I haven't posted in some time...because....I don't have anything to say.....I don't know what to say.....It's all been said.....No reason really. I have just been busy and not a whole lot has been going on with China adoptions. Referrals are moving at a snails pace as usual.
It is hard for me to believe that we are closing in on 22 months of waiting (since LID) and still really with no end in sight! The CCAA has now referred parents who were logged in through December 14th 2005. So there are 2 months and 2 days worth of LID's until they get to ours. When stated this way it doesn't sound so bad! But, when you consider that as an average, for the last 6 months, they have only been referring 6.16 days per month that means for them to get through those 63 days until our LID would take 10.22 months! This would mean a referral in October or November of 2008!! 2 years and 8 or 9 months from LID to referral! Oh God, I can't believe I just typed that! It's going to speed up right??? There are less people logged in late December and January....right??? If we did not get a referral until November of 2008, that could mean we would not even travel until 2009! That couldn't/wouldn't happen....right?!
Really, I know there are no answers to any of these questions. And by now I am completely aware of the fact that pretty much any scenario is possible. Funny thing is though, after nearly 2 years, I have finally been able to kind of accept the wait and the fact that I have no control over what happens. Maturity??? Acceptance??? Resolve??? Maybe...or maybe I have just been beat down by all of this just going from bad to worse for so long that I have surrendered! No matter the cause, I suppose it is good for my emotional health to not be so stressed about the situation.
Ultimately, Willow will be home with us where she belongs. We will be the family that I have dreamed of for SO long. We will look back and remember the wait and think "wow...that was a LONG wait"...but I bet not remember the pain or the agony it has been from time to time. I can sit here right now and close my eyes and see Willow...see her beautiful shiny black hair....see her sweet innocent smile....and see something deep in those stunning dark eyes of hers, that maybe...just maybe there is a little more of a mischievous girl than the innocent girl in there...but sweet none the less! For all of these reasons, for the vision of her I have in my head, for the great volume of my heart that she has already taken up...we wait. And wait....and will wait until it is "time" and then we will go get Willow and bring her home to her family. Because this is what is meant to be. And all will be good with the world!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
National Day Week
China is currently celebrating one of the three "Golden Weeks" in China.
National Day was October 1st and it is a week long national holiday. This is actually the 58th celebration of National Day, as the PRC was founded October 1, 1949.
Many Chinese families celebrate by going to Tianamen Square to observe the flag raising ceremony. There are many celebrations throughout China and it is a very busy time for travel since workers have the week off.
Enjoy yourselves our Chinese friends....enjoy the time with your families! Each of you can take pride in monumental growth and achievement that you all are responsible for within your country!
National Day was October 1st and it is a week long national holiday. This is actually the 58th celebration of National Day, as the PRC was founded October 1, 1949.
Many Chinese families celebrate by going to Tianamen Square to observe the flag raising ceremony. There are many celebrations throughout China and it is a very busy time for travel since workers have the week off.
Enjoy yourselves our Chinese friends....enjoy the time with your families! Each of you can take pride in monumental growth and achievement that you all are responsible for within your country!
UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH---Referrals Are Arriving!
Well, families started receiving information about their referrals today. It looks like the cut-off is going to be 11/30/05, but the CCAA website is not updated yet and they are on holiday until 10/08/07, so it looks like nothing formally will happen with that until then. But, since people with LID's of 11/30 have gotten referrals and no one beyond that has....unfortunately I'd say we are pretty safe with the 11/30 assumption!
Damn...damn...damn...I was SURE that they were going to refer thru December 5th! I was SO SURE of it! I scoffed at the thought that they were only going to finish November. WHY, after all of these months, do I continue to let it surprise and shock me at referral time?!
They started referring November 2005 in June of 2007 (technically on May 2007 they referred thru November 1, 2005) so it took ALL OF JUNE, ALL OF JULY, ALL OF AUGUST, ALL OF SEPTEMBER to match 1 MONTH OF LIDS! GOOD RIDDANCE NOVEMBER! Now let's quickly move thru December, January and get to February finally!
I still am insistent that we are going to get our referral on March 30th 2008! Of course lately I feel more like some crazy lady for sticking to that date...but that's been the date in my head...so I am sticking to it! Of course ironically, I have thought of this date (March 30th) for SO LONG, that I initially thought it was March 30, 2007! But we won't dwell on that now!
We are friends with a family who recently returned from adopting their child in China and the person who was their facilitator in China told them that "China would be closing to international adoption for 3 months for the Olympics". er...uh.....WHAT?! Yep, that is what he said! And when I questioned my friends saying I did not believe that, they said that the would believe what this individual told them over anything that the agencies here in the US knew at this point. Huh?! Crap! Okay...so apparently now I have to worry about another deadline....we need to be to China and back prior to the Olympics. Sure, I always wanted that, but the longer we wait the more I wonder if it is possible. And 3 months? Why 3 months? What 3 months? The Olympics begin on August 8 2008 and end on August 24 2008. So is the 3 months 1 before, July, the month of, August and one month after September? Or June, July & August....or......does this guy not know what he is talking about?!
I did hear somewhere that some countries have been told that they will not travel during the Olympics and I believe they were told for 2 months, although I don't know what 2 months, I assume July & August. It seems reasonable for some because some of the countries consulates are in Beijing. I can't even imagine the horror of trying to find a hotel room during this time. But there is not really any reason for anyone from the US to go to Beijing, short of that being where your baby is, which is also uncommon most come from Southern China. Most Americans only travel to Beijing a few days prior to getting their child to try to get acclimated to the time change/jet lag and to do some touristy things....Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, etc....But the US Consulate is in Guangzhou...no where near Beijing! This sucks for anyone that it is going to impact! I don't know how the CCAA is going to handle this, are they not going to give out any referrals for a few months or are they going to give out referrals and possibly make the people wait and extra month or two to travel?! Either way it sucks! And means that some of our babies will be potentially staying in an orphanage longer due to an "international sporting event"! Okay, okay, I know the olympics are more than that! But I can assure you that they are NOTHING to me compared to our Willow!
As always....the drama continues! Any PAP out there that has heard anything about the time around the olympics...let me know.
Damn...damn...damn...I was SURE that they were going to refer thru December 5th! I was SO SURE of it! I scoffed at the thought that they were only going to finish November. WHY, after all of these months, do I continue to let it surprise and shock me at referral time?!
They started referring November 2005 in June of 2007 (technically on May 2007 they referred thru November 1, 2005) so it took ALL OF JUNE, ALL OF JULY, ALL OF AUGUST, ALL OF SEPTEMBER to match 1 MONTH OF LIDS! GOOD RIDDANCE NOVEMBER! Now let's quickly move thru December, January and get to February finally!
I still am insistent that we are going to get our referral on March 30th 2008! Of course lately I feel more like some crazy lady for sticking to that date...but that's been the date in my head...so I am sticking to it! Of course ironically, I have thought of this date (March 30th) for SO LONG, that I initially thought it was March 30, 2007! But we won't dwell on that now!
We are friends with a family who recently returned from adopting their child in China and the person who was their facilitator in China told them that "China would be closing to international adoption for 3 months for the Olympics". er...uh.....WHAT?! Yep, that is what he said! And when I questioned my friends saying I did not believe that, they said that the would believe what this individual told them over anything that the agencies here in the US knew at this point. Huh?! Crap! Okay...so apparently now I have to worry about another deadline....we need to be to China and back prior to the Olympics. Sure, I always wanted that, but the longer we wait the more I wonder if it is possible. And 3 months? Why 3 months? What 3 months? The Olympics begin on August 8 2008 and end on August 24 2008. So is the 3 months 1 before, July, the month of, August and one month after September? Or June, July & August....or......does this guy not know what he is talking about?!
I did hear somewhere that some countries have been told that they will not travel during the Olympics and I believe they were told for 2 months, although I don't know what 2 months, I assume July & August. It seems reasonable for some because some of the countries consulates are in Beijing. I can't even imagine the horror of trying to find a hotel room during this time. But there is not really any reason for anyone from the US to go to Beijing, short of that being where your baby is, which is also uncommon most come from Southern China. Most Americans only travel to Beijing a few days prior to getting their child to try to get acclimated to the time change/jet lag and to do some touristy things....Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, etc....But the US Consulate is in Guangzhou...no where near Beijing! This sucks for anyone that it is going to impact! I don't know how the CCAA is going to handle this, are they not going to give out any referrals for a few months or are they going to give out referrals and possibly make the people wait and extra month or two to travel?! Either way it sucks! And means that some of our babies will be potentially staying in an orphanage longer due to an "international sporting event"! Okay, okay, I know the olympics are more than that! But I can assure you that they are NOTHING to me compared to our Willow!
As always....the drama continues! Any PAP out there that has heard anything about the time around the olympics...let me know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)