Kendall's Journey

Ni Hao !!  That's HELLO in Mandarin.  When we embarked on our journey to Olivia, we had an awesome blog that we maintained for the years prior to Olivia's arrival and then for over a year after our Gotcha Day.  For those new to International Adoption, Gotcha Day is the actual day you take physical custody of your child, sort of like a birth.  That day is always a special day for International Adoption parents and their children.  We celebrate it like a birthday because it is the day that we became a Forever Family. 

We stopped posting to Olivia's Journey blog about a year after her Gotcha Day.  Mainly because we thought we done.  Done with what?  Who knows !!!  But the Universe had different plans in mind for us and it turns out we weren't done at all.  Although our journey TO Olivia was over, it turns out our journey in general still had a long way to go. 

After a year of being home with Olivia, we decided to start on another journey to a second daughter for us, and a sister for Olivia.  As some of you know, we are STILL in line for our China adoption that was started in 2006.  We have been logged in with China since March 20, 2007 (yes, 5 years now).  But since China slowed down to a crawl, and Taiwan seemed to be slowing down as well, we had no real hope that our dreams would ever materialize.  Therefore, we kept everything very quiet and told no one.  It just seemed easier to deal with the loss or disappointment if no one knew what was going on.  We applied to our agency again, and as they did with Olivia, our dossier was sent to Chung Yi Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan.

For many months, we received files of children to review.  There were so many little girls who needed love and a forever family.  So many tugged at our hearts and minds and yet, file after file we said no to.  Something was always missing.  The files weren't of our daughter.  On June 16, 2011 at 10:01 pm, we received a file to look at, and this time, we knew right away.  She was ours.  And we said YES.

But not so fast !!  Chung Yi had a bunch of questions to ask us in July.  They finally sent us the Adoption Agreement and Special Power of Attorney in October.  These are the two documents that basically get the court/adoption finalization process rolling over in Taiwan.  And then the USA took their sweet time getting everything they needed to get done.  We had our first Skype visit with her on January 3rd, and we were able to Skype with her every month after that.  We received word that our first court hearing was scheduled for March 14 at 2:28 pm, Taiwan time.  In April, we received yet another list of questions, this time from a court-appointed social worker.  Every week went by and we heard nothing...........Until June 5th when we received an email that our Final Court Ruling was done, and Chung Yi wanted us to come pick Yu-An up on July 8th.

So, for all of our online Taiwan Adoption and Chung Yi friends, our timeline was 1 year and 22 days from referral to Gotcha Day.  Our USCIS office took 3 full months, after fingerprinting, to get us our I-171H.  Those of you who have had faster USCIS turn-around times are that much more ahead of the game.  Only by sheer luck, during a Skype visit, did we find out when our first court hearing was.  We never knew when or if there was a 2nd hearing, or if we went right to Final Ruling.  Once we get the paperwork, we will let all our waiting friends know.               


















Here is a picture of Yu-An during a Skype visit with us.  She is holding a toy we sent her in a care package.  Also, she is trying to make the I Love You sign in sign language.

Love and Blessings to All,

Sheryl, David, Olivia, and Kendall An (Yu-An)