LIFE. And an APPROVAL!

With Mary's adoption journey, I kept a little notebook with ALL the important dates and happenings throughout the process.  I jotted down when we told who, milestones we hit in the process, when I bought her first pink blanket or her first dress, when we moved things around in the house, what I was thinking and feeling, etc.  Someday, when she REALLY understands what her life journey has been like, I'll share that little notebook with her so she can see what things were like leading up to her arrival.

So, of course, Lottie has a little notebook, too!  It's already filling up with dates and thoughts and such.

It's fun to look back at Mary's timeline and compare it to Lottie's..... and we're running ALMOST right on track so far.  I know that no two timelines are the same and I TOTALLY TRUST IN THE LORD'S TIMING - learned that one last time - but it's fun to put them side by side.  Two little lives so far apart, but, in a few months, THEY'LL MERGE.  Those two little notebooks represent how these two little girls became SISTERS.  I can't get over it.  SO GREAT.

Lottie's notebook!

This week, I got to put a BIG ONE in Lottie's little notebook.  After 62 days of waiting (I THINK it was 62.....I got a little miffed at Homeland Security after counting to 60 and kinda quit counting)..... we FINALLY got approval from the folks at Immigration and Citizenship Services in the Department of Homeland Security!  (In the past, this approval has taken around 30-40 days, thus my being MIFFED at them for taking so bloody long.... )  Anyway, WE GOT IT.  We are approved by the US to adopt a little girl from the China!  HOORAY!

**** For anyone interested in the DETAILS of this particular step, here's the gist:
   6/27..... our I800A application overnighted to USCIS
   6/28..... I800A received at "lockbox"
   6/30..... we received notice that our stuff had hit the lockbox
   7/15..... we receive a letter with our fingerprint appointments
   7/25..... Joe, Mikki, and Jack head to Birmingham at 6:30 AM for an 8:00 fingerprint appt
   8/24..... Mikki calls USCIS to check on things..... we've been assigned an officer
   8/25.... Mikki emails that officer to check on things - AGAIN; receive email that we've been approved and letter is in the mail
   8/31..... receive approval notice in the mail
    9/1..... approval notice scanned to Lifeline and sent out for authentication

*** And if you're wondering, the answer is YEEESSSSS.... that's a lot of parts to just one step!

While we've been waiting for this approval (FOREVER....looking at YOU, USCIS), we've been gathering the first 12 of 13 documents for our dossier.  That's the pile of paperwork that will go to China.  Each of these documents must be authenticated by the local, state, national, and international level.  We gathered original birth certificates, marriage license, medicals, certificates of income and property, references, and other stuff and Lifeline sent them out into the world of notaries and authentication.  This process works its way through the local courthouse, Alabama's Secretary of State's office, the US consulate, and China's embassy in Houston.  Or something like that.... THANKFULLY, our adoption agency does all this business for us!  Just another reason why Lifeline is THE ABSOLUTE MOST AWESOME THING EVER.  Document #13 is that approval from USCIS.... so Joe scanned it to Lifeline last Friday fresh out of the mailbox and it's making its way through an expedited authentication process!  As soon as it comes back, our stuff HEADS TO CHINA!

This is a HUGE part.... cause that means all the things we need to do for now over here on this side of the ocean have been done.  Then, we wait on China to do their part!  GOOOOO CHINAAAAA!

Magical words:  Approval Notice

So, while we've been waiting on that piece of paper to hit the mailbox for Lottie, the rest of the Powell youngins have been busy with their own milestones.

Jack started COLLEGE.  He's beginning in his studies in the University of Alabama's College of Communication and Information Sciences while minoring in violin at the School of Music.  He busy.  He's got a job on campus and leaves every day before the rest of us.  He's learning that he can get somewhere in 10 minutes if he walks pretty fast, that if you get there early you get a good parking spot, that taxes taken out of paychecks are A LOT, and that he should probably just sell textbooks for a living cause those folks are making a KILLING.  He knows folks in almost every one of his classes, didn't get LAST chair in the University's student orchestra (second to last is NOT last, thank you very much), and still sits in the same chair at our kitchen table to study and do his homework.  He lives at home, but I NEVER see him.... he runs into the house most afternoons, changes clothes, and heads out again to..... well..... I don't know.... band practices, life group, college meet-ups, Bible study, dinner with such and such..... He's definitely a college boy now.  My prayers for this one focus on WISDOM and that God will continue to reveal to him HIS plans for the future.

Jack Powell's first day of college!  ROLL TIDE!

Max Powell has entered into Sophomore year with his Mama ENCOURAGING him to work hard at it.... all the "its" he's involved in..... work hard at Algebra, work hard at Chemistry, work hard at learning to drive, work hard at football, work hard on that ACT, work hard at orchestra, work hard at friendships, work hard at church, work HARD.  He truly is QUITE busy.  Max has always had things come pretty easy to him, and, as you get older and things get harder and busier, that can cause a bit of frustration.  THANK GOODNESS Max Powell has a mother who knows the value of a good NAGGING session, constant reminders, and text messages that say things like "Do not come home today if you do not have that INow password".... and such.  YOU ARE SO WELCOME, my precious one.  My prayers for this one are WISDOM and perseverance.

Go gettum, Maxer!

Fine cello-playing fella.

Mary Powell has busted into Kindergarten and is LOVING IT.  It took her about a week, but she knows EVERYONE in our building.  She now walks herself to class in the morning and shows back up at Mama's room on the 5th grade hall all by herself.  She's only had to sit on the stairs at PE once for talking instead of listening (sorry, Coach)... and she's only been stopped for running in the hall once (sorry, Mrs. Jockisch).  She LOVES her teacher, Mrs. Snow, and now ALL her drawings at home have people with red hair LIKE MRS. SNOW.  She falls asleep in the car EVERY afternoon and gets her BINDER out as soon as we walk in the door to see what's in there.  She didn't ace the DIBELS assessment cause she kept wanting to have a conversation with the assessor during the ONE MINUTE that she gets to name those letters and such, so now she's got a lot of folks (her mother included) telling her to KEEP NAMING THOSE LETTERS until you HEAR THE BEEP.  She just thinks that's funny.  She can read sentences like "I am the little dog" so naturally she thinks that she's now an awesome reader.  Confidence is not lacking with this one.  The whole "I can do this by myself" has reached a whole new level, but she still has to eat what Daddy packs in her lunch and wear whatever Mama picks out.

the backpack

Max Powell:  10th grade; Mary Powell:  Kindergarten

First day of Kindergarten!  Mrs. Snow's class!

And THIS is what she looks like every afternoon after school.....

While Mom does carpool, she waits just inside the door.  Like this.

AND SHE LOST HER FIRST TOOTH.  It had been wiggling for a day or so and wasn't really ready to come out, but she was determined that she was putting a tooth under her pillow THAT NIGHT.  She told her Daddy that she needed the remote so she could put the TV on Masha and the Bear TO DISTRACT HER.  Then, she brought me a kleenex, crawled into my lap, and told me to PULL IT.  We did a lot of wiggling, distracting, talking, wiggling, laughing, distracting.... and then OUT IT CAME!  She was SO BRAVE.  No tears, no fear..... but LOTS of excitement!  The Tooth Fairy came and when Mary saw the $5 under her pillow the next morning, she raised both hands in the air and declared "I AM RICH!"  Then, she spent the entire $5 on CANDY at Max's football game that night!  My prayers for this one are that she will LOVE TO LEARN and begin to understand who JESUS is and what He did for us! And maybe that her teeth won't all rot out of her head from all the CANDY that the TOOTH FAIRY bought her.

First lost tooth!

So, here we are.  Labor Day weekend.  I just lit the first Pumpkin Spice candle of the season and have the front door open to air out the house.  I made ribs in my Instant Pot for Alabama's first football game. And in the midst of all the busy and fun and work and stuff.... I think constantly about our Lottie.  And we wait.  My prayer for THAT ONE is that the Lord will SURROUND her with angels, wash over her with HIS peace, help her sleep well at night and give her reasons to laugh during the day, and that she will stay SAFE and HEALTHY until we can get our hands on her.  I CANNOT WAIT.