it's all good

Sometimes life goes along exactly as you expect. You make a plan, you execute the plan, you complete the task. Sometimes, it doesn't. Over two years ago we embarked on an international adoption journey. Two journey's, actually, one in Taiwan and another in China. We envisioned two similarly aged children with similar ethnic backgrounds but from two very different countries with two very different adoption processes. Our Taiwan journey had its beginning and its middle and Alex joined our family in October, 2006. Our China journey took a different direction. We've waited (with many many other prospective parents) as referrals in China have taken longer and longer. I haven't said much about our China adoption on this blog because there hasn't been much to say. We submitted our dossier in May, 2006. Since then we've simply waited in a long line, inching closer to the front, where referrals are made, each month since. Since June, 2006 the wait has gone from about 8 months to more than 24 months. Those in the front of the line right now had their paperwork accepted on January 12th, 2006. So I could have been writing about it, but all I would have had to say was 'we're still waiting.' But now, I have something more to say.

This week our wait in China came to an end when we instead accepted the referral of a little girl in Taiwan. It is a twist in our journey we couldn't have foreseen when we started this process, but one that is all good. We are delighted to be returning to Taiwan, Alex's birth country. Knowing that he and his new sister will share not only a common country, but also a similar birth and adoption story feels very very right to us. We're scrambling to finish the paperwork that needs to be gathered for submission to the Taiwan courts. Once that's done, we'll be waiting for court proceedings to take place and ultimately, a travel date!

(And just as soon as we can we'll share a photo or two.)