Update on proceedings . . .

Well, we had a wonderful time on our cruise!! Now we're back to reality and waiting for the call to travel to Hong Kong. We did receive another letter and more pictures from Laiya while we were gone. We had sent some gifts for her with a family that recently traveled to Hong Kong, so the pictures are of her holding the gifts. Her letter thanked us for the gifts and asked about the snow and about her neices and nephews. She had her visa physical on the 19th and now we just wait for the visa hearing, which will happen soon. Then we will get a date to travel. Also, last week we received her original birth certificate and her adoption forms, stating that her care has been turned over to "David and Marva Lubben". It was hard to read the adoption forms with her bio parents' signatures on them, stating that they were giving up all connections to her! I can't imagine doing that!! But, if they didn't, we wouldn't be given the opportunity to become her parents. We'll keep in touch.