TA today!!!

Our travel approval came today. We are tentatively leaving on the 12th! Looks like we will be spending Christmas in China this year! We should return with Grace on the 29th.
Tomorrow has a huge list attached to it... Chris and I are going to try and see if the Texas school system will allow Tori and Turner to travel with us. The school system is very strict about absences. The kid will have 7 days of unexcused absence if they go.
Once we get our final itenary we can book flights and get Pappap's flight to TX to take care of Bryce and Ben. We are so thankful that he can come stay with the kids.
Grace's birthday was Saturday! She is one year old! We sent her orphanage a cherry chinese birthday cake through "Blessed Kids" to celebrate. I just wish we could see her eat the cake!
Lots to do!!! and Christmas shopping!!! We'll try to keep the site updated.

New pictures of Grace

Today we received new photos of Grace from "Blessed Kids". She will be 1 year old on this Saturday.

Baby Shower

Yesterday, my "Bunko Babes" gave a baby shower for Grace. It had been sooo long since I had ever been to a baby shower. The last one I had was over 16 years ago for Tori. It was such a blast! Grace got a car seat, a diaper genie, and the cutest clothes that you have ever seen! Grace is gonna be a Diva!

Chris and I are headed to Babies R Us tomorrow. We should be set and ready to finish packing by this Monday!! Hurry up TA! (travel approval) We are ready to bring Grace home!!!

Birthdays, Gifts for China, and Musical

Tori's "Sweet Sixteen" birthday party was celebrated on November 3rd with a Masquerade Ball. She had about 70 of her closest friends attend. They all looked so handsome dressed up! I know they were all tired the next morning...They never sat down! I don't remember having such energy. She and all her friends danced nonstop from 7:30-11:00PM.
Turner's 14th birthday was on the 8th. We went to his favorite restaurant "America's". His favorite present was "Guitar Hero III". He's very good at the game and enjoys humiliating his Mother.
Tori performed in her high school musical this weekend. The kids did such a wonderful job that it was hard to believe that these performers were high school age! We are very proud of her.
Chris and I have gotten a lot done so far for our China trip. Last week we applied and received our Visa. I visited our family physician for our medical travel kit. (I felt like a walking pharmacy when I left with 10 prescriptions!) Hopefully we now have every illness covered while in China! Saturday we shopped for gifts to take for the care givers and others that will help us while in China. It is important to buy gifts to take that are NOT made in China. I didn't realize how hard that would be. We found some lotions from the Bath and Body Shop. We plan to get some Texas pecan chews to take for the gentlemen.
We are now working on our Packing list...Two pages of stuff to fit into 1-44lb bag and 1 carry-on each!
I feel like a Mom who tried and tried for two years to get pregnant. Then all of a sudden I'm pregnant and have two weeks before delivery! It's exciting and stressful at the same time!

LOA today!!!

We received a call from AWAA today. It's now official. China has approved us to adopt Lian Cai Jie in the LOA (letter of approval)!!!
Now we just wait for our TA! (travel approval)
We expect to travel the end of November or the beginning of December. I better start packing!!!