ADOPTION TRAVEL DATES CONFIRMED!!!!!
CHINA HERE WE COME!!!!
Wow! A LOT has happened since I last shared! So I've got some catching up to do! Our immigration paperwork has all been approved and we received TRAVEL APPROVAL yesterday (10/19), which states that we are allowed to enter the country and bring our son home!!!
Can I just tell you how EXCITED I was when I woke up at 6AM and saw that we have Travel Approval?! BEYOND excited!! We had also placed flights on hold yesterday with Adoption Airfare (whom are AMAZING and I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend using) and were hoping and praying the dates stayed the same as the tentative dates that were provided by our agency, AND THEY DID!!!! We received TRAVEL DATE CONFIRMATION this MORNING!!!! In THREE WEEKS we will fly out of Seattle and head to China to meet our son! I canNOT believe the dates are FINALLY set! I am SOOOOO ready! Our room is already starting to look like a stockpile mess of suitcases and things we will be taking with us!
Last week I had a mom who was heading out for their adoption journey to bring their son home and had seen my post regarding sending a care package to our son, message me. I was concerned that he would not receive it in time... She messaged asking me if I would like her to hand deliver it to the orphanage. I was BEYOND grateful!! And yesterday received new pictures of Tristan and a short video of him. And OH MAN does that make this Mama's heart thump hard in the chest. I also cannot wait to hug his caregivers and say THANK YOU for taking care of him. I can tell that in a sea of children, he has been well loved and taken care of. And for that, I am eternally grateful. I do not know, however, how I will be able to tour where he lived for almost 2 years and not want to take every single child home that is still currently waiting...
Our final steps is processing our travel visas, which should hopefully take place next week! Then all that is left is to pack, double and triple check the packing list, and get ready!
I am a ball of emotions! Excited, anxious, thrilled, nervous... My heart's prayer and cry is that when Tristan meets us that he has a peace that comes upon him knowing that he is safe. That he trusts us and isn't afraid. His world is about to be forever changed. He will no longer live in the walls of an orphanage. He will no longer be without.
Our world, too, is about to change, and I am SO ready for everything that comes with that. Will it be easy, by no means. Raising children is never a walk in the park, no matter if they come from your womb or not. But one thing is for sure, he is my SON. His joys become my joys. His griefs my griefs. We will walk this together hand in hand. And I KNOW that God will continue to walk us through this journey called life with Tristan. He will and already has surrounded us with people who will walk along side us in this journey. Our lives will NEVER be the same. And I am SO glad about that!
We are SOOOO eternally grateful for all of the prayers and outpouring of support we have already received from SOOO many people. From the cards, notes, texts, calls, hugs, tears, strength... We are beyond grateful! Thank you!! We cannot wait to share our upcoming trip with all of you!
