We had an incredible week on the coast of Maine. We stayed at the same house we have stayed at the past 4 years. This was the best weather we have had in many years. Sunny and hot (high 90s, near 100) most of the week. The boys LOVED the ocean, and spent hours every day in it (and never complained of the temperature of the water, which was 59-61 many days, but 51 degrees on our last day). Even on the last day, the boys loved being in the water, riding the waves in on their kickboards, and playing in the sand. Here are many photos from our trip. You can see Rupert was quite busy making characters in the sand (Mike from Monsters Inc., Cars characters, including Guido and Luigi).
"Adopting a child won't change the world, but for that child, the world will change."
Our Child
With anxious hearts and open arms, we sought you everywhere.
You, dear child, are a gift from God, the answer to our prayers.
No matter whether birth or choice, a home is blessed from above when caring parents claim their child. A family is formed by love.
- Author Unknown
Aaron's Referral Photo (age 2)
An Adopted Child
"An adopted child is not an unwanted child; to the contrary.
They are a child who was searched for, prayed for, cried for, begged for;received by arms that ached, making empty hearts full.
Love was meant to be shared."
- Author Unknown
Our Family
"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.But those who make their journey home across time & miles,growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands." --- Kristi Larson
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.
My husband and I adopted our son from China, in April 2010 when he was 3 years old. We are now in the process of adopting a 2 year old little girl, from the same orphanage Aaron was from. She will be named Sarah Alexa. We expect to travel at the end of July/beginning of August.
I didn’t give you the gift of life, but in my heart I know. The love I feel is deep and real, as if it had been so. For us to have each other is like a dream come true! No, I did not give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you. ---author unknown---
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