I found a dream that I can speak to...a dream that I could call my own*

We still feel like we're dreaming. I suppose until we have Ella in our arms, that will continue to some degree. With eight days under our belt, now we are on to the arduous tasks of Visa applications, getting the house ready, gathering items for a care package to send to Ella and packing lists. I think the packing will probably be the death of me. Three weeks in a foreign land with a confused baby and packing for every worst-case scenario? I'm so thankful that Larry and I have quite a few European trips in our history together. We are great travel mates.

As you know from my earlier post, we received the original referral from China. Larry and I reviewed it and signed the Letter of Acceptance. Within an hour, I was out the door to expedite that signed Letter to our agency. Oh, that felt great! That Letter, along with those from the other families in our travel group, will be sent to the CC@@ in China. This Letter gets the ball rolling for our eventual travel. When that travel will occur is a gray area. We hope to be on our way in January sometime. After four years? This wait will be a piece of cake.

So, let me share a little about Ella. For sure we know that she lives in the Kunming area. And we know that she spent her first several months at the Kunming CWI. We are comforted by these photos of the orphanage. In the next few weeks, we will learn if she has been moved to a foster home. (It is customary for this orphanage to move healthy babies to foster homes at five months of age.)

Here's a bit more:
Chinese Name: Man Li
At 3 1/2 months: 13 lbs and 24 inches long
She likes bright, loud toys. She likes to be held and rocked.
Her disposition: obstinate

She laughs out loud.
She eats every
three hours and is a deep sleeper.

We think that sounds like a perfect fit for us. She'll be pounding the drums with her daddy in no time.

*Ella Fitzgerald, At Last