Wednesday, April 30, 2008

TA!!

We got the word yesterday from our agency that we have our TA (travel approval)! That means we can go get Lexi!! If everything goes as planned, we will be out of here around 5/22, probably fly to Shanhai or Hong Kong (Beijing is really expensive now because of the Olympics), go to Xi'an on 5/25 and receive Lexi either 5/25 or 5/26!! In 3 1/2 weeks I might be holding my little girl in my arms! We will know our travel plans for sure by next Friday and I will be sure and let everyone know!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Lexi's last care package


I sent Lexi's last care package last week. It included a camera, letter, candies for the foster family, hair clips, and I sent some extra money for Ann to buy something for the foster family. This was in Ann's email to me:


I got one bag of Man Pian for the foster family ,Man Pian is something here ,they will be very honored to get this ...Man Pian is good and very healthy as for breakfast and it is very popular here ,but most families won`t buy them,because they think that is too expensive.


It looks like ground up oatmeal or something. We will have to try it while we are there. I had a hard time writing the letter to the foster family this time. There is really no way to convey how much you appreciate them. This family took in Lexi as a newborn and loved her as one of their own and now has to let her go. I just wish that we could meet them and try to express how we feel. Hopefully they will know how much they are appreciated.


We are still waiting on our TA and hoping that Joanne gets her LOA soon! Hopefully we will know in a few weeks when we will be traveling!!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Amy is 40!!!

Wow! I thought this day would never come! How can I be 40 already? I certainly don't feel like I'm 40. Where did all the time go? I have been thinking lately about the different decades of my life and how different they have been. During my childhood I was shy, yet sure of myself. I had many friends and enjoyed school. I had an adventurous spirit and couldn't wait to get out on my own!
Check out that wild hair! This is my favorite "ugly" picture of myself!! Kendall told me I looked like a jungle girl!!



Gotta love the fake flower action!





Christmas with my family 1989



In my 20's I had a ton of fun! I went skydiving, learned to scuba dive, did lots of backpacking, camping, and biking. I loved to travel and went to Switzerland, France, the Bahamas, to Hawaii several times and went on several cruises to Mexico. I was gone most weekends!


My BYU roommates





My BYU Hawaii roommates. We lived in a house to the left and the ocean was right down the cliff. It was amazing!!




Amelise Rox (Amy,Melody,Lisa,Roxanne)
I brought two of my Hawaii roommates (Lisa and Mel) back to Sacramento with me!



Roxanne, Lani, and I on our first cruise. There were several more to follow!






Roxanne and Amy at the California State Fair.
I LOVE the state fair, especially the hypnotist!!






Swiss Alps with Melody!


Celebrating New Year's with Janet!!




Dancing on the Delta King in Sacramento. A huge group of us went there at least once a month!





Exploring a mine shaft





Scuba diving in Maui with Mari!





Backpacking Zion's with Tricia, Steve and Mari




Repelling in Emmigrant Gap



Barefooting!! This was my Christmas card pic in 1999!



Barefooting with roomie Jael!



Tricia's wedding



I decided on a whim to move to Utah in February 2000. On March 14 I went out with Derek for the first time. We were engaged by May, married in August, and our daughter Kendall was born the following July, just 5 days before our first anniversary. I was 32 when I got married and have spent the last wonderful 8 years being a wife and a mother to 3 incredible kids! I have traded in my 4-Runner for a minivan!! With young kids and 2 of them being preemies, I have spent most of the last 8 years housebound!! I have loved every minute of it, however I hope to spend the next 10 years of my life having adventures with my family. I want to do with them all of the fun things I have experienced. I want to camp, backpack, travel and scuba dive with them. Now that Lexi is almost home and Landon and Lexi are no longer babies, it's time to open that front door and get out!!! There is a lot left to do out there. Here we come!!!!


Of all of the exciting things I have done and will yet do, nothing will ever surpass this day!! This was the day I started my greatest adventure!!

















My greatest treasures!!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Grand Canyon

We went to the Grand Canyon this past weekend. We had a great time considering the boys had a stomach bug and were a little grumpy. We didn't stay at the Grand Canyon long due to the lack of bathrooms for the boys! We will go back soon and do some hiking and camping. And of course we want to do the mule ride down to the bottom like every child of the 70s wants to do because we all thought that Brady Bunch episode was the coolest!! The kid's favorite part was of course swimming in the hotel pool!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Spring 2008 photos









LOA

Woooooo Hoooooooo!! We received THE call from our agency last week. We have Lexi's LOA (letter of approval). This is the big one we've been waiting for. Basically it means that the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) has reviewed our dossier (paperwork) and has given us the stamp of approval. We were a little worried because Derek stated our income in one document and then the letter from his employer verifying his salary was off by $300. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but China is extremely picky and wants everything to match perfectly!! But I guess that didn't bother them and they have said we can be Lexi's parents!!!

After I received the call I immediately tried to call Derek (he didn't answer) so I sent out an email. I was soooo excited and then I just started crying. I have been looking at Lexi's picture for 8 months now and we have finally been given the "permission" to be her parents. It is very overwhelming!!

So now we will sign the LOA. The LOA is also asking us "Do you still want to be her parents?" This is a silly step because after all we have done for our daughter, why would we say no???? We then Fedex the LOA back to our agency who translates it and Fedex's it back to China. The CCAA will then issue our TA (travel approval). We could travel as early as the end of May, but there is a little girl just 3 months older than Lexi who is from the same SWI (social welfare institute or orphanage). I have been in close contact with her new mom Joanne and she is just 2-3 weeks behind me. Since we spend the first 5-7 days in their province (Sha'anxi), I will wait for Joanne. We mom's might both be traveling solo. It will be so worth the wait. The girl's SWI doesn't adopt out a whole lot of their children. So with Joanne and I meeting and becoming friends, we are hoping the girls will be able to develop a relationship, especially since they are from the same little part of big China!!

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Kendall is losing her teeth!!

Kendall is about to lose her front teeth and the ones coming in are BIG (like her mama's) the dentist says! I took some quick pictures of her in case they come out soon!! You can see more pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/amelise68/.

Presley's Adoption Timeline

  • 8/15/2007 - Received referral for Geneva!
  • 9/13/2007 - Sent LOI (letter of intent) to our agency
  • 9/29/2007 - LOI was sent to China!
  • 10/08/2007 - LOI was delivered to the CCAA in China
  • 10/29/2007 - PA (pre-approval) was issued!!
  • 1/15/2008 - DTC (dossier to China)
  • 1/18/2008 - Dossier delivered to CCAA
  • 1/25/2008 - LID (log-in date)
  • 4/1/2008 - LOA (letter of acceptance)
  • 4/25/2008 - CCAA issues TA (travel approval)
  • 5/22/2008 - Leave for China!!!
  • 5/25/2008 - Met our sweet Lexi!
  • 5/26/2008 - Discovered Lexi had brain damage
  • 5/30/2008 - Met precious Presley!
  • 6/7/2008 - Arrived home

My Family

My Family
My favorite people!!