One Last Acronym

“T. A.”

If you pray anything on behalf of us this week or next, please pray these letters.  God will know what you mean. 

T.A. stands for “Travel Approval” and it is the very last thing we are waiting for in order to schedule our trip to China!  Hopefully we will leave about 1-2 weeks after our TA arrives.  

We have been through a long list of acronyms: LOI, PA,  i800a, DTC, OOT, LOA, i800… all of this was gibberish to me when we started the process a year ago.  Now I know just how much emotion can be wrapped up into just a few little letters! 

As of today, every paper has been signed, sealed, and delivered to where it needs to be and the only thing left for us to do is wait. One more time. 

We may hear as early as one week from now or it may take 2 or 3 weeks.  All along, we have never had one of our adoptions steps happen quickly so I have literally told God, "Can't you let us have just one fast step? Just one, please!"  

"Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us."

If you have ever run a race, you may remember what it feels like to be standing at the starting line, ready to go, and waiting for the signal to go off.  You've prepared and trained for that one moment and you know that as soon as you hear the sound, you will take off as fast as you can and not look back.  That is pretty much how things are at our house right now.  We are about 90% packed and ready to go. Seriously, there are suitcases packed and ready.

We decided early on that we wanted to make this trip with Camdyn and Charlie.  We want them to be there from the very first moments that Carter joins our family.  We think it will be good for him to have them there, too.  Maybe Justin and I will be a little less scary and seem more like a legitimate Mama and Baba if we have other children there who also belong to us.  We also want them to experience the places where Carter spent the first part of his life.  We want them to see his orphanage.  We want them to experience China and love it, too.  

Since we didn't want to be in a foreign country and be outnumbered by children, we somehow convinced these awesome grandparents to come along.  (Truthfully, I couldn't imagine becoming a mom for the third time without my mom and dad there for support.  After Justin and myself, they were the first to welcome Camdyn and Charlie into this world and it just seems right that they would be there when Carter officially becomes our son.)

One last thing but one very important thing!  We are planning to take baby items to donate to Carter's orphanage while we are there.  Carter spent the first year of his life in a Lily Orphan Care Center which is a special room at his orphanage that is sponsored by our adoption agency, CCAI. You can read more about them here.  Infants in these rooms have the benefit of lower baby to nanny ratios and are cared for by nannies who have received special training.  They have more one on one attention, more formula, more clothes, and more access to medical care. This is only possible through generous donations from people like you and me.  One thing that led us to choosing CCAI was their commitment to care for orphans in China that extends far beyond the adoptions they help facilitate.  Lily Centers are just one example of the many amazing things they are doing throughout China.  

The Lily Centers in Carter's provence are in need of some supplies and we would love to carry over a suitcase or two of whatever we can gather.  

They have asked specifically for new or gently used:

   winter clothing for children up to 18 months (onesies, sweaters, hats, socks, warms pj's, etc)

   small hand towels

   bibs

   small toys that make sounds

   "nursing pillows" like Bobby's  

If you would like to send items you can send them directly to us, or via my mom and dad. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.  Also, if you would rather send gift cards or money, we will be making a Target run for items to fill a suitcase before we leave.