Today, 82 days after our LID (log in date of our dossier in China), we have received the official (and literal) 'red stamp of approval' from China to adopt Wu Ling Mei! Hooray!!!! It was signed in China on Friday the 13th, exactly 6 months after our PreApproval was signed. For me, thirteen has always been a lucky number! Incidentally, we also waited exactly 82 days from LID for approval to adopt Eliana. So I guess 82 is now my lucky number, too!
In other happy news, some local friend of ours with an LID about a month after ours also received their approval today, very unexpectedly! So, we may get to see spend some time with our friends from Virginia in China! Their son is in a different province than Mei Mei, but perhaps in Guangzhou or for the Lunar New Year, if that works out. They have a daughter the same age as Eliana, and it would be wonderful if they could have each other as playmates for part of the trip!
It is snowing in Wuhan this week!!!! Not bad winter storms as they had last year, just flurries. And more snow possible on Thursday. As we speak, a care package with some extra warm clothes is on its way to Mei Mei from her new family. :o) I used Ann at Red Thread China to send it from within China to get it to Mei Mei more quickly. There is also some nice tea for her foster family and also for Director Chen. I have enclosed some self addressed stamped envelopes (and also our email address to the Director) and am REALLY hoping for some correspondence back from Mei Mei, in whatever form it takes.
I quickly need to get to work on her birthday care package. Our little girl turns eight on December 1st! I so wanted to be with her for her birthday this year. And then we were hoping maybe over winter break or New Year, but we will not have travel approval in time now. But at least it looks like we will be with her for Chinese New Year for sure! Depending on how our Travel Approval dates work out, we may even be able to complete the adoption process and then stick around to ring in the Year of the Tiger in China with Mei Mei. Now THAT would be extraordinary!
Hugs from Virginia,
Laura Beth
