LOA is Here!!!!!!!

I have been negligent in posting and my only excuse is that I have been staring at these charts. 

 Someone on the rumor queen site actually tracks all of the important steps along the way in our wait to make it through the system.  Each year something new is added.  This is the way the chart looked just before we found out we got our LOA (Letter of Acceptance.) 

Yes, you read correctly!  We got our LOA today!!!!!

 Basically it says that China has matched a child with us and we are "kindly requested to make your decision, sign in the proper place below, and deliver this letter as soon as possible to the adoption organization which submitted your application file."  Today we signed the copy that goes to our immigration department that goes with our I800 application.  Our I800 application is to specifically bring Jilliana into the United States.  This is a part we used to do in China.  Tomorrow we will get our original copy of the I800 by Fed Ex overnight.  We will sign it and then send it back the same day to our agency, who will then send it off to China.

We still have a few more steps to take that we will expect to take 3 months from this point.  

The happy Daddy signing the LOA.  I had been waiting for the call and expecting it anytime. I had just dropped the girls off at school and was getting ready to go into Toys R Us  when I saw on rumor queen the first person announce their LOA.  I e-mailed my agency and asked if ours had came.  She was e-mailing me at the same time to tell me that it had come!!!!  So I ran home and luckily Mike was there to sign the form and help me scan it right back.  Needless to say it was an exciting day!  We went out to Chinese food to celebrate.  Kami our oldest daughter dropped by and went with us.  It was fun to talk about and remember the other trips we had taken to China.  I don't know what was going on, but Emma spilled her water, then Lily spilled hers, and then Emma spilled a bowl of egg flower soup!  I think they were glad to see us leave!  Just wait until we show up with four little girls!!!  The funny thing was that when we passed out the fortune cookies, which we always make a big production of) there was one extra :)    We saved Jilliana's fortune cookie to put in a box of special things for her.  We will tell her some day of our little celebration and how even in the little things we felt her presence before she was even with us.

Just a couple of days ago I got these quilt squares in the mail from Penny.  She is the Mom to Tamara who was in one of my Yahoo groups while I was waiting for Emma.  How sweet it was for her to take the time to send these to someone she has never met.  Tamara has virtual twins too!  The squares are just beautiful and are so appreciated!  Thank you!

And this is a picture of a paper chain that signifies how many days until Lyla comes to visit!!!!!!  We told Lily on Sunday our surprise.  Lyla and her Mom are coming to visit in December!!!  We could not be more thrilled and are looking forward to the girls getting together again!!!  We are so lucky that we can get these two together!

I will leave you tonight with just a few random pictures that were taken over the last few weeks that I found on my phone and camera.

 Lily learning silly things at Panera

 Meilynn in front of her favorite Donut shop

 In San Francisco

 The photographer trying to get the class together on picture day at school

 Emma with her friend Elizabeth who has played soccer with her now two years.

 Buying a new snowman and reindeer at Lowes.

 This is what happens when Kami takes Lily for the day!

 And this!!

 And giving her, her first smoothie!  Thanks Kami!

Lunch in the back yard