This will be very short and sweet since I typed out the whole post and then lost it at the last minute. Evidentially, the text does not do automatic saves for you. So, if you mess up- it is gone. Well, one wrong click and five paragraphs have disappeared. I love reading other peoples blogs but I am not off to a great start on mine!

Today we knew to expect the Fed Ex package with additional information and additional images in it. When I arrived home at 4pm it was by the door waiting for me. I held off on opening it until Jeff got home and then we were able to open it together. It was sort of a let down to me. I had hoped for a few more pictures showing Eliza dressed differently, doing something different, or maybe even more recent. However, the pictures were all taken the same day as the referral picture and she is still just being propped up in a sitting position. Oh well- she still is adorable and it was great to see her face again.



Slaton took Eliza's picture to pre-school today to show his teachers. However, the teachers decided to keep it for his scrapbook and a very sad Slaton came home to tell me all about not having his Eliza picture. I promised to print him another that he could put in his room.

Tonight in the Longhorns parking lot, Slaton began saying, I want to go get Eliza now. I want to go to China." It is so hard for me to know how much he understands. However, it seems to me that he understands beyond his years!

In the restaurant Slaton told the waitress, "China". She looked to me to interpret and before I could respond, Slaton said, "We are going to China to get Eliza". I know that he is going to be so very sad when he learns that he will not actually be going to China. I really do not look forward to explaining that to him. For now, that can wait!

In February of 2005, Elizabeth and I began our journey and decided to adopt a little girl from China. After months of paper work we finally received our Log In Date (LID) on August 9th, 2005. That is the date that the Chinese government approved us to adopt a Chinese orphan. Since then, we have waited....and waited.... and waited....until today!

At 12:01 PM today, we received the phone call that we had been waiting for. "Elizabeth and Jeff, we have received notification from the Peoples Republic of China and they have matched you to a child". Dick Dietz (our Social Worker) told us, "and her name is You, Fu Jian".



"You" is her surname given by the orphanage, "Fu" means good fortune and "Jian" means sword. We will call her Eliza. She was born on December 28th, 2005 in the City of Youyang in the Chongqing Province of China. She entered the Fuling District Social Welfare Institute located in the City of Fuling the same day that she was born where she shares a crib with another child.

The latest information that we have on her was from June of 2006 when she weighed 15.4 pounds and was 24.8 inches long. Her health report indicates that she is a normal healthly child for her age.

Elizabeth and I can hardly believe that this day has finally arived! Travel arrangement are being finalized by our adoption agency (CCAI) and we will not receive confirmed travel plans for another two or three weeks. At best guess we will be traveling to China within the next 5 to 8 weeks where we will spend about 2 weeks in China to finalize the adoption and bring Eliza home.

Please visit us often over the next 8 to 12 weeks and join us on Eliza's journey home!