So Very Close.....

....to having our papers finished and off to China.   

Every single thing is signed, stamped and delivered to our agency except our Citizenship and Immigration approval.  Lyle and I were fingerprinted yesterday at The Department of Homeland Security and are waiting on that all-important approval notice to come in the mail.   Once it does, I'll drive it straight to Olympia to the Secretary of State's Office to get their seal of approval and then I'll overnight it to a courier in San Francisco who will hand-carry it to the Chinese Consulate and then overnight it to our agency.  If all of the stars align, I was hoping to have our dossier winging its way to China by October 8th. 

At the very least, I MUST have our approval in hand by October 6th because I will be incommunicado from October 7th-14th.  It's a surprise that I cannot divulge lest my two littlest ones read the blog!  Wish Yun Xi were already with us.  I think it's a surprise that would make him smile!

And speaking of smiles, how cute is that little guy?  Our little guy with no American name.  Rose suggested Silas last night and Lyle shocked me with (in all seriousness) Titus and then I was reminded of an adorable baby Finn who we knew in Iowa City and Lucy told me her friends all voted for Gavin and Cholita thought Stanley would make a fantastic name and Bruder said he's obviously a Simon and ........ Too many voters.  Too many choices.