Hi Ho Hi Ho.....It's off to TECO they go!

We recieved our documents via FED-EX at 2:30 today. Eric and I had them signed and notarized and off to TECO by 5:30. That was after making a ton of copies. This is a great big step done. If there are no problems with the contracts and things go smoothly, they should be back to Families For Children by early next week. Then hopefully not to long before we are in the Taiwan courts and waiting on "THE CALL"

Merry Christmas Rayanna

Today I sent out our first gift package for Rayanna. The adoption agency will be sending them to Taiwan soon and she will recieve it just in time for Christmas. I hope Rayanna will be excited to recieve a package from her new Mom and Dad. I included a necklace with a beautiful silver cross. Rebecka wanted me to send Rayanna the same one I sent her, so thats what we did. Rebecka was very excited about that. We all included a personal letter to her also. Rebecka didn't want to write hers in Chinese and after a little encouraging she agreed to do it. I think she is having trouble remembering because Stephanie had to help her with some words. I told Rebecka how important she would be to me to help translate when Rayanna comes home. I also included a small photo alblum which she would be able to keep for herself. Some small Christmas toys and Candy too of course.

Happy Birthday Joe

Today is my oldest sons 15th birthday.
Happy Birthday Joe Shmo!!! We love you man!
Love,
Mom, Eric, Jesse, Rebecka and Stephanie

Our Contracts are in America! ! ! !

We recieved a call at 10:30 last night from Laura at FFC, she was very surprised to open her mail and find our contracts. Yes, thats right everyone, our contracts have arrived in America.

We should recieve them either Monday or Wednesday. I want one of us to be home to get mail in hand as this is the one and only copy of our contracts. After we recieve them , Eric and I will need to get them all notorized and sent off to TECO "Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office" in Miami to be Authenticated. They make sure our contracts are real and legal and give the OK to proceed. I think that went pretty fast with Rebecka, if I remeber right, we recieved the "Authenticated" contracts back in only a few days. Then they will go back to FFC who will send them to Taiwan and we should enter the courts right after that.

This has been a long wait for the contracts, but now we will be one step closer to bringing our daughter home!

Jaclyn

And her name is........

We have finally settled on a name (I think) unless we change our minds (again) I think we have finally agreed on ........
Rayanna Xiao-Mei Carlisle

PICTURES......

We recieved some new pictures from our agency today. It is always exciting to see new pictures of her, but they chopped all her hair off. Oh well, she is still so beautiful and it will grow back.

Laura from our agency returned from Taiwan this week. She got to visit with my daughter and a few other girls at Chung-Yi. We thank her so much for taking these pictures for us. Our daughter is the one in the middle wearing blue. She said Xiao-Mei is very quiet and shy, and the girls wanted to know what time it was in America right then. How cute is that.

Although we are not any closer to having our contracts. I was told before Laura went to Taiwan that we not only were waiting on the birth mother, we were also waiting on paperwork from the Taiwan government to get to Chung-Yi. They are waiting on Household Registration and her Official Birth Certificate. Don't ask me why these things are not already done, I have no answer for that. Our agency said they expect these things to be done soon and THEN they will be ready to send our contracts. So, the story is......WE WAIT>>>>>>>>>>

Still Waiting

I am so frustrated, we sent our pictures via E-mail 2 weeks ago. I've spoken to FFC who says they are still waiting on the birth mothers social worker. I don't understand at all why the delay. They want the birth mother involved, but if she doesn't want to be then I don't know why we are waiting for her. The owners of our adoption agency FFC will be leaving this week to go to Taiwan for 2 weeks. I hope they will see Xiao-Mei while they are there and hopefully get some pictures for us. But I am also afraid I am going to be waiting at least until they come back to get our contracts.