Adoption Update

Everything still seems to be on track for traveling around the second week of September. So today we sent off our China visa applications, passport and some more fees. Basically, we're asking them to kindly let us into their country. I'm a little nervous putting my passport in the mail, but it should come back with this cool looking stamp on the inside of it saying that we are officially invited to come in. We also got most our vaccination shots... I still have to go back for my tetanus shot in a few weeks (they were out because of all the kids starting back to school).

Our next priority is to get our official changes made from the USCIS on our home study document (changing it to match with an older child with special needs)... which we're already expecting to come in the mail any time. They don't always expedite these changes, so we will have to stay on top of it.

Also, we want to get Kate's care package in the mail quickly. We are sending a blanket that we've been sleeping with for a couple weeks, a disposable camera, a picture album of her new family with Chinese written on it (check out my profile picture or other examples on Amy's post: http://raisingtomatoes.blogspot.com/2008/07/taras-rockstar.html), and a journal with questions written in Chinese that we are hoping one of her care workers will fill out for us with additional information about her last 21 months. You never know if the care packages are going to make it to their intended destinations, but it's certainly worth a shot.

Also, we got an email from our agency saying that we will not be able to take a tour of Beijing due to the recent tragedy of the stabbing death of the American at a tourist site at the start of the Olympics. It's unfortunate for us, but it's obviously not the point of our trip. And who knows, it may change again before we actually arrive.

* I hope my new web address hasn't caused problems for any of you, but I hope you understand that I changed it in order to remove our last name and other identifiers from this public forum. Thanks for your patience :)