Thanksgiving Blessing

We backed out of the garage today to go to the relatives house for the holiday and stopped before leaving the driveway because there was a UPS package leaned against the front door. Low and behold, it was our long-awaited WACAP package with Ray's updated photos, video, and interview information! We are extremely thankful this arrived today and we were able to see our soon-to-be son showing off his English homework. I just wish we could give him a big hug!

Plus, on Monday night we got an email from Patti and Gene Bellavance with their photos of Ray and their son Mark that they just took while visiting the TRC this week. They are in Thailand visiting their relatives and told me they would say hi to Ray for us and send pictures. I never thought they would email them directly from Thailand. That was extremely kind and we appreciate it so much! We actually got many more photos from them than the two we got from WACAP. We cherish all the info and photos we can get and are amazed at the Bellavance family's generous friendship, even if we've never met in person. We hope that Mark and Ray can remain great friends once Ray's home with us.

It really is a small world, after all! Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!

Disney Connection...Meant To Be

If you don't know me, I have always been a HUGE Disney and Mickey fan. So much so that I had Bryan wear a special order tux vest with black embroidered Mickey Mouse faces all over it for our wedding. Then, we went to Disney World for our Honeymoon. Plus I've been to Disneyland Paris and will be going to Disneyland California during this upcoming vacation. And Ray's room is already decorated with Mickey Mouse. We even sent him a Mickey Mouse yo-yo when WACAP went to Thailand at the end of October.

Well, we got an email via WACAP from a TRC social worker regarding our pictures yesterday.
From a social worker at the TRC: "I told Ray about his coming family he seems very happy with them and the idea that they will become family. He draw lots of pictures for his coming Mommy & Daddy. You know what, Ray loves Mickey mouse and I was very glad when I saw the Mickey mouse on his coming Daddy's pull over also on their chair at home. Ray had a big smile when I show him their photos."

I'm so very excited that Ray loves Mickey Mouse. It is these little connections that make us even more positive that this is God's plan for us and for Ray. We cannot wait to have him in our family!

Orphanage Pre-Approval

We’ve received news from the Thai Red Cross Children's Home (orphanage in Bangkok, Thailand) that our Home Study draft was reviewed and based on the information therein – they have given our family pre-approval. They are asking for our official dossier ASAP.

Ray is at the TRC so we need first to be matched and accepted by the TRC. After TRC approval our file goes to the Thai DSDW for final approval.

This is GREAT news! I think it means that he is now "on hold" for us at both our agency (WACAP) and the orphanage (TRC)...so he's really ours!

I have already been collecting the dossier documents but thought WACAP wouldn't want them until Feb-March next year once the USCIS papers are finalized. That's not the case...we can submit our dossier waaaaay before the immigration papers are finalized. SO...I will be sure to get moving on the rest of the documents to hopefully have them to WACAP before this month ends (even though we're on vacation 11/14-11/22).

YIPEE!!!

Election Day More Than Voting

Our social worker in the family finders program let us know last week that WACAP has matched us with Ray, the little boy we were hoping to be matched with all this time. And TODAY is his birthday! Happy 7th Birthday, Ray (Ratchata in Thai). We're coming as fast as we can!!!