I800 approval!!

Go Zach!!! First day of School
Go Jacob!!!

Izzie and Jacob haircuts!!

Izzie & Isaac

Yard Sale Friends

Well - there is so much to write today. The yard sale fundraiser was amazing!! God was definitely present as so many people shared their belongings and time and love! We raised about $550 dollars to help bring Zadie home. We were able to donate the remaining items to the clothing bank and to the American Relief in Wellsboro, PA.

Zach had his first JV Soccer game on Saturday. He and his team played well, and it ended in a 0-0 draw. Jacob had his first TAYS soccer game on Sunday and his team also played well but lost 6-4. I love to watch the boys and their friends play and use the gifts God has given them to enjoy soccer.

On Friday Izzie had her first big girl haircut at Mary Kendall's Beauty Salon. She was such a big girl! She loved it!! She lloks so big to me now! She is now ready to go to her first day at Sprire Nursery School in September!! She is so excited! I will miss her - but I am excited to see how much she has grown in one year. She loves people!

This morning the big yellow bus picked up my boys and took tem to public school. Jacob has been schooling at home since 2nd grade (5 years) and Zach went to public school in 6th grade but decided to stay home for the past 3 years. I miss them a lot today. I cannot believe that Zach is a sophomore in High School and Jacob is in 7th grade. They are growing up so fast. I love to see them becoming the men God wants them to be. I pray that they will make good choices and be a positive influence on others. I am so proud of them and I love being their mom. It is an honor and a priviledge.

Izzie and I had a good morning. We had pancake breakfast with Grammy and MomMom. Then we played some games at home and painted with watercolors. Then Amber and Calvin brought Isaac and Karis over to play. Amber had a doctor appointment for the new baby. I pray that they are both ok. I love them. So Izzie has had fun playing with her buddy Isaac and I have had fun cuddling Karis.

Now the BIG news. Tad talked to Officer Harrison today at USCIS! She said that our I800 was approved on Friday, August 27 and was sent to the NVC today, Monday, August 30!! We are getting closer!! Our Visas should be getting back to us this Friday, too! Things are falling into place! I am so hopeful that we can travel in October. Now we wait for the NVC to say that they will approve Zadie's Visa when the time comes. This can take 2-4 weeks. When we get this approval we send a copy to our agency who sends it on to the US Consulate in China. The Consulate then issues and Article 5 which will be delivered to the CCAA. Then we wait for the CCAA to issue the Travel Approval (TA) at which time our agency can schedule the Consulate Appointment (CA)! The CA is the last stop in China before we leave to bring Zadie home forever!!! The estimate from LOA to travel is about 70 days. We are at day 19 since LOA. There is hope for October!!!

Mike and Lisa Shanks are coming to visit us tonight. They brought their little girl, Lydia Hope, home from China this summer and we are so excited to get to meet her! They also have a little boy that was born about 3 months before they travelled to China to get Lydia! His name is Lincoln. They went to Nanning just like we did with Izabelle! I cannot wait to see their pictures and hear their story!! It is amazing that our daughter has helped us meet so many amazing friends!!! She had to come all the way from China to bind us all together! God is so good!!

Bye for now!!!