"Is It Time?"

A child sat on Jesus' lap in the the splendor of heaven. The child asked, "Is it time?" Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said, "No, not yet child." The child asked, "When will it be time?" Jesus replied, "When lessons are learned, hardships endured, and loneliness lived, then it will be time." Time passed. The child asked, "Is it time?" Jesus parted the clouds and looked and said, "No, not yet child" The child asked, "When will it be time?" Jesus replied, "When maturity is reached, self-worth affirmed and spirits strengthened, then it will be time." Time passed. The child asked, "Is it time?" Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said, "Their love is strong and their hearts are open. Yes, now it is time -"Your family is ready." ~Author Unknown

busy bees!

Kurt and Jadon worked hard today to put together Jackson's closet. It is now fully installed and my sweet husband even hung some of the jungle animals on the wall!

Tomorrow will be day 11 in our wait for TA. We are expecting to receive it in the next couple of weeks. Once we have TA we should be traveling approximately 2 weeks after that.

We had a wonderful Christmas. The kids enjoyed opening a few Christmas packages for Jackson. We're looking forward to all that God has planned for our family in 2010!

Unless we receive our TA, I probably will not post until after the new year. We pray that God will bless your family abundantly in 2010! We pray that God will show you where you fit into His plan for the orphan!

Stacy

Updates on our little Kuan Kuan

We also received an update on Jackson. With all of his L-A-Y-E-R-S of clothing he now weighs approximately 24 lbs and is 32 inches tall. Tomorrow he will be 28 months old.

Article 5

And so you ask "what does that mean?" Well...we are in the final stage of waiting! Our Article 5 was issued and picked up on 12/17 to be delivered to the CCAA. Once the CCAA receives our Article 5 they will issue our Travel Approval. This can take anywhere from 3-4 weeks, according to our agency. We will probably travel 2 weeks after we receive TA!

One Step Closer

Today I called USCIS to check on the status of our I800 application. The I800 is the approval to classify Jackson as an immediate relative. We received our I800 approval on Friday, 12/4. It was then sent on 12/5 to NVC, National Visa Center. From here it is cabled to the US Consulate in Guanzhou, China. This meets up with our LOA, and some other papers, gets stapled together and signed and becomes our Article 5. A worker from WACAP then picks up our Article 5 and delivers it to the CCAA. From here we wait approximately 4 weeks to receive our TA (Travel Approval).

Kurt and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on 12/4!! What a wonderful anniversary gift for us both!

Care Package and more.....

Today we mailed Jackson's care package. We included 2 sign language board books, Good Night Gorilla board book (the kids' favorite), Crayola triangular crayons and a drawing pad, a Fisher Price camera that works much like a view master, although you don't put in any discs. We also included a little notebook for the foster family to write down special memories or events in Jackson's life since he has been living with them, a wooden Thomas the Train, a chunky Tonka truck, Werther's Original candies for his foster family, a disposable camera, a letter translated into Chinese, his very own "Night, Night" blanket and a Sassy photo album with our pictures in it. The pictures are also labeled in Chinese so that his foster family can try to communicate to him, using the sign language books, who we are. I did not include anything that could not be replaced, just in case he never gets the gifts. Often times, you will send a package and they only come back with the photo album and maybe a toy that you sent.

We also received our notice from USCIS that they have received our I800 application. We are hoping to have that approval in a week or so.

We purchased the Baby Signing Time DVDs to begin working on our sign language more. We will put these on our laptop to have for Jackson when we travel.

If you have been following the "Weather In Datong" widget that is off to the right of my blog, then you have noticed that it is already very cold in Datong. This morning I awoke with a heavy heart and felt God's Holy Spirit nudge me to pray for Jackson. Specifically to pray that he would be kept warm. I have enjoyed our little 2 day cold front that we had for Thanksgiving, but so often I take for granted how cold it gets in other places. Being a Florida girl, I have only experienced "cold" in Wyoming and Colorado in December, but not for an extended amount of time. Please pray for all of the orphans who are already in the beginning of their winter right now! I do not know what Jackson's living conditions are. But what I do know is that the temperatures in Datong (January/February) can get to 25 below zero. Please pray that when Jackson goes to bed tonight, that he has a full belly and warm blanket! Please pray for God to prepare his heart. Please pray that God will fill his mind with memories of his foster family and that one day he will be able to recall those memories of his life in China. Please pray for his foster mom, the only "Mama" that he has known. Pray that God prepares her heart for Jackson to leave.

It's Gonna Be A JUNGLE In Here!

Have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is??? I need to find a before picture, meaning BEFORE there were walls and doors to close off this bedroom. Kurt added walls, extended tile, added french doors, installed a new ceiling fan, texturized new walls, painted, pulled up old, NASTY carpet, installed the flooring, painted baseboards and put back in (which all has been a work in progress for quite a few months) and at the end of the day when I asked him at 11:00pm if he felt up to hanging the curtains, he said "Yes" with a smile on his face and a sweetness in his voice! And never showed that he was annoyed as I followed behind him and swept up the white drywall on my new floor! He is more than I deserve!!!!

Jackson's bedding is the Baby Cocoa by Lambs and Ivy. I can't wait to start hanging the wooden animals on the walls and putting the stuffed jungle animals we have purchased into his room. We are going to buy a toddler bed and then a dresser that matches Jadon's furniture. We hope he will just love it!