Moving Forward

I think that only people adopting understand the stalking of the mailbox for any little bit of mail that shows you are moving forward.  And today we got a little closer with a letter from The Department of Homeland Security.  It is only a receipt letter, but it lets you know that your application got there and that it is moving forward to the next department.  The next piece we will be waiting for from them is an appointment letter to get our fingerprints done.  It seems so odd to get your fingerprints done so often, after all they don't change do they?  But, I guess they are checking to make sure that we have not committed a crime since the last fingerprinting a year ago.  The fingerprinting adds its own stress.  You hear about people that fail and have to retake and retake making them wait longer to get to their child.  You start obsessing about making sure that you put cream on your fingertips every night.  You start to use gloves when using bleach.  It is something that usually does not occupy my mind, but before fingerprinting my fingertips get a lot more thought and attention.  I remember getting super glue on one of my fingers a week before a printing and I freaked out.  

So the other day I told Mike that it fingerprinting will be coming up and to take extra care.  Well we were taking the beds apart to move to different rooms and Mike put the drill through his finger.  I don't mean all the way through, but he made a big hole and there was a lot of blood!!  Of course I was worried about him, but guess what I was more worried about.  You got it!  Messing up the fingerprints and putting us behind.  So I am expecting that letter for fingerprints soon but hoping his finger will have time to heal.  

Ok!  This one is a biggie!  This is part of my dossier being sent to Washington State.  If eveything works out perfect, the other half should arrive there tomorrow morning and then if it is done correctly my dossier will be making its way to China!!!  That is DTC (Dossier to China), Which is one of the big ones and then not long after should be an even bigger one LID (Log in Date).  What this means is that we will be in line then to get reviewed and approved to be Jillianan's parents.

I was really excited to get this little charm bracelet with all of my daughters names on it from Little Luv Letters.  I don't know how to put links but if you google it I am sure you would find it.  I know you cannot see it, but Kami's has a little crown, Meghan's a little cross, Lily's a little flower, Meilynn's a little heart, Emma's a little star, and Jillianan's a little ladybug.

The backpack we will give to Jilliana when we first meet her.

Jilliana's chair cover

The other night at the Back to School night I won this basket full of girls hair bows in a silent auction.  I just opened it an I was so happy to find so much more than it looked like.  there is a beautiful bow hanger, little hat with interchangeable bows, head band with interchangeable bows, three hairbands with flowers, and many, many bows.  With four little girls this was the perfect basket for us.

And finally another picture of our Jilliana

One of the ones where she is not smiling.  I am going to love putting bows in that hair.