Happy 2009

It's 2009, which only means one thing in this house...we're closer to China! This is the year for China and for Caleb. And for those of you wondering where we are in our wait, here's what we know. First of all, we now know that our official Log In Date (LID) is November 18. That was the day that all of our paperwork was officially logged into the Chinese system. Now we are waiting on a Letter of Confirmation (LOC) from China. We know that our adoption agency has consistently received Letters of Confirmation within 3-5 months of Log In Dates. That means we are expecting to get the all important LOC as soon as Feb 10 (which would be 12 weeks from our LID) and as late as April 7 (which would be 20 weeks from our LID). Once we get our Letter of Confirmation from China, we will likely travel about 7 weeks later. So, the bottom line is that we think we may be in China as early as the end of March. But it is pretty likely it will be April and it could be even May. And this is all educated guesswork at best. The good thing is that we're already 6 weeks (and 2 days, to be exact) into our LOC wait. We may, just may, be 1/2 way to our LOC!

Caleb, oh what a year you have ahead of you! As you were eating lunch today, we were ringing in the new year. 2009. A year full of surprises for you! A year full of hugs and kisses and bedtime stories and piggy back rides on daddy and warm baths and homemade chocolate chip cookies and bike rides and swimming fun and birthday parties and soccer games and backyard football games and family game night and everything wonderful. And the best is that you'll be loving it all with your family. And I can't wait to see you experience it all for the first time this year. I'm sharpening my photography skills so that I'll be ready to get it all on camera! Practice smiling, little one. You're going to have a lot to smile about this year! 2009. A year of hope and love and family.

Zephaniah 3:17...The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

You dance over me

While I am unaware

You sing all around

But I never hear the sound

Lord, I'm amazed by You

How You love me

You paint the morning sky

With miracles in mind

My hope will always stand

For You hold me in Your hands