On March 18th, Holt International, our adoption agency received word that our Article 5 was picked up and forwarded to the China Center of Adoption Affairs this week. They estimate that our travel approval (TA) should arrive in Holt’s office in the next 2-3 weeks. This is an average based on families that have gone before us most recently. Our actual TA might arrive sooner or later. When our TA arrives in Holt's office, Holt will let us know via email, and then start working on our travel arrangements. Families typically travel to China 3-6 weeks after their TA arrives in Holt’s office.
At the same time we have been working with a courier to help us secure visa’s which are added to our passport which gives us permission to travel to and from China. We just got word that the visa’s were approved and should get our passports back either Thursday or Friday of this week so we continue to move forward. We just received the completed Visa's back over the weekend!
The last outstanding piece we have left with our current paperwork obligations is to get a renewed medical evaluation on Sonja and I. We are in the process of doing that and should have everything complete in about a week. So everything is moving along...and we are getting increasingly excited about meeting Zoe.
Oh....a special shout out to our son Nathaniel as today is his birthday...Happy Birthday Nathaniel, your mom and dad love you...only 10 more years when you turn 24 then we might consider allowing you to get your drivers permit! Thanks for following our blog!
We are all getting super excited for you as well. I think that Zoe gets talked about almost everyday asking questions and trying to find out more about China. I agree with your comment about Nathaniel not getting his permit for another 10 years, I think that will be a new Fernau law. We will blam all the grand kids who have already driven and wreaked for this new law. I think if we stick together we can do this. Payton's comment was "you are going to now be driving me to all my classes and activities while I'm in college." My responce was "Yes, if it keeps you from wreaking my car and keeping you safe!! I love you!!" She just smiled and laughed. Then asked "your not serious are you?"
ReplyDeleteWe also want to give a big shout out to Nathaniel for a wonderful birthday. Piper said make sure he knows I said happy birthday also. So from Piper tell him "Happy Birthday"
Take care and let us know if you need anything - If Nathaniel is not busy this weekend we will be in town the girls have to dance and I am sure Carter would love to see him.