Bringing Libby Home: We got our TA!!!!

Home Sweet Home

After a total of 18 hours on 3 different planes, we are home. Libby did well on the 2 shorter flights and just ok on the long flight. It is hard to get comfy and sleep on plane seats and she fell off once which made her very leary of falling asleep again. We spent some time in the bathroom while she screamed herself to sleep, so we didn't bother other passengers. We also took turns sleeping on the floor so we would be more aware when she was rolling around during her sleep. We made it and I am happy to say when we got home, she also slept for 6 hours!! We are hoping the transition to the time change is a smooth one for all of us. We are so blessed and grateful to be home. Libby LOVES her brothers. She is doing better about not needing me to hold her as much, but only if she is on the floor playing. She is not ready to let me leave the room or let anyone else hold her. It will take some time, and I am amazed at how well she is doing overall. We welcome visitors, but you may want to call first as naps could be happening at any moment for any of us!!! Thank you again for your prayers. We serve an amazing God.

Ready to come home

We have had an amazing stay in China and have loved every minute of it, but we are very ready to come home. After a gliche in the system at the American Consulate yesterday, we have been cleared to leave and we have Libby's Visa. It is 7:00pm US EST time. The trip home involves 3 plane rides and a total of 24 hours so we need your prayers. We board a plane in Guangzhou at 11:55pm your time and take a 3 hour flight to Beijing. We have a 3 hour lay over in Beijing and get on a flight at 6:30am your time for a 13 1/2 hour flight to Washington DC. We then have a 2 hour lay over and board a plane at 9:30pm for our final 2 hour flight. Please pray for smooth plane rides, our health and safety and for Libby as it will be a long day and will be the start of adjusting to the time change for all of us. Thank you for your prayers and we thank God for His hand upon everything.

Monday, March 12, 2007

We got our TA!!!!

After several LONG weeks of waiting, our Travel Approval (TA) arrived today at our agency. They immediately sent a fax to the American Consulate in China requesting our appointment to finalize the adoption. The date of this appointment will determine the exact dates of travel. The tentative plan is for us to leave the US on Thursday, March 29 - get Libby on Monday, April 2 - and return home on Friday, April 13. We will keep you posted. Please pray for the appointment scheduling to go smoothly and quickly, for our family while we are away, for our health and safe travel, and for Libby and her biological family. Of course, we need prayers and protection for the million things we don't even know to pray for, that our Amazing Heavenly Father has already and will continue to take care of. Thanks to everyone for their incredible love and support. We love you.