One Year...

On June 20, 2005, our dossier was sent to China to be translated then logged in with CCAA. Eight days later, our dossier was logged in. Once logged-in, the only thing left to do was wait. Now, one year later, we continue to wait. I would like to say we have gotten to be good at waiting patiently, but we really haven't. Everyday, we spend time checking the latest rumors and speculation. We have recently started gathering items and packing Piper's suitcase. This along with finishing our educational requirements has helped to pass the time.

All indications are that our wait is getting close to an end. We hope to soon be matched with Piper, and anticipate this happening by the end of July. (WARNING: International Adoption is not an exact science, and all predictions are subject to change without warning.) Once this happens, we will have a picture and more information about Piper such as where she is at and what her birthday is.

Since we are getting closer to a referral, and since I don't update this as often as I should, I would like to spend some time talking about what happens after the referral is received so everyone knows what to expect. We will first formally accept the referral. Once everyone in our DTC group (us and 7 other families) formally accepts each referral, we will wait once again, this time for Travel Assignment (TA). Average time for
TA is about 4 weeks. This is approval from China to travel and be united Piper. Once TAs are received, our agency will set an appointment with the US consulate in Guangzhou, China. When the consulate appointment is set, we will be able to set our travel dates to correspond to this schedule. Total time from referral to travel varies from six to eleven weeks. As information on any of these items become
available, we will post it here.

Thanks for all of those who have been praying for us and providing support during this past year. I can't imagine how difficult this year would have been without you.