Update!

It has been a while since we've updated the blog, so here goes...

...Our t-shirt fundraiser was a success! Thank you to ALL who purchased tees or made a donation. Gracie and Gemma will be traveling with us to meet Gia in the very near future, thanks in part to YOU! We've received some pictures of some of you wearing your t-shirts. We are humbled and overjoyed to receive these pictures. We'd love to get more!!

Organizing the t-shirts into mailers

...Our paperwork has gone through some crucial stages in the last month. We received LOA (letter of acceptance) from China on March 17. This came as a surprise to us. We had only been waiting for 56 days,and honestly, we expected to wait longer for this approval. Thank you, Lord, for the pleasant, exciting surprise! The LOA means that China has found our dossier to be in order, and that we have been approved to adopt Shi Chun Yu!

...On April 1st, we found out the the US government has approved our adoption of Shi Chun Yu. This is called the I-800, and I will not attempt to explain it. It's confusing. But, the chart below might help a little. We are on step #10 currently.

...Perhaps best of all, we received some updated photos and a video of our dear Gia. We have been told that she knows about her new family and that she is "very happy" about us. We also learned that her favorite foods are chocolate, chicken, ice cream, and cookies, and that she likes to draw. There is no doubt in my mind that God hand-picked her for our family! ;) Go here to see the video.

(As always, we ask that you continue to pray for us and Gia. There will be difficulties ahead as we merge into a family of 5. We know that God has called us to this path, and we are confident that He will see us through, as He has twice before. We are privileged to walk this path of adoption and see God's redemption played out in practical ways within our very own family.)

...Gracie was in her school's production of Lewis and Clark, the musical.

...Both girls graduated from the Lookout Pass Free Ski School.

...And Gracie and 2 friends qualified to participate in Idaho's National History Day competition. We will be traveling to Boise on April 12 for the event.

...We visited family and the ocean in Western Washington during spring break. Great weather and great fun!

It's a busy time of year. Especially so, since we might be traveling to China as early as late May. Thank you for your prayers, support, and for following along on our journey through life!