I just want to run over to China, just for a minute.

It makes me happy to have Joesph's update but at the same time I want even more to get on a plane. I've asked CAWLI to see it they can get an update on Jewel too. I wonder if China and Hague allowed it if we'd find the money to fly over by myself real quick? Someone online posted that Cathay Pacific Airline was having a China flight sale under $1000 airfare to celebrate opening a new route from Chicago.

I want so much to meet them. Joesph's four now and I want so much to learn his personality. What he likes and dislikes and just get on the floor and play with him. Tell him we are coming and leave him with good feelings of how much fun I can be and him looking forward to our return. Some countries require two or more trips and parents say its even harder. To hold them and start getting to know each other and then have to leave them behind for several more months. I know they're right. I'd never be able to leave the children behind. As much as I want to see and hold them that would be 100 times worse. Jewel is a 9 month old baby and although I'd like to see and hold her too it's his age that makes it harder. Kids are remembering so much in the preschool years. If we could ease their transition to our family it would be worth the money.

I've bought a few things for the children but I'm trying to save every penny I can for the fees and trip. Some people ask about the costs involved and some people don't. I know I'd be curious if it was someone else. First off, its illegal to buy a human being. So please don't ever ask "how much did they cost?" to an adoptive family, they won't appreciate it. There are however many fees involved in adoption, domestic or international. Many of the fees stay right here in the US. Fingerprinting, home study, criminal background checks, immigration application for the children and U.S. adoption agency fees total around $13,000. Fees to the Chinese government for visas and the government paperwork will be around $13,000. They require just as much paperwork as the U.S. China wants to be sure we are a good family. Not abusive, able to financially care for our children and stable in our marriage. Those are all good reasons for the checks and re-checks but that's a major reason our paperwork takes this long. Another $13,000 for mine and Dustin's flights to and inside China, hotels and food. That's approximately $39,000 not including any extras like bringing D and E, souvenirs or sight seeing while waiting for paperwork. We wait several days between government appointments getting our visa's and other papers ready. Travel fees for hotels and airlines can vary widely based on how much notice we have to book flights and the time of the year and if anything special is being celebrated in China.

I'm trying to gather things for a rummage sale, possibly in front of the pet store. There's way more traffic driving by there than by our country home. I told D that it will cost an extra $5000 to take him and E with us to get Joseph and Jewel. There are many benefits to bringing our current children to meet our new additions as far as bonding and forming our new family group. D has said he is willing to work on whatever it takes to help raise the money and so far we have worked on cleaning out the shop and finding things for the sale. Its hard when we would normally sell the toys and clothes the boys have outgrown but now we will need them. I have faith we will get the money together before we need to book our travel. The boys will need to apply for their passports this summer in order to receive them in time. They need passports to apply for Chinese visitor visas after we get our LOA, hopefully by the end of July. We have had a couple of our wonderful customer/friends say they would like to donate items for the sale. If you're reading this, thanks. We sure appreciate any donations for the sale or for the children. My mom said she would help setup and hopefully help run the sale on a Friday she is off work.

We had long since given up on having a baby girl and no longer have any baby things.  Some of the children from Jewel's SWI (orphanage) have crib fears so I'm not sure we will be able to use one. But I'm thinking she might use a pack-n-play playpen. Then she would also have something to nap in at the store.  If we have to keep Jewel in a dresser drawer and give Joseph sticks to play with in the yard we'll still be a happy family.  ;-) LOL But it won't some to that I'm sure. I feel so happy every time I think about the children. I have found being "paper pregnant" is just as emotional as when I carried the boys. Getting choked up when talking about the kids, longingly touching baby clothes at the store and having vivid dreams about them being home. OCTOBER is TOO long!!!