#Miller6Pack

I still can't believe it, even after several hours...even as I type this...WE RECEIVED OUR TA TODAY. It's certainly a miracle!! I've been praying since LOA (July 11), and even before that, that somehow we'd receive our TA prior to August 1st in order to avoid some lengthy (and costly) new post-placement regulations. I seriously did not expect TA today. Only 18 DAYS AFTER LOA????? UNHEARD OF!!! And BEFORE THE AUGUST 1st CUTOFF???ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!? God, YOU are amazing!! Hang on, Gemma Lu!!! Mama, Baba, and Jie Jie Gracie are coming sooner than ANY OF US thought!!!

This is why we adopt, why we parent, why we love. We chose the spot, we dug the hole We laid the maples in the ground to have and hold As Autumn falls to Winters sleep We pray that somehow in the Spring The roots grow deep And many years from now Long after we are gone These trees will spread their branches out And bless the dawn He took a plane to Africa He gathered up into his arms An orphan son So many years from now Long after we are gone This tree will spread its branches out And bless the dawn So sit down and write that letter Sign up and join the fight Sink in to all that matters Step out into the light Let go of all that's passing Lift up the least of these Lean into something lasting Planting trees She rises up as morning breaks She moves among these rooms alone Before we wake And her heart is so full; it overflows She waters us with love and the children grow So many years from now Long after we are gone These trees will spread their branches out And bless the dawn These

After we received our LOA last week, I ordered a care package from Ladybugs n Love. We just today received these updated photos of Sanhui as well as some information about her. What a blessing!! We learned that she is very scared of strangers, so we will have to be extremely patient with her and just love, love, love her until she trusts us! We've also decided to share what her English name is. This adoption has been quite a bit different than Gracie's, so we're going to do things a bit differently than we did with Gracie. Sanhui's full English name will be: GEMMA LUCILLE SANHUI MILLER ! "GEMMA" means "gem, jewel, or precious stone," and she is VERY precious to us! "LUCILLE" is Simon's grandma's middle name (Gracie also has a family middle name).

At about 45 days into our LOA wait, I made a pact with Gracie that we wouldn't get Mei Mei's (little sister's) room ready until we received our LOA. I just couldn't BEAR to have a finished room sitting there empty for who knows how long. Well, yesterday we received our LOA, so I guess it's time to get to work on this room. I call it "joyful work." :o)

Our agency received our LOA (letter of acceptance) today...after waiting 94 days for it. That means we have 1 more step--Travel Approval--to obtain before we can leave. We're coming soon, Sanhui!!!!