Leaving January 2, 2013

Things didn't work out as we had liked in getting our Consulate Appointment so we will not be leaving until January 2nd.  I have spent the last couple of days on the phone with the agency trying to change that but, oh well.  We are very excited to go get Chelsea and bring her home.  January 7th she will be with us forever.  That's a month from tomorrow:)

TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!!!  I'm a few days late getting this post up but we received our TA on November 30, 2012!  Finally our Timeline is complete.  We were really hoping to have Chelsea home for Christmas but are so excited that she will be with us forever before the end of the year!  I posted on Facebook when we received our TA and had so many sweet messages from friends and family.  Thank you all so much for your support and prayers through this journey.  We are sooooooo close!  We have lots to do and learn before we go.  So off to work I go.

We are still waiting on Travel Approval:(  I talked to our agency today and the 6th is definitely out.  As long as we receive TA in the next week or two we should be able to go on the 27th.  Ugh!  We really wanted her home for Christmas but  I guess that is not in the plans.  Please pray for TA to get here so we can leave on the 27th!!!!  Thanks

Just an update.......We should have Article 5 pick up on the 13th and then we wait for our Travel Approval to arrive from CCCWA.  We could wait a week, 2 weeks, who knows.  It seems like people are receiving them faster right now, so we will keep our fingers crossed.  Once we have Travel Approval we have to get a Consulate Appointment.  I found out from our agency that there are only two dates to depart in December and they are the 6th and 27th.  Very frustrating!  

Last year when I was cleaning up the Christmas decorations, I left out a tree to remind myself that she would be here for Christmas 2012.  We added her picture and a picture of the boys beside the tree after we received our LOA in September.  We are praying hard that we can go get her before the end of the year.  Any prayers you want to send are welcome.

 I'll update again next week.  The time is getting near!!

Chelsea's bed is finished!  I hope she loves it and has sweet, sweet dreams in it.  Mom is putting her monogram on her sham and I need to work on accessories, curtains, and paint the dresser.  Plenty to do to keep me busy while we WAIT!  

Last night was Halloween.  Graham & Neal stayed home to hand out candy while Cayden went with a friend around the neighborhood trick-or-treating, while I painted the bed.  Here is a pic of Cayden ready to go...

Next year we will have one more trick-or-treater.  I wonder what she will choose to dress up as?......

We received another update from the orphanage today!  Below are the pictures.  The brown shirt with butterflies is one that we sent and the blue ball she has is from Cayden.  We finally got a big smile out of her!!  We also received two videos.  In one she is laughing.  Too cute!  We are so ready to go get her.  In her update they describe her as active and clever and excellent development when compared with her peers.  Smart girl!

Her hair is growing out too!  It's going to look so cute with a big bow in it!

We received an email from our agency today that our DS-230 and LSC are on the way to China today. We should know in the next month when we go get her.  We can't wait to get our Chelsea home.

Friday we received our email from the NVC with the letter that we need to get our paperwork to the Embassy in China!  I sent all the documents to the agency Friday and they will arrive Monday.  Everything should be on its way to China tomorrow!  Yay!  I also received these pics from the orphanage.