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Just testing this out to see if I can email a post.

10 Days

Our fundraiser went really well. It was a lot of fun. We still need about $1500 and hoping we will get that before we leave. Thanks to everyone who came and supported us and to everyone who helped us. We love you and couldn't have done it without you.

There were so many great prizes donated. Special thanks to all those who donated! I think everyone who came went home with something. Pictures on the facebook page.

We leave in 10 days can you believe it?!?!?!?! I can't its coming up quick. 10 days til we leave, yes I said it again. So many things to do. Get everything straightened out for my kids staying home with Grandma's. Finish valentines, clean, get some dinners frozen for when we get back, pack, and so much more. I can't believe in 14 days we wil have our sweet little angel. We had our travel conference call on Friday and received our itinary. Our Gotcha Day is on February 14th! The day we get Zoie, on Valentines Day! What a special day it will be.

Fundraiser

Our friends are hosting a fundraiser for us to help bring in the remaining funds we need. (We have such great friends.)

We are having a Spaghetti Dinner, Poker, Black Jack and Raffle Night at the Roy Elks Lodge

Friday, January 28th

Spaghetti Dinner starts at 7:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

Poker, Black Jack 8:00 p.m - 10:00 p.m.

Prize for Overall Winner given at 10:15 p.m.

Prizes will be raffled throughout the night and Big Raffle Winner given at 10:15 p.m.

Spaghetti Dinner is $20 = 200 chips

Salad $2.00 = 20 chips

Drinks $2.00 = 20 chips

Dessert $5.00 = 50 chips

Valet Parking (optional) $5.00 = 50 chips

Raffle tickets $1.00 each = 10 chips

If you don't want to play poker or black jack come and eat and join in with the raffle. Great prizes given out!

We are still trying to raise the $5100 for the orphanage donation. We've had some "bumps in the road" with my husbands business.

I've posted the flyer above if you are close to our area and would like to support us, we have had some great prizes donated for the raffle. Great prizes!! If you'd like to make a donation there is a donate button on the sidebar. It is through paypal.

Thanks to all our friends and family for all the support they have given us. We truly appreciate it!

**We are still looking for sponsors ,donation prizes and volunteers to help with the event. If you'd like to be a sponsor, donate a prize or volunteer to help please email me chrisdak@yahoo.com.

***We've had tons of prizes donated for the raffle. Please come and join the fun if you can.

Getting Closer

We are getting closer. We have our flights finalized thanks to some great friends who donated some vouchers to us. We are so greatful! Our flights are ready to go, well almost. We are waiting for a travel agent to email us back and I don't think he's going too to book Tyler's from the province to Beijing. Our adoption agency said to have them book it since you have to check in 72 hours in advance or they bump passengers. I don't think he'll email me back since we didn't use him for our travel plans.

So I think I'll be doing it myself once again. If anyone can give me ideas of how to do this I'd appreciate it. I've looked on flychina.com they look pretty good and we'll just have to remember to call or have someone help us call (who speaks Mandarin) to check him in 72 hours before I guess.

So the count down hasn't begun yet. It should since we know are dates but there is still so much to do. I know its exactly 3 weeks from today that we will be flying to China and about 3 1/2 weeks til me meet our daughter for the first time. I can't even think about it right now. I'm nervous, scared and so excited all at once. I have no idea what to expect. I hope she will adjust well.
She has been living with a foster family. We have photos of her YeYe (grandpa) and NaiNai (grandma) with her if you scroll down to her birthday party. Her update we got said she can say NaiNai so I'm sure she is attached to them. I'm sure it will be hard for her and hard for her to understand whats going on. I don't know if they've prepared her at all. My heart just breaks for her knowing she will have to go through that. I know it will all be worth it though we are so excited and happy for her to join our family. We feel she is already a part of our family. Our little six year old prays for her every night that she will sleep good and we will bring her home safely. How sweet is that!

New friends

I meet so many families on bloggyland adopting. Its such a blessing to have the support and knowledge that they offer. Its even more special when you find families adopting a child with the same similarities as your child.

Here's my friend Sally that is in China right now getting her precious daughter with "designer genes" as well : http://graciemaemakes10.blogspot.com/ She is such a little treasure and cute little cupcake. It makes me even more anxious to get Zoie.

I've also just met another friend adopting a little girl with "designer genes" as well. They just received TA so I hope they will be traveling the same time as us.

I'll keep you posted...

CA Confirmed

Our Consulate Appointment has been confirmed. We are leaving on February 9th. There is so much to do. Cleaning, freezing meals, packing, booking flights, gift buying, etc.

I'm starting to freak out a little but still it seems a while away. And then it will be here in no time I'm sure. I'm not sure what clothes to take for her or sizes for sure or if I should take a coat. I know she will come with one and I'm wondering if that will do until she gets home?

We've started telling the kids that we are going to be gone and Dad will be home sooner. Tyson is having a hard time with it. He's our 7 year old. I try not to talk too much about it because it gets upset but I want him to be prepared for when we leave. Its so hard leaving the kids. Tyson keeps asking can't you just take me with you. It breaks my heart. I've told him he will have so much fun that Grandma is coming to stay and then on the weekend they will be going to the other grandma's and they can play and go over to cousins houses and I hoping to have some fun things planned for them. President's Day is while I'll be gone so they can go to a movie or do something fun.

We have TA!!!!

I kept checking my email all morning. I knew it would be coming I just had a feeling. Finally after 12:30 I decided I'm not looking anymore and started focusing on housework (Monday is cleaning day for me) Well the phone rang at 2:35 and it was Sheri in our agencies travel dept. asking me if I had seen my email. I told her no I looked all morning then quit. She said we had TA (travel approval) I instantly got so excited and started freaking out a bit. She said we had 2 options.

One being leave next week Jan. 12 or 13 if they can get CA (our Consulate Appointment) then next option because of Chinese New Year wouldn't be until Feb. 9th or 10th. I told her I would have to get ahold of DH to see with his work and she said to try to call her back within the hour. I called DH a million times and emailed him and finally an hour later he came home. He didn't have his phone with him. We freaked out a little then came to the realization that we would have to take the later date. Everything with this adoption has not been on our timeline. So many delays and again we are going to have to not go on our timeline. I know we have to trust in His timeline not ours. We have learned to have patience with this adoption and just to trust in the Lord and his plan not ours. So we will find out in the next few days when our CA is and then we can get flights booked.

We have been so lucky. One of DH friends has given us some vouchers for flights. What a blessing it is for us. We have had some unexpected things come up lately with DH work and other things so this couldn't come at a better time for us. I am learning to trust more in God's plan and not ours.

So for now we are thrilled and know we will be traveling in a month to get our sweet little daughter and I'm focusing on the positive and not the negative knowing we could leave in a week. It will give me more time to get things lined up for the kids. I'm going to have such a hard time leaving them for 2 weeks. DH is going come with me for the first week then has to get back so that will help with the kids but I'll still need to have family lined up for my sweet 2 year old and my kindergartener. I'm so thankful for family and friends and their willingness to help us. Now I need to start getting things ready to get our sweet daughter. I don't even know where to start.....