Musings of a Whimsical Realist

Our China Itinerary [Note: Other than departure/arrive home days, this is in China time, 16 hours in the "future."] October 30 : Hubby and I fly out in the morning.  We fly into the future!  October 31 : We arrive in Nanchang in the evening.  A guide will meet us at the airport and help us check into our hotel. November 1 : Gotcha Day!!!  We will meet Baby for the first time at our hotel at 4:30; if we understand correctly, they will be bringing her directly to our room.  We do not know if we will get to meet her foster mom.  We will have a short time with whoever brings her to us, and then they leave her with us.  Yes, just like that!  We will spend the rest of the day getting to know her and calming her and hoping that we all get some sleep that night. November 2 : The next morning, we will fill out the paperwork at the local civil office.  We will be getting our Adoption Certificate. November 3-5 : Free Time (waiting for Baby...

So we’ve had 5 weeks of fantastic things! September 11 : I woke up to a WONDERFUL email . . . our NVC (National Visa Center) letter had arrived.  That was the last piece of the puzzle for our Article 5 paperwork.  From that point, it was an estimated 4 weeks to TA (Travel Approval) and then ~2 weeks until we fly. September 16 : We were told that Article 5 pick-up would be on Monday the 21st.  It would go from the consulate to the CCCWA.  We were looking to be a little ahead of schedule! September 22 : We received our second grant award letter from Gift of Adoption !  [Our first grant was from Show Hope .] September 23 : We found out that our Article 5 pick-up had been delayed by a week.  It was a little ahead of schedule, and then it was a little behind.  Thus is the adoption process!  That put our estimated departure back to the last week of October. September 25 : WE’RE FULLY FUNDED!!!  We received a confirmation email that mornin...

Dear Family and Friends:                                                                            After so much preparing, hoping and waiting – our precious little one is almost home!  Because we know you care for our child and our family, we want to share with you some information that we hope will best equip everyone around her to assist us in laying the strongest and healthiest foundation – emotionally, physically and spiritually. As we have been preparing to bring Baby home, we have researched bonding and attachment in children, especially those coming home through adoption.  For many children raised thus far in institutions, a natural trust of their parents has never been established and wi...

We are on the edge of a series of adventures.   Our first international flight. Our first time off this continent. Our first adoption. Our first time flying (12 hours!) with a toddler. Our first time as a family of 6. Are we ever excited!  I mean, I have dreamed of this since I was 17 years old!  My first adoption blog talked about my dream in glowing color (purple, to be exact).  The wonder, the excitement, the joy of bringing home a little girl from China!  Those feelings are even more true today. And yet, a piece of my heart is absolutely, unequivocally terrified!  Deep-down, shaking-at-the-roots, want-to-sob terror.  Because in the last 17 months of research, planning, working, training, fundraising, dialoguing, networking, watching, learning, and waiting, I have been inundated with some harsh truths about adoption.  They all boil down to this simple formula: One of the best days of our life is going to be one of the worst of...

If all goes according to the usual time lines, we will be heading to China in ~6 weeks!  I awoke this morning to a fantastic surprise in my email box . . . our NVC (National Visa Center) letter!  This is the LAST piece of the puzzle stateside, and once it arrives in China, our Article 5 paperwork will be sent to the consulate there.  Once approved, it will be forwarded to the CCCWA (China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption).  They will issue our TA (Travel Approval).  It takes an estimated 4 weeks from Article 5 to TA and then we fly out about 2 weeks after that! On the funding front , we are an (estimated) $6,000 to fully funded!  More good news this week is that we moved on to the next stage of consideration for one of our grant applications and should find out in a couple of weeks.  Another grant should be denied or awarded by the end of the month.  That initial amount seems so daunting at the time, but where the Lord calls, He will pro...

This is horribly, terribly overdue!  I can’t believe how long it’s been since I blogged.  Over 2 months!  But enough of the lamenting . . . on to the good (and/or crazy) stuff! Part of the reason it has taken so long to get back to blogging is that my mom decided to shake things up in early July by taking a tumble 8-feet off of a ladder onto a concrete floor.  One ambulance ride, lots of bruises, a broken wrist, and two surgeries later, she is starting physical therapy and thankful it was “only” a wrist.  So I haven’t had the quiet of Nana and Grandpa Days to allow for blogging like usual . . . and this was NOT a case of only appreciating it when it was gone, so definitely glad she is on the mend!  On July 21st, we got our first grant ACCEPTANCE letter. $5,000!  Such a wonderful blessing and example of the Lord’s provision!  We are waiting to hear back on other grant applications, but we are ~$7,000 away from fully-funded! On July 22nd, we g...

1. The “Brilliant Negotiator”         Item A, listed at $50             B.N. “What is lowest price you will take?”          Me. “Make me an offer.”         B.N. “What’s your BOTTOM LINE?”         Me. “$45"         B.N. “Will you take $40?”         [Face Palm] 2. The “Car-Less Buyer”         Item B, listed for $5         C.B. “I LOVE this item, I really want it, but I don’t have a car.  I am trying to                  find a ride.”         Me. “Okay, let me know.”         C.B. “I can meet yo...