We're DONE, DONE, DONE!

Our caseworker came this morning for the 12-month report that he has to do. I had all the paperwork, pictures, forms, copies, etc. that he needs to submit and send to Holt. This means we are completely finished with all the adoption paperwork, meetings, reports, pictures and anything else anybody wants from us! Wow! Two years and 2 1/2 months after we sent in the application, we're finally done! What a process!

The process has changed since we started due to the I-800 Hague Convention process that is now in place. As far as I can tell, it's MORE paperwork than we had to do!

I was thinking earlier today that one year ago today, we joined several other adopting families on a big tour bus and drove through the pouring rain in Guangzhou to the US Consulate to take our oaths and get our final paperwork and brown envelopes with our children's citizenship paperwork in them. Other families went directly to the train station. We took the bus back to the hotel and finished packing so that we could fly home the next day. Wow! Wow! Wow!

Welcome Home, Aubree Rae!

Last night, we were privileged to get to be at the airport when our friends, Bruce & Lila, brought their new daughter, Aubree Rae, home from China. Aubree is quite attached (literally) to her mom and is starting to warm up to her dad. She is 15 months old this month but is just starting to walk. Here are a few pictures we took last night.

I made her smile!

First Anniversary of GOTCHA DAY

One year ago today we met Meighan for the very first time! Tonight we celebrated by going out to the Amazing Pizza Machine. We'd never been there before. The food was quite good, the atmosphere was nice, the service was good, the prices were reasonable, the games/rides were good and clean, the place is HUGE and we'll go back there again someday! (as opposed to another establishment in town we went to a few weeks ago)

We ate first and then we went into the ride/arcade area. We spent a whole $5 and Meighan got to ride several rides (rides and some video games are 1/2 price Mondays thru Wednesdays during the school year!) and Tony even got to play a couple driving video games. Meighan wanted to ride the round-and-round roller coaster ride, that also went backwards, but she wasn't tall enough this year. Maybe next year I'll take her on it! She rode the carousel, the train and a couple car rides.

Gotcha Day, April 7, 2009 -- taken directly from our video of the moment we met her.

Riding the train.

Following in Daddy's footsteps (or should I say "tire tracks")?

Learning how to drive at 28 months.

Recent Fun

Easter Egg Hunt at the Nebraska Children's Home

I have ALL my stuff!

Aren't I cute?

Discovering ladybugs

Learning how to blow bubbles

Coloring with Daddy

Easter Egg Hunt at church

Easter Service at church

Family Easter picture

Easter dress

Done smiling and posing for now!

1 Year Ago Today

One year ago today we left for China to go bring Meighan home. How time flies!

Our secret until we returned home was her name. We knew her name before we got the referral but didn't tell anyone until we saw everyone at the airport in Omaha.

I was reading the blog posts from a year ago last night and remembering/reliving our experiences.

Friends from our church are in China right now! They met their daughter on Monday. They go to Guangzhou tomorrow (Friday) to finish up the adoption and come home next Friday on the same CHI-OMA flight that we did! We plan to be at the airport to meet them and their daughter, Aubree! She's a real cutie! Check out their blog: http://aubreeraejournal.blogspot.com. They are having some internet connection problems in province but have been able to get some pictures uploaded. Hopefully, they will have better luck in Guangzhou.