Our Journey to Aaron: Aaron the Artist!

Aaron won a local Halloween coloring contest for his age group (ages 3-6). He won a g$5 gift card to the local drugstore that was holding the contest. Aaron was SO THRILLED, as is evident in the photo!

Our Timeline

2/7/2011 DTC for 2nd Adoption
4/23/2010 We arrive in U.S. Aaron becomes a United States Citizen
4/13/2010 Adoption Day - Aaron is officially our son!
4/12/2010 We met our new son, Aaron
4/8/2010 - 4/23/2010 Trip to China
4/6/2010 Leave Home for Aaron
3/30/2010 TA arrives (Travel Approal)
3/9/2010 Passports with Chinese Visas arrive (ONE MONTH after mailing them to the courier service)
3/1/2010 LOA (Letter of Approval) arrives after 53 LONG days!
1/19/2010 PA! (Prior Approval) We many now officially share our wonderful news!
1/7/2010 Our Letter of Intent to adopt Bao Xinsheng is officially sent to the CCAA.
1/6/2010 Bao Xinsheng's file received at CAWLI (YIPPEE)
12/31/2009 USCIS approves us to adopt a BOY (or girl) through age 4. (This is record time! What a way to celebrate the New Year!)
12/28/2009 CCAA lets GWCA know that CAWLI has a family (US!) interested in adopting Bao Xinsheng. GWCA officially release his file back to CCAA.
12/23/2009 We submit a letter to USCIS, along with a home study update from our social worker, recommending we be approved to adopt a BOY, age 3
12/11/2009 We emailed our LOI (Letter of Intent) to adopt Bao Xinsheng to CAWLI (We will not officially be LOI until CAWLI receives his file from CCAA. We are told it could take a month or more for this transfer to occur, and that these types of transfers are not often done.)
12/11/2009 GWCA agrees that they will release Bao Xinsheng's file back to CCAA (if asked by CCAA) to have it transferred to our agency, CAWLI
11/18/2009 WE FOUND OUR SON! (Mommy saw Bao Xinsheng's photo on a different agency's Waiting Children's List - GWCA)
3/8/2008 LID (Dossier Logged in at CCAA in China) to adopt a baby girl 0-12 months, NSN (non special needs)
11/16/2007 Sent applications to Adoption Advocates (local home study agency) and CAWLI (China Adoption With Love). We started the process to adopt our second child, on the day before Donovan turned 1.

Kisses in the Wind (The Waiting Child's Lullabye)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.
I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.
Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.
Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.
May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.
© Pamela Durkota, written for Josh