received the same email.... March 22nd, stay near your phone, you may get a referral. I wasn't nearly as expectant this day and did not sit by the phone. Of course the day came and went with no news. I decided I had to accept what I already knew, she would come when God knew Daren and I were both ready and not a minute sooner.

Throughout this process, people kept asking if I had called the adoption agency, what was going on, how long it would be etc. I wanted to know what the process was we were going through. How big were the groups of children being released, how old were the children, how many people were in front of us, etc. But, very untrue to form for me, I had been pretty laid back about it. I wanted to call, but never got around to it. I was told earlier in the process that I needed to speak to this one lady at the agency and I just never called her.

Anyway, this past Monday I got what I like to call one of those "holy nudges." Around 11:00 our time, I just got this feeling I needed to pick up the phone and call. Finally around 11:20 I called. The wonderful Mrs. M picked up on the first ring. I gave her my spill.... "Hi M, this is Rachel Phillips, I've never called before but my husband, Daren and I are in process with Child of Promise..." I continued and gave her my little spill just saying I'd like to have more info about the process.

She says, "Ok Mrs. Philips, I see here that you have requested a child under 2?"

"Well, I 'd like her to be under 3 when we get her, but she can be somewhere in the two age range."

"So, you'd be open to a two year old child?"

"yes"

"And, you want a child with a heart condition?"

"yes"

"Can you hold on a moment please?"

"Sure", but in my mind I'm going what's going on? I was bouncing up and down in my dining room. I'll never forget it.... I was even a little panicky inside.

She comes back to the phone: "Mrs. Phillips, a little while ago another family turned down a two year old female with a heart condition b/c the mother is pregnant. Would you like to look at her referral packet?"

um, what?

"You mean, would I like to look at her to be my child?" what the heck is going on, isn't there a process here? Is this a joke? There is no way this is happening!

"Yes Mrs. Phillips. You match with this child perfectly, and if you are interested we can send you her referral packet to look over."

"Okay, well what's the process?"

She walked me through the process, and I asked her to send the info over. She was precious, and I was in love. We called the Dr. to look over her paperwork, medical stuff, etc. He saw us the next day during his lunch break and rubber stamped her. We called the agency, and accepted the referral. There was one hang up though....

Since she had originally be referred/matched to another family, they had to resubmit her to China. We had to wait for China to repost her to the adoption site and then our agency has to try to grab her again! The wait was excruciating. I kept telling myself God is in control, but saying it and turning it over are two different things! Once again though, and as always, He was faithful....

The Phillips Go to Washington

Not really, but it sure feels like it!!!!

After months (7 to be exact) of putting paperwork together, we finally sent our packet off to Washington. It took much longer than I expected and here's why...

Our home study went along, uneventfully. It finished in a normal amount of time and we were ready to process our immigration paperwork. That is supposed to come back in 6-8 weeks, then, my understanding was we could go the next day, get our fingerprints and be ready to send off the dossier.

Um, I was wrong. It did only take 6 weeks for the immigration ppw to come back, but then our fingerprinting appt. was set for us, 3 WEEKS IN ADVANCE! So, there's another 3 weeks of waiting. We went and had it done, at which time we found out the results would be mailed.... 2 weeks later I get a notice saying my fingerprints were bad (apparently user error on the part of the operator, not me) and i have to wait, yet another 3 weeks to get them taken again!!!! I called our social worker, in tears, and she said to just try to go down there one day and see if they would take me. 2 weeks later, I go down, take them and get them back two weeks later. All in all I wasted about 2 months on fingerprinting.

But, the Tuesday before Christmas, they showed up (an early Christmas gift from God!?!?) :) I had the whole next day open with nothing scheduled (which has probably never happened) and Deda was spending the day with Mc. I was able to spend the whole day getting paperwork in place, stamped by various government entities, copies made, cashier's checks cut, etc, etc.

I mailed it out at 4:15 the Wednesday before Christmas! It was mailed to a courier in Arlington, VA. He will walk it thru the US State Department and the Chinese Embassy. I expect to get it back by the end of the week. Then I have to add several pictures to it, a few other things and we'll be ready to submit!!!!!

Fingerprinting

Sooo, it's been a long time since I've written but mainly because there hasn't been much to write! We passed thru our home study with flying colors and we were then able to submit to Immigration. It took about 8 weeks to get back and then when it was returned our fingerprinting appointment was about 3 weeks after that. So basically we've been playing a waiting game.

However, we did complete our 10 hours of adoption education this week, and we got our fingerprinting done yesterday. So, that was the last piece of outstanding government paperwork we needed. It will be sent off to whomever it goes to and should be back in about 3-4 weeks. After that, our dossier packet will be complete and we will have to get the packet notarized, stamped by the county and stamped by the state. Then we have it couriered to Washington!!!

Woohoo!!!!

Last Home Study

This is what my dining room table looks like right now...

So much paperwork!!!

Anyway, our last home study was fine. Our SW came by and spent about 30 minutes. She talked to us for a while asking about home safety. Then, she talked to Mc. She was out of control wild. I guess I just built it up too much, "mommy's friend Miss Julie is coming over today and she is going to help us get baby sis..." She seriously acted like a crazy person. Next, she took the home tour, saw where baby sis' room is going to be :) and where she'll get to play.

Our next step is immigration. boo. The worst part. Julie will finish our home study next week and send it to us for approval. Once that happens, it goes to our adoption agency for approval. Then, she will package all of that up along with our passports and fingerprints and she mails it to US immigration. This is about an 8 week process... I think they basically check everything you've ever done in your life form the day you were born. I guess it's good. They are making sure we aren't terrorists or anything... but I could just tell them that and save us all alot of time! :)

So, I'll let everyone know when we mail that off! When it comes back, we'll still have a few steps left before submittal to China, but we're over the first big hump!!!!!