LOA or adoption update

Finally, we had one thing in this adoption go quickly - we received our LOA in only 41 days ! That is the document from China that says they have reviewed every detail of our lives and they have determined that we are qualified to parent Rosemary ShiSong and Dominic LuMin. Yipee! Now we just have 4 more steps with US immigration and 1 more step with China and we will be on our way. It is even possible that we would travel in July, which would be exquisitely perfect timing, since Camila would be visiting from the Netherlands, and could stay and watch Andy , Nellie and Ariel while we are gone. That would clearly mean that all the whining and complaining I did all the way through this adoption about it taking so long was a faithless lack of understanding that God was in perfect control all along. Wonder if I'll be able to remember this the next time things don't seem to be going as I wish?

The two little girls in the middle of the picture making the victory sign are Mary Kate Baker and Rosemary Wright. The have grown up together , first in the orphanage and then as neighbors in fostercare. When MK left with her adoptive family, they expected to never see each other again. However, by Divine Coincidence MK's mother and I met online shortly before she went to get MK this past January. Last Friday, I had lunch with MK and her mom, Karen, in Atlanta. I learned a little more about Rosie (MK says her eyesight is bad and she walks like a dog ..lol ...no idea what that might mean ) These two girls are joining remarkably similar families (both as homeschooled 13th children !). We are all excited about getting together somewhere (perhaps the Creation Science museum) after Rosie and Dominic come home. Mary Kate has written a very sweet note for me to take to Rosie when we get her which I hope will make Rosie a little less nervous about leaving everything she has ever known.

While we do not even know if Rosie will be told before we get there that she is going to be adopted (every orphanage handles this as they choose), we know that Dominic knows because our friend Cheryl told him! And we even got to talk to him briefly on Skype ! Although, I think he was somewhat shocked, he said he was not afraid and that he thought it would be a good thing. Please pray for LuLiang, D's older friend, who we also tried, unsuccessfully, to bring home. Cheryl had to tell him too and he was Very disappointed. Pray also that Dominic is safe from anything rooted in jealousy.

Fishing

Ariel and Ethan have taken up a new sport this spring - fishing! However, while they have both been Naturals at every other sport they have attempted, this one has been a little harder for them to master. In fact, after many hours of effort they had not manage to land even one fish here in NC. So when they heard there was a lake in the backyard of the house we rented for Disney they were excited. Their enthusiasm spread to the siblings and everyone had lots of fun reeling them in. Don't let this first picture of Ethan's catch fool you - even though Ariel did catch several fish, as you can see in #3 she was never willing to touch one!
The whole experience was made even more exciting because of the little guy swimming toward Everett in picture 2. It was my first sighting of an alligator in the wild. It was not to be my last. The lakes in the neighborhood where our house was were filled with them. Maybe that's why we never saw any kids outside playing. Or maybe it's like bears here in the mountains - you know they are there but they don't stop you from hiking anywhere.

As you can see, Ryan had a fine catch but Jay caught the grandaddy of them all !