This and That

We received our LOA almost 2 weeks ago.  After LOA comes the I-800 process.  This is what gives Sarah, as Sui Fenglan, prelimenary approval to be issued a visa to enter the US.  It is also our request to identify her as "an immediate relative".  Once we recieved our LOA we signed it and overnighted it along with a bunch of other documents to our agency who sent the I-800 application to USCIS and the LOA back to China, I think.

We got our receipt letter from USCIS today!  That's good.  I sent in the form to get a text when it arrives at the lockbox but never received it.  I was so glad to see they have all our "stuff".  Now we wait for approval.  This step has lots of calling and emailing and getting of things and I'm still not sure I completely understand it but I'm glad to be at this point. We are looking at the first part of November for travel.

We've been painting away over here!  Here is the before picture of her room:

And as of right now it looks like this:

That black magnetic board in the first picture was great, but it was bear to cover up!  Hopefully we will have her bed put together this weekend and I'm looking for a dresser to paint.  Getting there!

We also had the shelves in the closet torn out this week and have patched and painted in there.  I mean as well as an accountant and a teacher can patch and paint a closet with shelves ripped out.  Which is not very well, but I'm trying really hard to not let it bug me!  

Wish it really did look as good as the picture makes it look.  I am glad to have her sweet clothes hanging in it!  I have to go get more baby hangers so I can hang up the rest!

I also have a care package put together for Sarah.  I am not asking for an update although I REALLY want one.  My social worker said that we only get to ask for one and the pictures we got with her cake party in the sping count even though we didn't get any information. Major Bummer!!!  We will get another one before we travel though so I am looking forward to that.  For now I am just going to send this package through a sevice so I can be sure it gets to her.  Once the China contact has the pacakge she will add some treats for the nannies and some clothes for the other kids and get it to the orphange.  

I kept it really simple. 

*A bag of lollipops to share with friends.

*Some sparkly barrettes

*A sparkly bracelet

*Some silly Bandz (which, just as aside, I once stood in line for and paid $8.  I bought these for .25- gotta love a fad!)

*A soft stuffed rattle toy

*2 t-shirts

*A photo book of pictures of us

*A blanket I made.  I made another one just like it to take with us to China.

I will mail it on Tuesday.  Shane asked how much it costs to mail something to China.  I have no idea!! One blog I read the other day spent a ton of time and money on a care package and it was a big backpack stuffed full and it cost $85 to mail!!!  Very hopeful we will come in under that!

We hope to get our I-800 approval in the next week - 10 days.  After that comes some Visa work for her.  We are working on our visa applications now.  

Moving along!