We Got Our LID!!

We finally got notification the other day that we have an official LID (Log In Date) with China! Basically what this means is, they've received our paperwork, processed it and approved us to adopt from China! Now we only need to wait to be "matched" with a specific child, then the wait to bring her home begins!!

I've had many of you ask about our timeline and what all is left to do and what all we've done so far in this process. In order to make it easier for all of you to understand, I thought I'd list the steps in the full process here!

April--Mailed our application to Living Hope Adoption Agency.

May--Signed our contract and paid contract fee.

June--Started online training courses and started home study visits.

July--Continued with home study visits, background checks, ordering birth certificates and collecting personal reference letters.

Aug--Home Study complete

Sept--Mailed off I-800A USCIS paperwork

Oct--Got fingerprinted and USCIS approval.

Nov--Mailed dossier to LHAA to be authenticated and sealed.

Dec--Paperwork complete and Dossier mailed to China.

Jan--Official LID of Jan 8, 2013!! Now we wait for our referral!

After we officially have a referral, the steps are as follows:

1. We mail our LOI, or Letter of Intent, to China saying we wish to adopt this specific child.

2. We wait for China to send us our LOA, or Letter of Acceptance saying our adoption request is approved for the specific child. (This could take anywhere from 20-120 days to receive from the time we send China our LOI.)

3. Once we receive our LOA we will send in our I-800 paperwork for her citizenship.

4. Once we have our I-800 approval, we will send our visa paperwork to China.

5. When the visa paperwork is complete on the China side, we will receive a TA, or travel approval, giving us a 3 month window in which to pick up our daughter!!

6. Once we finalize dates for travel, we will be off to China where we will spend about 2 weeks finalizing her adoption, getting Dr appointments done, her passport and visa paperwork taken care of and hopefully visiting her orphanage and home town. She will be given to us about 48 hours after we arrive and will remain with us for the duration of our stay in China! **insert happy mama dance here**

7. Then, praise Jesus, we will BRING HER HOME!!!

I know that there are a LOT of steps in this process and to some it may seem overwhelming. In fact, when we first started the process, I decided that in order to keep my sanity I was only going to focus on the next step. Once we got into the first few months of it, I began to feel more comfortable with all the steps, what order they came in and was more relaxed. Now it's hard to believe we're over half way done! It really is a lot easier to understand and deal with when you're in the middle of it!

We are excited beyond belief to bring our daughter home this year!!! And we feel so humbled and blessed for all of you who are following along with us and praying over our family and our little girl while we wait! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!