Final update!

These were words I was not expecting to read today! Sitting in the Drs office with one child there for a check up who also happened to have strep and another who started vomiting on the way to the Drs office I was once again feeling weary.. Although thankful all the shoes were falling off at once and that we weren't in China yet I was kinda ready for things to resume to normal.. All the sudden I see an email come by and it says Final update! I could tell there were pictures and my phone couldn't load them! Ahh!!! Finally the loaded and boy did my heart smile..

 Hello sweet girl.. Boy have I missed your darling face!! Your hair is growing longer and you look so good! Sadly, I can tell your back at the orphanage now which likely means you've left your precious foster momma.. I am so sorry you have to endure yet another change before we come! I promise you we are working as fast as we can and that I along with many, many others are praying so hard for your tender heart! All these changes now and to come.. You are so, so loved my sweet girl! The God of the universe is working around the clock to fix this paperwork issue and bring you home in his perfect timing.. Our hearts and arms long so badly for you though and we are pleading with him to do all he can! I know he is love, we're coming soon, I promise.. Hold on just ta little longer. Your FAMILY is coming!
 We love you so..
 xo momma...

 Friends please pray our medical letter will work to expedite the end of her adoption.. There are no guarantees.. She's teeny tiny but oh so beautiful!
 18.7 pounds 29 "( keep in mind measurements are not always accurate)
 Also please please pray for Molly's tender heart, what a lot of changes she's had especially now leaving her foster momma:(

"God has allowed this to touch your process"

After a rough 2 weeks, especially this last one with Thomas admitted to MUSC for several nights I was feeling pretty worn down. Really worn down actually:( Tired, emotionally exhausted from some other things going on in our life and then we got the call. Our agency just doesn't call to shoot the breeze. And when I answered the phone and knew it was Karla and Emily on a conference call I knew it wasn't good news. At this stage of the game I didn't really worry about paperwork but about Molly! Although the news wasn't good, wasn't good at all, at least it wasn't about another one of my babies being sick! Turns out that our article 5 process was flagged because the names didn't quit match up I have a hyphenated name on my passport and my licence but on everything else during the normal day to day living I just sign my usual name. Somehow we didn't realize it would be a huge deal and it turned out to be:( The bottom line is this "could" add 6 weeks. Which could be more with Chinese New Year. Which would not be early Jan late Dec but mid Feb!:( The morning had been emotionally rough , then a dr's appt for Thomas wasn't ideal ( still running a fever, no swimming for the rest of Nov at least, no school Monday if not better, this will be the 3rd week out etc..) then the call. As Karla prayed for us I just cried silent tears, streaming down my face, I'm so fragile right now, so worn down, so tired. Other times in the process we've not quit stayed on track losing a week of two, looking back I know now that God knew that Thomas would be so sick and we'd need to be here for him. I'm ok with that but 6 weeks and the thought that God knows something I don't know about the next weeks when we should be traveling honestly frightens me. We've believe whats going on with Thomas to be an attack on our family. We've stepped out in faith and proclaimed God's faithfulness through this whole process. God has been so faithful to us and things were going so well. After we hung up I called my officer and explained the situation. She was so kind and said once she got our supplement 3 she would do it right away and if I sent her an over nigh ted envelope she would over night it to our agency. We'll over night the supplement 3 to the lock box and then if she'll over night the new 800 approval we'll likely only lose 3 weeks not 6.. This weekend I will also get a medical expedite letter together for Molly. We had not needed this in the past and there is no guarantee that it will make a difference but we can try. The truth is that she is un repaired and needs to come home. If she is experiencing nerve damage, which is highly likely, then nerve damage is unrepairable. I'm looking for an MD to sign the letter for me which we'll send it to China to try to expedite the article 5 process and beyond. God whiling these 2 things will catch us back up where we need to be. I'm so thankful that God loves Molly so much and wants her to come home, I'm so thankful that he's on top of this even when I feel so weak. Thomas looks pretty good although he's pale and run a fever often right now. Stomach pain is minimal since we came home which is great. We're awaiting the 12  biopsies and other test results that will hopefully explain a little more. If it is HSP it can takes weeks to recover. Our Dr says it's a significant systemic illness and we just have to watch him, HSP or whatever it is. Please pray for us, pray for healing for Thomas, protection of the others and Tommy and I. And for the remainder of the process- that we could catch back up quickly and at this point have her home BEFORE Chinese New Year if not sooner. Throughout this whole process We have proclaimed God is able, I know he is..

Article 5 process

Big milestone completed last night as we recieved our GUZ # and our PDF from the NVC. Now all of our paper work goesto Guanzhou to begin the article 5 process. Everything should be dropped off on Monday 11/18/13 and picked up on 12/2/13. Once that happens we start our wait for TRAVEL APPROVAL! These are coming between 1 1/2 - 3 weeks right now on average. A three week TA wait would put us recieving it Christmas week. We then get in line for CA, consulate appointmnet and once we have that we book our flights and GO!
 We're trying to pack as much as we can,  and go ahead and buy Christmas presents so that the month of December can be spent focusing on the children and not stressing about all the last minute things we need to do to leave:) With West's birthday today, then my sister's wedding, Thanksgiving, and the celebration of our Lord all month in December things can and will go fast! We haven't seen Molly's sweet face since late July nor any new videos.. So so ready to have her home! We're coming sweet girl!!

Nearing the END!

It's hard to believe that we're nearing the end of our journey to Molly. I'm waiting on my PDF from the NVC as we speak, then we complete the D260 and begin our article 5 process. Things are b.u.s.y here.. Christmas is 7 weeks away and Molly hopefully 8! We're planning West's 6th birthday this week, then Thanksgiving, and Christmas and China all at one time. Fundraising has been going well and I think we are sitting in a good place to travel with some grants coming in these past few weeks. Christmas travel is pricey.. Real.pricey.. The good news is though that God is bigger then those pricey flights and he wants Molly home more than we do! God is faithful! Through this whole process we've wanted to glorify God and keep pointing back to him. We never want folks to not step out bc of finances if HE calls you to adoption HE will provide. Please keep praying for Molly and this big transition ahead of her. It's very possible they will return her to the orphanage from her foster family before we come, please pray for that and her tender little heart.. Please pray for traveling mercies and things to go as smooth as possible. Hartley is going with us and although it will be much harder for her to go we def feel like it's what we need to do for her and her transition as well. She is very attached to me and Tommy, and the Lord has clearly spoken to us that she needs to go. She's excited to go and has been helping me shop and pack! My boy's tender hearts and for them to stay healthy while we're away! No ER visits, sicknesses etc. After article 5 we begin our Travel approval wait! We're almost there!