{WE GOT OUR TA}

There are two ways to live your life.

One is as if nothing is a miracle.

The other is as if everything is!

~Albert Einstein

FINALLY!!!! We got an email this morning from our agency that our TA came in!!! SO, we should be flying out January 14th!!!! My husband has to work in Beijing for a week, then we will continue with our group and tour for a day, then fly to our province. Our "GOTCHA Day" is on January 25th and we will find out Monday when our consulate appointment will be. I am jumping up and down with pure JOY...I seriously cannot wait until I have Makayla in my arms and give her TONS of smooches!!! The count down begins...26 days!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR too! Wishing you all a wonderful NEW year full of Love, Health and Happiness!!!

OFF to PACK...

{Article 5}

FINALLY, we got it...the Article 5!!!!!!!! It was dated December 16, 2009. I am so excited that wait is OVER. On to the next wait... The Travel Approval (TA)! We should hear next week! Keep us in your prayers PLEASE!

Also, I wanted to UPDATE you on the Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser. We didn't have the turnout we had hoped for, but we still made $150 the first night and $67 the second afternoon. For a total of $217. We also had a silent auction and that was really a BLESSING!!! I had put together and made 15 baskets and they are ALL GONE!!! Thank you LORD!!! We made $391 from the Silent Auction for a grand TOTAL of $608 for our weekend!!!

I want to thank so many people who were involved in making this happen for us...

DONATIONS:

• Troop 413 (my son's Boy Scout Troop) for a $25 donation
• Albertson's Grocery Store: Manager Debbie, for 12 jars of Prego pasta sauce and 14 pkgs of pasta
• Safeway: Manager Wendy-$25 worth of product
• Yokes: Manager John-salad fixin's
• Mark & Tamara Flippen: 5 loaves of bread, plates, cups, time and energy!!!

CHURCH:

• Pastor Mark & Tamara Flippen: for the use of their church & their open arms to our adoption!

SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS:

• Lisa Kelsey: Fifth Avenue Jewelry
• Cortney Dotson: Asian outfit
• Jan Simpson: Asian cards
• Karen Lyons: hand painted silk scarves

HELPERS:

• Charlotte Sweeney: ROCKED the kitchen!!!
• Allan Sweeney: Can really set up the place!!!
• Sandy Otis: FABULOUS server & cabinet cleaner!!!
• Chris Bowers: SPECTACULAR silent auction manager!!!
• Alex Sweeney: AWESOME Boy Scout, all around helper!!!
• Melissa Sweeney: BEAUTIFUL helper all around!!!
• Kassi Sweeney: STUNNING in red!
• Wil Simpson: Can run errands like a PRO!!! Always knew what to do and how to do it!
• Jan Simpson: SALAD Queen and anything else we needed!!!
• Pastor Mark: Keeping the power going and his food handlers permit

A special THANK YOU to everyone who came and supported us!!! We are so grateful for each and everyone of you and your hearts for our adoption.

I will post pictures soon!

{MADE MY DAY}

{LO is linked for credits}

Are we blessed or what?!? Last month we sent Makayla a package and along with it, 13 questions seeking more information about Makayla. The Orphanage director was to answer these and send them to us. However, she was away on business and it took a while to get the answers.

Not only did we get the 13 questions answered, we got NEW pictures!!! We have had a pretty rough week and yesterday morning we got an email that the answers and pictures of our daughter and they made me SMILE!!! I don't mean like "Oh, how cute", but I mean my heart smiled (which always makes me cry happy tears) and I can't wait to hear the giggle that goes along with that smile of hers!!!

ANSWERS...kind of, but the picture was worth waiting for!!!

• The orphanage staff chose Shi Lei as her name


• Shi Lei means "try to use his ability to do the best thing "


• Shi Lei likes to play games,drawing and play with balls


• She is not very picky with her food


• She can eat food by herself(use spoon)


• Until now the orphanage staff have not found that Shi lei is sensitive to anything yet


• Playing games or eating food make her very happy


• She likes her teachers and caretakers


• When she was found, there was a note said her birthday date.


• She still can not speak yet


• She can draw paintings, she can paint different colors and she also can take care of her toys too


• She is outgoing


• Everybody calls her Shi Lei there

This is my FAVORITE one!!!

I can do ALL thing through Christ who strengthens me. ~Philippians 4:13

We wish you all a happy healthy holiday season!

Love,
The Sweeney Family

{SPAGHETTI FEED}

We are having our LAST fundraiser before we leave for China to bring home our little Makayla. It will be THIS Saturday, December 19th from 1-5 p.m. Bring your friends & family and enjoy a yummy Spaghetti Dinner at Immanuel Baptist Church, 5109 N. Adams Street, Spokane WA 99205. The cost is by DONATION. There will also be a silent auction if there are still Christmas presents you need to purchase!!! THANK YOU all for your constant support in our adoption process. I am so ready to just be home with my little one being the Mom I know how to be.

Hope you can make it!
Blessings,
Fonnetta & Family

UPDATE:
I also wanted to let you know we were denied on yet another grant. So, out of the 7 we applied for we have been denied on 5. We did recieve a grant from IBSEN (Washington residence only) and are still in line to hear from "A Child Waits Foundation". Today's denial came from Show Hope. We were really thinking we might qualify for this one and it was taking so long for them to process everything...but we got a letter today and they cannot help us. We were so bummed, but I know God has a plan and we are really praying hard for that right now.

{VISA'S}

Peace

We got the news that our Visa's will be arriving TODAY at our home!!!! It seems to be a lot of little baby steps...but I am pretty sure we are moving forward! lol

Have a blessed day!

{Dream}

Forever

Family

Last night I had a wonderful dream about Makayla! I wanted to share my dream with you before I forgot or my memory wasn't as clear...

It was a very vivid dream and in color. I don't know anything about reading dreams, but I do know color doesn't happen very ofter, or so I am told?!? Anyway, it was a very short dream, but I remember it very well! Makayla had her cute pudgy little baby hands on my face, one on each of my cheeks and we were nose to nose. She looked so happy and I felt a sense of peace that I have not felt in a long time. We were gazing into each others eyes and she was feeling my face yet holding it very firm. She looked in to my eyes and said, "I love you MaMa, I love you Mama!".

Like I said it was very brief, but WOW was I one HAPPY MaMa!!! I remember her hands were so tiny and soft and we were both so HAPPY to finally be together! It was so incredible to get to see her, feel her touch and hear her little girl voice! The strange part about all of this is I don't even know if she can speak or hear!!! I just know that I love her very much and I haven't even met her. I am amazed how fast we can fall in love with a child we have never met, yet our hearts are so ready for each other!

Every time I thought about my dream today I cried! It was wonderful to spend those few minutes with her, but at the same time I miss her terribly right now. Thanks so much for letting me be "REAL" with all of you! I am trying so hard to be positive. I want to be with her NOW, yet we will be together in a matter of weeks and that doesn't seem to unbearable, YET!

Hugs,

Fonnetta

{Life for Wu Shilei}

Again...I realized I hadn't posted this information about our daughter. This was the information in her file that we read upon accepting her file in July of 2009.

Taken in October 23, 2007 (3 1/2 months)

Wu Shilei, female, DOB: July 6, 2007 (according to a note along with her when picking her up), was abandoned at the back of Laoren Pavilion of Wangjang Eastern Road of Wenzhou City, and she was sent to our SWI by the policemen from Zhongshan Police Station of Wenzhou City. On admission the physical examination showed weight: 6.9kg, height: 60 cm, head size: 41 cm, chest size: 41 cm, ruddy skin, normal body temperature, good nutrition, normal skull, soft neck, symmetric thorax, soft abdomen. PE diagnosis: Other condition is TBD. Under the excellent care of our institute, she has strengthened body. Now (March 19, 2009) she is 10kg in weight, 77 cm in height, 44.5cm in head circumference and 46cm in chest circumference, 16 teeth. The hearing in both ears has no response.

Motor development: being able to crawl, climb up, use thumbs and index fingers deftly, walk when one hand is held.

Adaptability: being able to look dropped toys, fetch toys, bang two blocks together, turn pages without purpose.

Language and social ability: being able to distinguish strangers and acquaintances, respond to others' asking for her objects, know the meaning of "NO", be timid and quiet, love watching TV, be fond of listening to music and have a ready smile.GROWTH REPORT UPDATE on WU SHILEI: September 29, 2009
Current physical development:
Height: 32.7 inches, Weight: 26.4 pounds, Chest size: 20.09 inches, Head size: 18.91 inches, Foot length: 5.12 inches, Teeth: 12.

She is suffering from hearing loss. Her physical development and intelligence are good. Now she is two years old and can play blocks and read books. She can run and walk smoothly. She understands the directions from her teachers and gets on well with other children. She is not a picky eater and has excellent appetite. She is up-to-date all immunization now.

Children's Welfare Institute
9-29-09
UNDATED PHOTOS





The meaning of her name WU SHILEI
WU: surname or a state in the Zhou Dynasty
SHI: carry out, exert, apply
LEI: bud (like before a flower)
MAKAYLA: Who is like God. The first three letters stand for Melissa, Alex, Kassandra. It is the female form of Michael (her Daddy's name) and ends in "A" just like her Mommy and sisters names do. Her name couldn't be more PERFECT!

Blessings,
The Sweeney's

{Update}

We had some exciting news the other day (12-2-09)...we received a letter that stated our daughter's visa had been cabled to Guangzhou on November 26th!!! It was so neat to see that they stated she is an "Immediate Relative". We then thought we would be hearing ANY-DAY about our Article 5 (usually takes 2 weeks)...but I talked with GWCA this morning and Nancy said the Article 5's are taking about 4 weeks now. She is not sure why, but they are. That puts us at Christmas before we get our Article 5 and then two weeks after that for Travel Approval (TA). I was so disappointed, but I know there is a greater plan and I just have to trust God in that! So, at this point we won't be traveling until January! Makayla (Wu Shilei) will officially be 2 1/2 years old then. I was kind of shocked that we chose her the month she turned two and it will have taken 6 months to bring her home!!!!

We also had applied for her "Findings Ad" and found out this morning that we will not get that until we are in China. I was bummed, I wanted to see her baby picture before we left. Right now any kind of news would be fantastic!!

AND...Our IBSEN grant made it to GWCA!!! Praise God on that!!! We have been denied on 4 other grants that we had applied for and IBSEN is the only one we have actually received!! Thanks so much IBSEN!!!! Every little bit helps at this point.

More news...we will be the only family in our group that will be traveling to the Hangzhou Province when our group goes to China. Which is perfectly fine, but still interesting that it will just be us! Since we have been following so many other blogs, it has kind of prepared us for the trip and I am thankful for that!!!

Even MORE news...We will be having a
Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser on
SATURDAY, December 19, 2009
from 1-5 pm.

The location is:
Immanuel Baptist Church
5109 N. Adams Street
Spokane, WA 99205

The cost is BY DONATION, so please mark your calendars and come and enjoy a spaghetti dinner with us!

Well, there is an update on all we know at this point!

I hope this finds you all well and thank you for your prayers!
The Sweeney's

{Baby Shower}

Since I seem to have time while I am waiting (im)patiently...I realized that I had not posted pictures of the wonderful shower that my friends threw for me and Makayla! We had a fabulous time..THANK YOU SANDY and CHRIS! My shower was so PRETTY! I loved every minute of it. The games were hysterical and so much thought and preparation went in to it all! I felt LOVED and Makayla is officially spoiled! I hope you all enjoy the slide show! Thank you also to my wonderful friends who could not make it to the shower, but sent gifts anyway! I love you ALL!!!

~Slide Show of my shower is at the bottom of the thread!~

Blessings,
Fonnetta

{APPROVAL}

We got our I-800 Approval letter today!!! That means our government said YES we can bring Makayla home as our daughter!!! YAHOOO!!!!!

NEXT STEP...we wait for this document to magically turn into an ARTICLE 5, then it is TA time!!!

Also, I sent for Makayla's "FINDING AD" this morning. I am praying there is a picture of her! It would be the only thing we have from when she was a baby. Makayla (Wu ShiLei) was abandoned at 3 1/2 months old. The Finding Ad is:

In 1999, the Chinese government developed a policy requiring all orphanages to run a provincial newspaper advertisement for children who were found and brought to the orphanage. These "finding ads" contain information about where and when the children were found, which orphanage they were brought to, the age when they were found, and info from when they were found. These ads often include a picture of the child the day they were brought to the orphanage.

Thank you all for your prayers and for following along on our journey!
Have a blessed day!
Fonnetta

{Visa's & Passports}

What an EXCITING day!!! I got up first thing this morning to an email from our Travel Adviser, Nancy at GWCA. She wanted us to fill out our visa applications and send them to her with our passports. Because I am so excited and think that if I do my part quickly, then the process will go faster, RIGHT? Probably not, but at least my part is finished and I am now waiting on them=) I sent off ALL the needed information and $718. Now everything will arrive to GWCA on Monday morning before 10:30 am!!! Well... we wait... AGAIN!!

More EXCITING news...I just got an email from Ann at the Red Thread and she said that Makayla received her package!!!! Yeah! I hope everything fits, she loves it and she gets to see pictures of us. Every little bit of exposure to us helps!! Funny thing is though... now... we wait... AGAIN!!!! We are now waiting for the orphanage director to answer the 12 questions and mail them back to Ann. She will then translate the answers and email them to us. That is the part I am most excited about.

We are having a HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE tomorrow from 1-4 PM!! Please come by and check out all the cool items for sale! My cookbook and earring will be for sale plus many great items just in time for Christmas. As a special treat, I have made the Blackberry Brandy White Chocolate Cheese Cake with a Butter Cookie Crumb Crust (pg. 67), Fresh Yummy Salsa for the Boys (pg. 19), and the famous Beans and Rice Salad (pg. 18) for tasting!!!

Here is the flier with all the information. We hope you can make it! A portion of the proceeds go towards our adoption fund.
Blessings,
Fonnetta

"But let patience have it's perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:4-5

{OUR "Something Heavenly" COOKBOOK FUNDRAISER}

After many months, lots of cooking and dishes, not to mention eating constantly...we finally finished it!!!! This is our families recipes and hopefully a fabulous way to raise funds for our adoption. We are going to go to China in just weeks and are still in need of Makayla's Orphanage Donation. China has a mandatory "Orphanage Donation" of $5,100, so will you please help us by ordering our "Something Heavenly" cookbook!


Here is the scoop...

• $20.00 a book-does NOT include shipping & handling
  

• SHIPPING:
• 1 book ADD $3.00 = TOTAL $23.00 (First Class)
  
• 2 books ADD $4.00 =TOTAL $24.00 (First Class)
  
• 3 - 4 books ADD $5.00 (Priority Flat Rate)
• 5 or more, contact me and I can check the shipping cost.
  
  
• 104 pages, 69 recipes, full color pictures of every recipe, food for thought on every page, conversion charts, recipe substitutions, and food safety guidelines.
  
  
• Coil bound with a clear protective cover and hard plastic backing
  

• Size: 5.5" x 8.5"
  
  
• To purchase please use the Donate button and pay by PayPal on the top, right-hand side of my blog.
  
  
• In the comment section on PayPal please leave your name, address and email, so I can ship them to you. Then I will email you to let you know when they have been shipped.
  
  
• Thank you so much for your support!

We are raising money for our Orphanage Donation of $5,100 and we only have a few weeks left!

{HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE}

My very sweet friend has coordinated a HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE fundraiser!!! It is a one stop shopping, cash & carry event with LOTS of great vendors like Mary Kay, Tupperware, Creative Memories, Pampered Chef, Committed 29 clothing, Cora's Classy Covers...and MORE!!!! I will also have my cookbook there o sell with samples from it for you all to try!
CASH & CARRY
Saturday, November 21st from 1-4pm
5024 N. Penn Spokane Valley, WA
Our family receives a portion of the proceeds to hep with our adoption costs. Right now we are trying to raise $5,100 for our daughters Orphanage Donation. Here is the invite for you to see...you are not going to want to miss this opportunity!!

{COOKBOOKS}

I just talked to Breanna (at the printing co.) and she said the cookbooks will be done TOMORROW!!!!

I thought I would post a couple pictures, so you could see how it looks. They will be $20 each if there is no shipping (hand delivered). I am checking with the post office to see how much it will cost to ship anywhere in the USA, book ...flat rate. I took a vote and it was unanimous to have all the pictures at the front of the cookbook (thank you to all who voted), since we could not afford to have a picture on every page. There is a full index and 69 recipes with color pictures (in the front of the book with reference page numbers) for everyone of them. We named that section "Visual Inspiration"!!

I hope you LOVE it!!! We ordered 100 for the first round and are praying they sell quickly in order to place and additional order of 100 more and so on. We are needing to raise $5,100 as our mandatory "Orphanage Donation". Thank you all for your support in our adoption process!


Blessings,
Fonnetta

{SO CUTE}

I just realized I didn't get to share this LO with you that I did of Makayla!
Isn't she CUTE!!!! I cannot wait to be with her!
Have a BLESSED day!

{NEWS}

It isn't BIG news, but it is news and in the adoption world this is good news...
We got our I-800 receipt in the mail today!!!! YAY!!!!
Baby steps, right? I am grateful everyday for God's hand in moving our adoption!
Also, I wanted to let you know our cookbook is at the printers and will be ready for pick up of the first batch of 100 on Thursday of next week!!! We are so excited to have that ready to sell. I will post it and the final price in a few days. If it is not mailed it will cost $20, but I will be checking on shipping in the next few days.


Blessing!
Fonnetta

{PACKAGE}

We sent a package to Makayla today through "The Red Thread China" company. Ann, the woman who runs it, just sent me a picture of what is in Makayla's box and I wanted to share it with you!!! It should get to her this week. We paid for FAST shipping, which was only $8 more and will be delivered right to the orphanage!! The items she chose are ADORABLE and I hope Makayla loves them! We chose the "PJ Care Package" and then added a personalized bag (for the orphanage to put her belongings in order to have her things ready when they bring her to us) and also a pair of Squeaky Shoes. She is even going to check to see if Makayla got the photo album and blankie we sent to her through another adoptive family in September. I have been VERY pleased with Ann's customer service and the cost of the packages. If you are planning to send your kiddo's a package you should seriously consider Ann and The Red Thread China Co.
I also wanted to let you know that the CCAA in China received our LSC on Monday November 9, 2009. YAY!!!! Please continue to PRAY for our paperwork to jump through hoops. We really want to be with Makayla in December.

{HERE & GONE}

PRAISE GOD it is ALL in His hands and out of ours...AGAIN!!!
OK...here is our story!

• FedEx came today at 12:05 pm and put in my hands our official LSC document (I didn't even open it, thought I would wait for my Hubby...that was so nice of me, right)!!!
• I immediately sent him a text and he said he would be right home!! He got here in about 15 minutes and we signed and organized our documents. We had the I-800 and Makayla's DS-230 ready and waiting for this moment.
  
• We jumped in the car and headed to FedEx to send the documents to their proper places.
  
• The DS-230, the original LSC signed, and a check for $560 were sent Priority Overnight ($28) back to GWCA. They should get it first thing in the morning. They will then overnight it to China tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.
  
• The I-800, cover letter, signed certificate of more than 10 hours of Hague classes completed, penalty of perjury signed by GWCA, a copy of the I-797C, all Makayla's Documents (English and Chinese) and our I-864W were sent to USCIS in Texas, Priority Overnight ($28) they too should receive them in the morning.
• WHEW...time finished and shipped 1:35 pm!!! Can you believe all that can happen in 1 1/2 hours!!! Only by the GRACE OF GOD!!! It is OFFICIAL...Makayla is ours!!!
  

I have to say though, the part that touched me the most and brought tears to my eyes was when I was reading the official LSC. Here is how they refereed to our little girl...

Identity: institutionalized child whose birth parents cannot be ascertained...

I had to pause for a moment and then say a prayer for her Chinese mother. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain, sadness, and love she must have felt for her daughter when she set her down in a public place and had to walk away. All done with the hope of her being found quickly and to insure that she would be taken care of. My heart thanks her for her sacrifice. I pray that she feels and knows in her heart, someway somehow, that her daughter is going to be taken care of FOREVER!

We are on our way Makayla, your parents are coming!

Here are a few pictures of our hour and a half...
Signing our official LSC!

Thanks so much for your continued prayer and support!

Next step:
WAIT...patiently?? Doubt it!!!

We are now waiting for our I-800 to be approved which takes up to 10 days. Then it is wired to China to be matched with our LSC. Those two together become and Article 5. That is what we need in order to get our Travel Approval(TA). Then, at the same time our DS-230 will be sent to China and that will take 4-6 weeks. This document is Makayla's Visa. We have to start that before we go and it insures us an appointment in China...Please don't quote me on this...I think MY head is spinning!!!
Our prayer is that we will get to be with her for Christmas!

One last thing (that means absolutely nothing) but it makes me feel better...our official LSC was signed on October 29, 2009 which actually makes our wait time from LID-LSC 63 days instead of 68. Our paperwork got caught up in the Beijing snow storm or it would have been here sooner. However, what is MOST important is that it got here safety and is on its way to CHINA!!!

READY~GET SET~PRAY!!!!!

Blessings,
Mike & Fonnetta

And now these three remain: Faith, Hope, and Love.
But the greatest of these is LOVE.
~1 Corinthians 13:13

{We Got Our LSC}

FINALLY!!! After 68 days of waiting, the phone call came today and we got our Letter Seeking Confirmation or LSC!!!! Evidently there was a snow storm in Beijing and our papers were a day later than they should of, but HEY they're here now and we're THRILLED and half packed!!!!!
Now, we sign it (because of course we still want our precious little girl) and mail a copy of the LSC and our I-800 to the USCIS Department of Homeland Security. Then we send the original LSC and our daughters DS230 to GWCA and they send it to the CCAA, then we wait! Yes, I said wait...AGAIN!!! But this time we are waiting for our Article 5 and then our TA. PLEASE pray hard for us during this phase as we would LOVE to be with Makayla for Christmas!!!! Thanks for all your prayers and support! So far I have sold 14 pairs of earrings!!!

{WE'RE FUNDRAISING}

I have been making little ladybug earring as one of our fundraisers!!! I originally made a pair just for myself, so I would always have a Ladybug with me. As I wore them everywhere people were commenting on them and really liked them, so I thought...should I be making these??? I decided this might be a way to help raise some money for our adoption. I hope you all like them!!!



Here is the scoop...

• $12.00 a pair-includes shipping & handling in the USA
  

• Made from all sterling silver: findings, small bead, and ear wires
  
  
• Ladybug bead is made from Czech glass
  
  
• Finished size is 1-inch long from where the wire fits in your ear to the end of the bead.
  

• Earrings come on black velvet earring board, with earring backs, the legend of the red thread and in a small plastic packet.
  
  
• To purchase please use the Donate button and pay by PayPal on the top, right-hand side of my blog.
  
  
• In the comment section on PayPal please leave your name, address and email, so I can ship them to you. Then I will email you to let you know when they have been shipped.
  
  
• Thank you so much for your support!

I have several pairs made in advance and will be making more as the orders come in.

{Im}patiently Waiting

This waiting is enough to drive a Mommy CRAZY!!!! We are at day 58 today, waiting for our LSC. I just had to put that number out there. I know there is a ticker on the side, but it doesn't give a NUMBER and right now I need a number! LOL We are almost fully packed for Makayla and the rest of us have so few clothes that we have to wait to pack our stuff until a few nights before. However, we have packed just about everything on the two lists including the medicines! At this rate though, we most likely will not be with her for Christmas this year, and that made me sad! I know there is a greater plan, but sometimes I think mine might be better=) That is until His plan is revealed and then I am sure His will be better! Just wanted to let you know where we were in our process at this point. We are praying the LSC comes Monday!

{UPDATE}

We got an update on Makayla this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so excited!!!! Here is a LO I created this morning of her new pictures:) I cannot believe how much she has already grown since last month! She is so cute with her little smirk in the first picture!

{WE GOT OUR...}

Log In Date (LID) TODAY and a Lady Bug Letter from our Adoption agency!!!! However, our LID is was actually dated for August 27, 2009 because China releases them in batches. So, it was only 6 days after our Dossier went to China that we got our official LID. Clearly God has a plan and I am freakin' excited to live it!!!!

Now, we are waiting for a SPEEDY Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC). That states that we do in fact want our Makayla and then when that is returned to CHINA with a big YES, we will then receive our Travel Approval (TA)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are one step closer to our little girl!!!

Also, the family that is taking our photo album and stuffed animal to Makayla, will be there on the 21st of this month. That is only 11 days until she sees US, her FOREVER FAMILY!!!!! I cannot wait to see MORE pictures of absolute sweetness.

In the mean time, I have been working on Makayla's 100 Good Wishes Quilt. I have 48 squares ready to sew and 27 coming in the mail from a Yahoo Group I joined. The 27 squares are from women all over the world who are also adopting from China and making their child a quilt. I just mailed 25 letters with fabric and wishes in it. Some are doing two quilts, so I sent two in an envelope. I am so excited and can't wait to get fabric back!!! There were women from Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada and all over the USA. This is going to be a beautiful quilt!!!! I will post pictures when I get started sewing.

I also finished reading another book...Saving Levi. If you have not read this book, you should!!! It was a fast read and a very touching. It shows God's Hands in one family's entire adoption process. You will be amazed!!!

OK, well there is your update! Keep praying...it's working!!!!!!

Hugs,
The Sweeney's

{Makayla's Room}

I finally had a moment to post a picture of Makayla's room for you all to see. I just LOVE to be in her room right now! I sometimes just lay on the floor and imagine that I am that much closer to her.
My neighbor and friend Christine painted Makayla's wall for me and we love it!!! Then only thing we are waiting for is her actual crib mattress and of course the most important is her!

~NEWS~NEWS~NEWS~NEWS~
We also had some other exciting news...we sent Makayla a small package (8-27-09) with a photo album and a stuffed animal blanket. I had so much fun making the album for her, it made me realize that this very album I am putting together for her will actually be in her tiny hands THIS MONTH!!!! It has pictures of all of us, her Grand parents, our house, her room and her pets. There is another family going to get their little one from the same orphanage that Makayla is at and they were willing to take her a package for us. I am so excited for her to get it, maybe it will put a smile on her little face!
Here area couple of pictures of us with her items...we are actually at the post office because I forgot the camera!!! I had just had a corneal bandage (contact) put on my eye and I was NOT thinking that morning! I had a paper-cut on my eye and it would not heal with out this contact!!! Thank God for contacts, the pain was awful until the bandage! Enough about me...here is the picture taken with my cell phone...Have a wonderful week!!!
The Sweeney's


And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is love.
~1 Corinthians 13:13

{YIPPPPPYYYYYY}

OUR DOSSIER OFFICIALLY WENT TO CHINA TODAY (jumping up and down)!!!! We are finished with our paper chase for our little girl!! We feel so blessed at how quickly our process has gone. We feel God is in control of everything and he really wants us to have our Makayla. I cannot wait for the moment I can hold her in my arms, kiss on her little cheeks, and hear her giggle for the first time!! I don't even know her yet, but I love her and miss her. Mommy is ready...!!!

Next step is waiting for our Log In Date (LID) and our Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC) When those come in, which can take 6 weeks to a couple of months (we have faith is will be soon), we will then get our travel plans. We basically have to have an appointment at the American Embassy in China and permission from the Chinese government and Makayla's province to come in to the country. We were assigned a new person, Beth is her name, at GWCA today. She will be arranging our travel for us. Can you believe how FAST God has worked in our lives for this little girl!!!

We almost have her room ready too. My friend and neighbor Christine has hand painted the most adorable cherry blossoms on Makayla's wall. My friend Sandy has loaned us a beautiful crib. My friend Cortney gave us a car seat, books, DVDs, and clothes. My friend Lisa surprised me with some super cute gifts for Makayla when we were in Seattle. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!!!! This is so FUN shopping and planning for a little girl again. I will take some pictures soon of her room and post them for you to see.

A Special Thank You~
We could not have done this so quickly and efficiently with out our coordinator Cortney and her husband Sean, who paved the path before us in their adoption. They were both a wealth of knowledge and when ever we needed anything or had any questions, they would be there for us. Even if they didn't have the answers then, they would research and ask questions until they did. The bonus is that through this process we have become friends. Their little girl is from the same orphanage as Makayla, so I hope they will be close and kind of like sisters. This has been an absolutely wonderful experience and we are grateful to be chosen by God to be Makayla's parents.

Have a wonderful evening and THANK YOU for all your prayers and continued support!
The Sweeney's

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ~Mark 11:24

{WE GOT IT}

We got our Pre-Approval (PA) letter from CHINA today!!! We have been officially matched with our little girl, Makayla!!! We were so excited that it only took China 7 days to process our request, the time frame should have been 2-4 weeks!! Now, our dossier will be sent to China matched with Makayla. They are saying that the process time for our Dossier is running 70-120 days. We will just see about that, I cannot imagine it going that slow with as fast as the rest of our process has been, but again it is all in God's hands and I am trusting in Him! When they have fully processed our Dossier we will get our Log In Date (LID) and Letter Seeking Confirmation ( LSC). The LSC is China asking us one last time if we are sure we want to accept Makayla as our daughter. When we send that letter back with a giant YES, we should get our travel plans in about 2-4 weeks after that.


Here is what you have all been waiting for...I made this LO on the way to Seattle Sunday morning, when we received updated pictures of her. She most likely just woke up from a nap, but she is still so CUTE, sleepy eyes and all!!! I cannot wait to hold this precious little girl in my arms and call her my own!!! God is so good!!!! Makayla has a "Forever Family" and we have a "FOREVER daughter"!

Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray for all of us in this process.

The Sweeney's

{SCREECHING HALT}

Picture created by FlowerFlora at Two Peas in a Bucket

Well, kind of!!! After all the RUSH to get our FINAL Dossier to GWCA, we found out that we had two documents that needed to be re-done and I had forgotten to add the original passport photo's!! However, it again is God's Plan...turns out that if we had sent our Dossier in this Friday, we would have had to pay the FULL price going the Non-Special Needs route. We had in fact chosen Makayla, but China still needs to send us the Pre-Approval letter and say YES to that. Once that happens, which takes about two weeks, we can then be matched with Makayla and it will be the Waiting Child route. That route is about $400 dollars cheaper, not that that is a big deal, but that will be $400 towards the orphanage donation instead! So, we will wait the two weeks for the Pre-Approval letter and then send in the Dossier. Thank you Lord!!! It seems so confusing when you hear about it, but when you actually experience it, it all makes so much more sense!!! I did get all the new documents in the mail to Jessa by 2:00pm, so she should receive them this week. WHEW!!!!

What else happened today you ask?!?! We went to our church and picked up our Letter of Recommendation from our very own Pastor Cathy!!! We just love her and I am so honored she would write this letter for us and then get her picture taken! She will forever be a part of our adoption process and that just makes my heart smile. She is more than just a Pastor to me, she is my sister and friend! Thanks Cathy!!!

Well, that is your NEWEST update for today and we will continue to pray for grants and wait for China to send our Pre-Approval letter. I can't believe it has almost been a week since we said "YES" to our Makayla!!!

Have a wonderful evening!
The Sweeney's

{MIND-BOGGLING NEWS}

We have had so much to do since we locked Makayla's file on Friday (July 31st)!!! We had to send a letter of Intent (LOI), pictures and more paperwork to Stephanie at Great Wall China Adoption (GWCA) by Saturday evening!! After our LOI was checked by Stephanie, all those documents were sent to China on Sunday (August 2). Now, we wait for our Pre-Approval (PA) letter. That could take anywhere from 2-4 weeks. We are praying for it to go smoothly and that they accept our letter, so we can be matched with our little girl!!!
On Monday (August 3) all our Dossier documents came in the mail from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco!! I checked the date on the envelope of when they sent it back to us and it was the same day we said "YES" to our Makayla (July 31st)!!! That was no coincidence, but God at work with His master plan and another Red Thread!
We still had a couple things to complete with the Dossier back in our hands. We were going to have to move pretty FAST to get it all in the mail on the same day we got it back!!! We had to go make 2 copies of the entire Dossier, fill out the cover letters, passport photo's...etc!!! We ran out the door to Kinko's and it took us an hour to make all those copies. We then jump back in the car to head to the Post Office to mail the FINAL Dossier to GWCA. We made it with 15 minutes to spare before the Post Office closed for the day!!!! WHEW!!!
If our Dossier gets to them by today, August 5th (praying), Jessa will be able to review it. If everything look good then our Dossier will be mailed to CHINA this Friday (August 7th)!!!! That would mean that our LOI and our Dossier got to China in the same week! GW only mails the Dossiers to China on Friday's, so if there is any problem at all we will have to wait for the next Friday. We are praying hard for THIS Friday!!! Then, we wait again, but this time it is for our Log In Date (LID). When that happens, which could take up to 90 days, we can then be ready to travel to CHINA to get our little Makayla. We are hoping before the end of the year to travel.
Mike and I have been filling out grants like crazy to hopefully help us with a portion of the adoption expenses. We were not planning on going so soon, but very excited to be able to hold her in our arms!!!! Please continue to pray for us, so we can move quickly to bring Makayla home.

I think I have talked enough for one morning:) I hope you all have a blessed day and thank you for you prayers!

HUGS,
The Sweeneys

This was my favorite picture that Missi took of us making all the copies!!! He loves me ya ya ya:)

This is us right before running out the door of the copy center to mail the FINAL Dossier!!! Yes, it is in a plastic Ziploc bag, for protection. I guess more than one family has had their Dossier arrive and it had been dropped in a puddle or caught in a rain storm. All the documents were wet and the ink had ran all over!!

{GOD is GOOD}

WE ARE SO THRILLED TO TELL YOU THE NEWS............I do not have a lot of time to post tonight, but I did want to let you all know we locked a little girls file today and our Makayla has found us!!!!!!!!!! It has been a roller-coaster for the last 3 days, but God has held our hands the entire way. I cannot post pictures of her, her real name, or her birthday until the CCAA gives us approval. What I can tell you she is sooooo ADORABLE!!! She is just 2 years old this month, 22 lbs, and 30 inches tall!!! We are on cloud 9 and are so EXCITED to be chosen as her Mom and Dad!!! We will be traveling to China in hopefully less than 6 months to get her and bring her home. I will come back later to fill you in with more details, but for now we are exhausted and in awe of God and how quickly He has brought us together as Makayla's FOREVER family!!!

The Sweeney's

{WOOHOO}

Update time, grab a cup of tea and have a sit, this could take a while...LOL

I hadn't posted it, but on the 20th of July we got our Authenticated document back from Olympia!!! That only took them a few days!!! I was then on the phone with our Coordinator and our Dossier Consultant to make sure I had all the proper information to send my 13 documents to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco for more Authentication!!! It took me just a day to get it all together (copies of all documents, G1, cover letter, money order, and a self addressed postage paid envelope) and it was in the mail for just $35!!! LOL I sent it EXPRESS overnight both ways! Here are our pictures at the post office. You cannot take pictures inside the post office, but he let us run back outside with the document and take each others pictures and then take it back in to be mailed.

As soon as that nice FAT envelope comes back to me (and we are praying hard that it is FAST with no complications),we have everything ready to send to GWCA!!!! That is including the funds to pay our last fee and the money for the CCAA. GOD is good! We sat down two nights ago and figured out all we have paid already for this paper chase. We felt totally blessed how God has brought every dollar we need to get through this first phase. We have sold as much stuff as we could, we have had fabulous friends donate their things for our yard sale, and had extra money in our check book!!! It is so obvious to us that this is Gods plan for our lives.

Our next financial piece is saving for the Orphanage Donation, which is $5, 100 dollars.

I am on page 40 of my cookbook, so that should be ready soon. I was hoping by then end of July, but it may be more like August. Sorry, if you were hoping for July.

Also, I was asked if I wanted to do a fundraiser through Creative Memories to earn money for the adoption. A friend of mine is a consultant and would love to have a bunch of ladies over to scrap and everything they buy, we would get her profit from. That was her way of helping us out!!! I will be planning that one as soon as school starts again and everyone is able to come and have a BLAST scrap booking!

Still not sure of the BINGO night, but it is definitely still on the list to do.

Oh, I also went to Colville and spent some time with family. While I was there I made a stained glass Cherry Blossom for Makayla's room. My mother-in-law is very much into stained glass and had everything I needed for my first project. Here is a picture of me with my Cherry Blossom.


Thank you all for your continued prayers for our famiy and for Makayla!!!
We love you all!
The Sweeney's


"Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass." Psalms 37:3-5

{GONE AGAIN}

...but of these, the greatest is love.

Our I-797C is out of my hands again...well, not the original this time but a copy! I had to get a copy of it and then have the document notarized. After that and a $15 check, it is in the mail to Olympia to be authenticated!!!! Whew, another step complete! Now, we wait...again! lol
While I am waiting, I will be getting all 13 documents ready to send off the the Chinese Consulate and hopefully, it won't take Olympia too long to authenticate ONE document. Please continue to keep us in your prayers...
The Sweeney's

{WE GOT IT}

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! We got our APPROVAL letter from the FBI today and our fingerprints passed!!! We are the proud owners of a I-797C!!!!! I am so relieved I do NOT have to do my prints again, God is good!!! I now have to get it notarized at our bank and then Authenticated at the State level. After that is complete, all of our documents are mailed to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, California. We are one step closer and almost FINISHED!!!!!Have a blessed week!!!
The Sweeney's

{FBI Finger Printing}

Whew, that is over...I hope! Mikes prints were great, but mine may not be. The gentleman who did our prints was very nice, but was not sure if mine would be accepted by the Department of Homeland Security. If even one print is not good, they reject the entire printing! I had two fingers that would not produce a good print, they were visible, but not deep dark prints. He is not the one who ultimately decides, someone else is. He said I need to use "Corn Huskers" and by rubbing that on my fingers on a daily basis, it will rebuild my finger prints! I never knew you could grow them back?!? One of the worst things you can do is garden...ummm...hello, I am a gardener! lol

We are praying that I will not have to go back again. We really want to get moving on the final steps of our adoption paperwork and that could hold us up a week or more. Please keep us in your prayers on this one! We really want our Dossier to China by the end of the month!!!

Other than that...not much else is happening! I am almost finished with cooking all the recipes that will be in my cookbook and we are all enjoying every bit of it. These are all the recipes I cook my family on a regular basis, but I had to cook it all again, so I could take pictures. Trust me on this, you will be hungry when you see the photos! I am also beginning to make some baby quilts to sell and we will still be having our BINGO Night & Silent Auction in the future. I am not sure of the dates yet, but I will be sure to post and let you know!

Hope your 4th was fantastic and have a blessed week!
The Sweeney's