Roller Coaster Ride

This adoption wait is one crazy roller coaster ride! Rumors are flying that CCAA may have referrals through 11.17 in this batch. I'm hoping this is true! Ten days worth would be a nice surprise. Referrals are expected to be received in the next week or so for families that fall within this time frame.


Hang on tight! This is one nutty ride!! ...But soon we'll be having the time of our lives!

The Latest News from CCAA

Well, it appears that my hyperventilation episode yesterday was in vain. I figured it was too good to be true. I wasted all that extra oxygen for nothing. It appears that at a recent CCAA meeting, CCAA delegates confirmed that there is a 2-3 year wait (from LID to referral). Several agencies who attended the meeting reported that the CCAA will be referring some of the December 2005 families (that's us) in December 2007. I don't know if this means the first half of December or the last. We're LID 12.12.05. What's the reason for the slow down? The CCAA reports that there are not enough paperwork-ready babies. This, combined with an increase in China domestic adoptions, has caused the slow down apparently.

So most likely no baby by Christmas, but maybe, hopefully, a picture by then.

Are we getting closer?

Okay, I'm hyperventilating! As many of you know, waiting adoptive parents are constantly grasping for any rumor that might indicate when they will be receiving their referral. According to the Rumor Queen today, she's optimistic that November referrals will be completed by September -- again this is based on stats and the CCAA can slow or speed the process however they want, but it's at least a glimmer of hope which is much needed these days. One reputable agency even thinks by August, but I'm not holding my breath for that one. The next batch of referrals is expected around July 7 and there is a rumor that the batch doesn't include November 18 LID. If this optimistic speculation is accurate, we might see an October/November referral.

We'll just have to sit tight and see. Our friends are in China now and will be bringing their baby home the first week of July.

I'd like to say a special thanks to the many of you who have emailed and called recently to let us know that you are praying for us. It means a lot, and we are deeply touched by your kindness.

A baby for Christmas...now that would be something!

Dance Your Heart Out

Need a good remedy for the adoption blues? How about getting your groove on! There's nothing better than cranking up your favorite tune and shaking your keister! Dancing is an incredible way to decrease stress because it releases endorphins which are mood enhancers. I've been doing a lot of it over the past 19 months during this wait and my advice is that you should be doing it too!

Need a little push? Start with one of these songs to get you giggy with it:

End of the Line -- Travelling Wilburys

Anything's Possible -- Jonny Lang

Colorful -- Rocco DeLuca

What You Waiting For? -- Gwen Stefani

Hey Ya! -- OutKast

Tip: If you need some groovy moves you can always check out Napoleon Dynamite. He's a pro!

Clean Drinking Water for Orphans

A Child's Right, is an organization dedicated to providing clean drinking water, through installation of water purification technologies, to children in orphanages, street shelters, and the like in impoverished areas throughout the world. Clean water -- what many of us take for granted daily, yet so integral to our overall well being.

A team just recently visited orphanages in need of clean drinking water in several of China's Provinces. Here is a peek of orphanage life in China and also a glimpse of these CR volunteers performing miracles -- bringing well being to desperate children.

Today's Reflection

Are we convinced of Christ's love for us and of our love for Him? Is this conviction a sunbeam that increases the sap of life and makes petals of holiness bud? Is this conviction the rock on which holiness is build, in the service of the poor in spirit and possessions, delivering to them what we would like to offer to Christ himself? Mother Teresa

The Adoption Scoop

So many of you may be thinking, "so what's going on with their adoption anyway". I'll share the scoop on how the whole process works.


Basically, this is how it all works: You make the decision to adopt, you apply to an agency, you have your life examined under a microscope, you get approval from the agency, you apply to Homeland Security to approve you, you submit your paperwork to China to approve you, you get a referral and then you go to China to pick up your child. So how could that take 2 + years?!


Once you submit your paperwork to China and are approved, you get what's called a Log In Date, known in the land of adoption as LID, and begin the wait. Our LID is 12/12/05. Our entire life since that date has been revolving around that one day in history upon which our future family balances.


The Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) is responsible for matching a child for every applicant/dossier. Once a family is matched with a child, it's called a referral. The CCAA notifies your adoption agency to let them know that a referral has been made then the agency gives you the "call". BINGO! This is what every parent who is in the waiting stage is patiently longing to receive -- so much so that the FED EX delivery person usually gets tackled upon delivery of the referral or any package leading up to that date for that matter. Poor guy...or gal.


In 2005, the CCAA was averaging a match of 2 months worth of LID's for every month. Back when we started the adoption process in June 2005, the wait from LID to referral was only 7 months. Over the past two years, the process has continued to slow for whatever reasons, and we are now at a 19 month wait and counting from LID to referral time. The CCAA has processed all LID's through 11/7/05 (as of last week). So as you can see, we are right around the corner. However, we don't know how many months it will take for them to process the 36 days of LID's still standing between us and our referral. Nor do we know how may dossiers there are, as we've heard rumors that November 2005 was a huge month of dossiers. As of the recent batch, it took a month for them to process a mere 6 days worth of LID's.


So here we are, waiting. Trying to reserve all sanity despite the setbacks. Trying to remember that there is purpose in the wait. That we are not waiting in vain. That at the end of the wait is a daughter who needs us as much as we need her.

Purpose and Preparation During the Wait

Visit Rick, Lorrin, and Abby Mei's site for excellent suggestions of how to make the most of your wait. This is a very nice compilation of resources.