From Here to There

I have said it before, adoption is not for the faint of heart.  I had to learn this the hard way.  You see, I like to know what is next when I am jumping into something "major", something "Life Changing"!  Fly by the seat of my pants?  NOT ME!  Now, I can deal with it and put my big girl britches on when things don't go as planned.   As a mom, you have to, or life would be pretty tough (and very stressful).
One of the many reasons we chose to adopt from China was because it was as well of an oiled machine as you could get in the world of adoption.  Not a lot of surprises.  Predictable! 
Yep!  Sign me up for that...predictable!
Well...It has been far from "easy".  Far from comfortable.  Far from predictable. 
It has been an emotional roller coaster.  Uncomfortable.  Trying of patience.  A lot of work.  A lot of
WAITING! (And WAITING and WAITING and WAITING and WAITING).
Now of course, it has already been worth it up to now.  And God only knows how blessed our lives will very soon be because she will be in our arms, but the waiting is hard.  The waiting is emotional.  The waiting is uncomfortable!  I am holding onto the promise that God is preparing her for His perfect timing for us to receive her into our family.  He knows.  His hand is on this...it has been all along.
TRUST.  PATIENCE.  OBEDIENCE. 
We sit and wait for that phone call or email to tell us "it is time to come".   Any day now.  So, we wait and wait and wait!
Here is a run down of everything we have had to do over the last 10 months to get to where we are right now....I am exhausted just thinking back on it!
Initial Application
Lifeline 1st Meeting
4 Home Study Meetings
Home Visit
Required Readings
Required Online Course
Fingerprints (State)
Child Abuse Background Check
2 Medicals
Passports
I-800A Approval
Fingerprints (FBI)
Dossier Info (14 or so documents make this up)
Dossier to China
Referral
Travel Visas
PRE -Approval
LOI
Approval
LOA
NVC letter
Cabled
Article 5
and lastly TA!  (Travel Approval)