The Lord is so good~ Today brings yet another answer to prayer

Today we received word from our agency that our Consulate Appointment was scheduled and confirmed for November 30th. What does that mean? It's HUGE; it means we were able to book our flights today!!!!!! We are China bound. Our dates of travel are 11/18 to 12/3. We leave in exactly 12 days, 6 hours, and 40 mins. Oh my goodness!!! We have so much to do and I can't seem to concentrate on anything. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to embark on the journey of our lifetime.

Sending much love and kisses to our Lainee bug
XOXOXOXOXOXO

It was a very good week :)

Just when we thought Monday's news was good; Tuesday got even better. Another surprise email~ WE GOT OUR TA!!!! (travel approval) This is one of the final pieces of the puzzle before we can travel. According to our agency if we can get a quick CA (Consulate appointment) we could still travel before the end of November, just when we were beginning to think it may not happen till December. Our little girl is within our reach.

Who says all email is junk mail?

Much to our surprise, when we opened our email Monday

we saw the cutest little face staring back at us.

You guessed it, we received updated information on Lainee.

"Hey mom, dad, are you coming to get me or what?!!!

She is now 11 months old, weights 16.5 lbs,

is 27.38"long , and still has no teeth. She is getting so big.

Hang on Baby Girl, we're coming soon!!

Baby Shower

Tower of diapers, I think we should be set for awhile, right? I hope!!


All the clothes Lainee received at the shower.
She will be the best dressed little girl in town.

Mommy and Daddy to be

Look at all the people that can't wait to meet you Lainee!!!

It was such a special day-

everything was so beautiful and we got to share it with

all our friends and family.

Thank you everyone for helping to make it so meaningful.

I Am So Overwhelmed- Baby Shower Part I

I can not even begin to put into words what I am feeling right now. Today we were given a baby shower, for our daughter Lainee, by my wonderful mother and beautiful niece. The outpouring of love and support we received, as over 60 of our family members and friends gathered together to share in this joyous occasion, was just overwhelming. I am so moved that the Lord has placed these dear people in our lives, and even more so that these same people will be in Lainee's life.

I will post more on this subject tomorrow with lots of pictures, after I gather my thought and get my emotions under control. I just wanted to write a little something about it tonight while it was fresh in my mind. Thank you will not even do it justice, but it is all I can come up with right now; so Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

Love,

Danielle

We're Getting Closer!!!!

YAY!!!! We have been informed by our Adoption Coordinator that we have officially been moved to the Travel Team. What does that mean?!!! Simply put, we are closer than we have ever been to going to our precious baby girl. We have been given an estimated travel timeframe of mid-November. Of course this is all dependent on the turnaround timing on our last two steps needed for travel. Presently we are waiting on our Article 5, which takes about 2 weeks, then we move to Travel Approval (TA), which takes about another 2 weeks. After TA we would board our plane to China about 2 weeks later.

A little tentative information about our trip- We will most likely depart from Tampa or Orlando with a layover in Chicago or Seattle, then on to Beijing. Our stay in Beijing will be short but incredible. While there we will tour The Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. From Beijing we will travel to Lainee's province of Jiangxi and stay in the capital city of Nanchang. This is where we will meet our daughter for the very first time, prayerfully the very day we arrive. We will spend approximately one week there attending necessary appointments and completing paperwork. We will then fly to Guangzhou located in the Guangdong province. This is where the American Consulate is located in China. We will spend about a week there finalizing everything. Then from there we're really not sure; we have heard we then take a train ride to Hong Kong to spend an evening and a day there before our departure home. Of course until we have final itinerary in hand this is all speculative and subject to change.

Last week while going through some files, I came across a copy of our original application for adoption, dated October 7, 2005. Yes that is correct 2005. This has been a very long and sometimes trying process for us, but please know this, we would not trade one moment of this amazing journey for anything. The Lord has worked a magnificent work, but it was to be according to His timing not ours.

We are forever grateful for the loving and supportive group of family and friends that surround us. Please continue to follow our story as it unfolds as we draw closer.

Love,

Ryan & Danielle

We received an email from Ann at Red Thread that Lainee's care package was sent out and she should receive it in a few days. Here is a picture of everything included in the package. We were also able to write a letter to the orphanage director and nannies, that Ann translated into Chinese for us, expressing our thanks for their loving care of our daughter. And the best part we enclosed a letter to our sweet Lainee.

We love you baby girl and we can't wait to hold you.