3/17 Article V Received!

Monday (3/17) we received our Article V and began the wait for travel approval (TA)!!!

This is the 2nd to last step we take before getting on that plane!   Times for getting it vary a lot, but it can go anywhere from 1 day to 4 weeks.................right now it's averaging a little over a week.  :)

That would be terrific news, the best I could hope for............but our agency has decided to ALL go to China for the next week and a half.  :)   It's great news for them and the other babies there.  What it translates out for our adoption though is that they won't be there to receive our TA when it comes in if it comes in before the 31st.  Well, that's not so horrible for me because that's exactly 2 weeks from the start of this wait.............:)   So, we definitely are waiting until AT LEAST the 31st to finish this step.  :)   It's like I have a specific timeline and know that until then I don't have to expect anything.

Once we have that, we will request our CA (consulate appointment) and within 48 hours we should have that locked into place.  Then we will TRAVEL!!!!!    This is pretty anticlimatic for me right now though as once we receive TA, we will wait 2 weeks to save $ on airlines (which is standard for us), but since the 2 weeks ends right BEFORE Easter, we will wait until after Easter to travel --- so that means about 3 weeks after TA.  The awesome thing about that is leaving then puts us in Guangzhou (GZ) for our CA right after the Spring trade fair has ended.............which is perfect timing because the trade fair drives up the costs all over GZ.
Obviously, God's got this all planned out!   I was hoping to leave the 15th, but that is before Easter.........that bummed me.  Now I'm finding out that the better time to go is right after Easter anyway to avoid that tradefair................it all works out!!!!  :)  

But that also translates into more wait after TA.   More time to get everything done here we need to, before I leave.  :)   This wait though (since starting the article V wait) has seemed to take a lot longer emotionally for me this time.  I am SO SO SO excited to begin the flights and that part of the journey that it's harder to just sit and wait.  :)   And right now, that wait is about 4 more weeks.................ugh in the happiest sense.  :)

Yes, I could fill my time better with fundraisers, but I realized yesterday just how much other stuff I needed to do before leaving (in about 4 weeks) besides fundraising that I know I need to focus more on it for the moment.   Things I have put off to try and raise funds --- which I DEFINITELY still need to do ---- but are just as important, like getting my power of attorneys and the post placement reports taken care of.

So please pray that I can take care of a bunch of things in the next few days, to get them off my plate........and that I can go to the chiropractor and physical therapist to get all the kinks out (so to speak) before getting on that long plane ride.  :)   I don't feel horrible and am mobile, but I already have stiffness and aches that could just get a lot worse with the sitting for 18 hours on a plane in 1 day.  :)    Just need to make sure I'm prepared better for it.  :)

Thank you for your prayers, and any help you can or have given.  :)  We appreciate it ALL.