More Progress!

After a long summer of waiting and not much adoption news, things have started happening!  We found out on Friday afternoon that our I-800 applications to adopt both our boys were approved.  This means that U.S. Immigration has given their okay for us to proceed with our adoption (half of Step 10 on the crazy chart below).  This approval and our file still need to be cabled to the U.S. Consulate in Ch*na.  (Then we'll be on to Step 11.)

It's so exciting to cross one more thing off the list!  Hopefully, we will be finished with Steps 10-14 by the second half of September.  At that point, we'll have TA (Travel Approval) from Ch*na, which basically means we're invited to come get our boys anytime within 90 days.  (It makes me smile just typing that last sentence. :)

On that note, I have a little travel update.  We are considering two possible travel dates: October 11-30 or November 8 - 27.  If our Travel Approval arrives by the week of September 25, either of these should be viable options.  However, as I mentioned last week, travel in October can be tricky because of the Trade Fair (and resulting price increase in hotels, guides, etc.).  My baby brother's wedding is right in between these dates (on November 3), so we can't split the difference and go in the middle.

I have to confess that this part of the process is making me seriously anxious.  I am a freakishly obsessive bit of a planner, and it is so hard not to have dates on the calendar so I can make plans for while we're gone and start looking at flights and hotels.  (Not that I'm not already looking at flights and hotels...)  I know that most adoptive families face this kind of uncertainty, but I'm having a tough time going with the flow right now.

If you feel led to, please pray for peace as we wait on the next few steps to come together.  Also pray for wisdom and provision as we make decisions about travel.  

Thank you, my rockin' bloggy friends.