Robin from Holt called this morning (Thursday the 28th) and said that the passport copy has been translated and submitted to the Peoples Committee and that travel approval should come within days......I'm praying....days not weeks!! If we receive it by next Friday we can fly out on the 12th. I have airline seats on hold for a flight on that day (changeable tickets of course) so we'll see.........

Merry Christmas!! It has been a full day (week-end really). I'm really tired so I'll post more later but wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very blessed Christmas!!

Olivia, sleep tight little girl, may angels keep you safe until you are home with us...Hugs and Kisses.....love, Mommy and Daddy!!

Giving them what they want.

I know I'm posting a lot lately. I hope you all can keep up!! Holt called and they received back our authenticated passport copies today and are sending them on to Holt VN. Maybe we can get some good news by weeks end! Pray that there are no more hang up's!!

Third Days new Merry Christmas song

Merry Christmas - Third Day

There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn'
Cryin' for mama's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
Where the forgotten are
But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine
It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
So tonight I pray that God will hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas
As I hang the tinsel on the tree And watch the twinkling lights
I'm warmed by the fire's glow
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white Make angels in the snow
Half the world away You try to fight away the tears
And hope that heaven's angels Come to carry you here
It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
So tonight I pray that God will hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas
Christmas is a time of celebrate the Holy Child
When we celebrate his perfect years of love
He came to rest and give his life and prepare his place for us
So we could have a home with him above
It's Christmas time again and you're home
Your family is here, so you'll never be alone
So tonight before you go to sleepI'll hold you in my arms And tell you from my heart,
I'll tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas_________________

Red Tape!!

OK here's the word. It seems that VN has decided that they wanted notarized, state certified, and VN authenticated copies of our passports. We were informed of this 1 1/2 weeks ago, now mind you when we did our dossier (back this spring) that is the one paper they had not asked to be notarized, certified, and authenticated. When they told our agency this they said it was not going to hold up our TA but that we could hand carry it over. Also, keep in mind that we will be there with our original passports in hand!! Well, I guess the local People's Committee (the agency that produces our TA) doesn't want to be told by the MOJ (federal agency) what to do, so they are holding our Travel Approval until they receive this. As it is, when Holt told me to do this I was able to get the copies notarized and state certified in one day (luckily we live close to the Sec. of States office here) and overnighted it to Holt. They already sent it off the the Embassy to Authenticate it and should be receiving it back any day. When they get it they will overnight it to Holt VN who will translate it and they hand carry it to the P.C. in Hanoi and hopefully then, they will release our TA. So maybe by years end we will finally have it and plan on traveling the first part of January. Not what I was hoping to hear today but at least we now know what the hold up is. Keep praying!! It's not over until it is over!!

Praying we get more news on the process today!!

I thought I'd share our 'time line' with you while we wait for a call from Holt today.

**Angels danced on the day of her birth August 8th, 2002**

Conceived in our hearts - Jan. 27th (this is first day we saw her picture and thought...maybe we should get some more information on this one.

Application to Holt - Feb 2

Waiting child committee decision - March 3 - Referral (confirmation of our hearts conception!! ie...positive pregnancy test!!)

Dossier to Holt - April 27 (this was 15 separate legal documents that had to be notarized and state certified) as well as photo's of Elliott and I and also of our family and home. Holt then sent them to the Vietnamese Embassy where they were Authenticated by VN officials.

Dossier to Holt Vietnam - May 26 (dossier was translated then submitted to VN Ministry of Justice)

Family MOJ approval - June 20

Child MOJ approval - Nov 9 (this step is where things first got hung up..it was only supposed to take 2/12 to 3 months, ours took 4 months and 20 days)

Travel approval - ????????? (supposed to come 1 month after Child MOJ approval, some families from Holt have recieved this after only 3 weeks, No children from Hanoi (with Holt) have yet gotten TA......it comes from local officials.....TODAY WE ARE AT 39 Days!!)

Keep up the prayers!!

Update on Olivia with Pictures!

We received an update today!! This is not the information on the process that we are waiting to come from Carole but the regular quarterly update with pictures! My favorite part is were it says "Nien can't wait to live with her adoptive family. She always talks with her friend and caregiver that her adoptive parent gave her new clothes." It also says, "she likes color and nice clothes.....the girl finds it happy when someone says that she is a pretty girl." I'm so glad to hear that she got the gift we sent to her. Friends from Texas took it over to Holt Vietnam when they went to Vietnam last month to adopt thier son. We just sent her a Christmas stocking with hair bows, stickers, lip gloss (Hello Kitty), and candy to share with her friends. Hopefully it won't be long before she get to see all the beautiful clothes we have for her!!

Keep up the prayers!!


Ummm, this looks interesting




Where's my family???

We're going to get there as soon as we can sweet heart!!

Help At Last!!

Late this afternoon I got a call back from Holt. Carole Stiles called and said she totally understood where I was coming from that we were past due for some heavy duty advocating on Olivia's behalf and was e-mailing Holt VN to start to, in her words, "rattle some cages" to get some information on what is holding up our travel approval. It was so refreshing to hear compared to the standard, "no new news, we'll call you when we have some, it's in the hands of the VN officials and we just have to patiently wait." YEAH!!! Carole may not realize it but she was an answer to my prayers today. She promised me she would get back to me by Monday with something. I know that she can not "make" the travel approval happen but at least they can do the follow-up with the officials and put Olivia in front of the right faces so maybe will get some progress soon.

KEEP UP THE PRAYERS!!!!!

Am I Crazy?????

Time continues to tick by with no word from Vietnam. I beg(the Lord) daily, hourly, for some word. I ask everyone I know to pray. I hear of other families managing to be able to bring their children home after only a few short months, rumors of corruption are all around, and yet our daughter waits. Today I called our agency in tears wanting them to tell me what they are doing to oversee our process. All I have heard is, "they are doing all they can", I want to know exactly what that is. Diana, the poor gal at our agency who has to hear from us hysterical parents, said she understood my frustration and would have someone else from the agency call me. 5 hours later and no call. UUUGGGHHH! All I have heard is our agency is the most ethical out there and for that I am grateful. I am not asking them to participate in any bribery or any unethical behavior, I just want to know what exactly they are doing while Olivia waits. I reminded Diana, that everyday Olivia stays in that orphanage is potentially harmful to her and that our paperwork processing has already past all VN requirements (laws) and exceeded all required time lines. What kind of parent would I be if I didn't advocate for my daughter?? She needs to get home!!! PPPPLLLLEEEAAASSSEE pray for her, that God would overcome all corruption and bring her home!!

Kisses in the Wind

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are....what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch you skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.
--unknown

Here's Olivia this past summer

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of our girl from this past summer.

Michael's 18!! (and update on adoption process)

Well, it's official.....we have a "legally" adult son! How wierd is that?? We did remind him that means he is only even all the more responsible for his own actions but still needs to listen to Mom and Dad! Actually, I find myself extremely proud of him as he moves into adulthood and yet am not sure how ready I am to really let him go. All of the kids honored him at dinner last night and the resounding theme was they couldn't have asked for a better big brother to look up to. Michael in a lot of ways is your typical American teen-ager, he's fun loving, drives too fast for his parents liking, loves sports (especially running and hockey), and hanging out with his friends. But in other ways, he's not typical at all, he has a very strong faith and takes that into every area of his life, sharing his faith comfortably with his peers and adults alike, he is extremely hard working, enjoys chatting with his parents, is spending a lot of time thinking and praying about his future and how he can #1 serve God and build His kingdom and #2 how if he finds himself called to marriage and family life, how he can support a wife and kids all the while in trying to find what he thinks will be interesting and challenging. Right now his latest thought is Emergency Medicine. He is planning on starting toward this goal at Benedictine College in Kansas and majoring in BioChemistry, he has been accepted there and they have offered him a pretty nice running scholarship. But, sometimes plans change (sometimes monthly at this point so will see!!)

On the adoption front, all news is not good. Actually we have received no new news at all and have once again exceeded all predictions of our travel to bring our little girl home. Travel approval was supposed to take no more then 30 days and we went past that last week. Traveling in order to be home for Christmas seems impossible at this point but I am still praying that we at least make it there by Christmas even if we can't come home for a couple weeks after. This adoption process has been very different then China's with so many more unknowns. I am really being challenged to trust completely in the Lord for "he knows the plans for Olivia, to give her a future and a hope!" But, like the blind men that followed Christ, begging him to heal them, not leaving him until he finally did, I am begging the Lord every day to make it possible for us to bring our sweet angel home. Your prayers are appreciated also!!