Blog from Lisa

Hi everyone. This is Lisa - Chris has handed over the reins to me for today. It’s 11:30 am here and we just got back to the room from our visit to the US Consulate for our Visa appointment and oath-taking ceremony. The process was long but painless. We did our oath as a group of 12 families. They asked the parents to stand and raise our right hands. I looked down at EmmaLin and she had stood up and raised her left hand. She stood there the entire time. It was so sweet and she had no clue what she was doing but we did. I must admit there are tears in my eyes again now as I realize this day has been the culmination of a very long process. The application they had in our packet we had completed several months ago. We are coming into the home stretch and are very excited and exhausted and ready to bring EmmaLin home.

Today is Drew’s birthday. He’s 14. However I keep telling him that since we are 12 hours ahead here and he wasn’t born until 9:30 pm, he won’t be 14 officially until tomorrow morning at 9:30. He’s not buying it so we’re celebrating today. Our third cake should be delivered this afternoon from our friend, Lin’s sister. We had such a nice dinner with them last night and they were SO gracious and generous. We would still have cake when we fly out on Thursday afternoon if we ate it for every meal between now and then. But our kids can’t say their birthdays didn’t end with the traditional sugar-induced coma…for three days straight.

I know Chris has extended our most sincere gratitude to all of you for your support and for your prayers. We feel them every day. I can’t wait to land on US soil, enjoy some good Italian or Mexican food and see all of your faces – not in that order of course. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you all more than I can express.

~Lisa