"The beauty is in the journey!" ~Ilan Shamir, Advice From a River

Once upon a time, a woman, a man and a little girl talked about adding to their family. The woman, who loved being a mom, as well as a wife, as well as having a successful career, desperately wanted to adopt a child. A sibling for her little girl, and a little one to love. Her husband agreed, and their daughter, who was 5 going on 6, looked forward to being a big sister. This woman did a lot of research, and they all went to information sessions, and they all felt the same way – they wanted to bring home a child from China. They loved the Chinese culture, and they knew…..this was right for their family. And so, the next chapter of the story begins….. This woman, who is named Dawn, and this man, who is named Gregg, met with an agency, and talked to a Social Worker; they tracked down records, and filled out a ton of paperwork. They, and their little girl, Emma, were interviewed and fingerprinted, and they started to go to lunches and get-togethers with other families who adopted from China. And they talked about names and toys and all the things Emma could teach her little brother or sister. And of course, Dawn tells everyone about their plans – the excitement cannot be contained. The year is 2007 January – the process begins - vital records requested, required data gathered, all necessary appointments scheduled, and agencies interviewed March 15 - our application is submitted to Great Wall China Adoption June 1 - The Home Study is completed July 26 - The approval from US Immigration (USCIS) September 12 - Our Log-In Date (LID) from China “Six months – not bad,” thought Dawn. “We’re on our way.” But like all good stories, the tale doesn’t unfold as we might expect…… 15 months have passed. Dawn and Gregg have reviewed records for 16 children with different conditions that make them each special. There have been countless reviews, consultations with specialists across the country, more discussions than can be tallied, and way too many tears shed. In December 2008, Dawn is heartbroken and believes that if they aren’t able to find their little one by March, then it just wasn’t meant to be. Now isn’t that always the case? When the skies are darkest, isn’t that when the background music changes? Fast forward……….. Tuesday, January 13, 2009 11:45pm - The phone rings. Its Stephanie from Great Wall, working late and trying to find families for children. She tells Dawn she saw 4 children come through on the Shared List that might be a good match for our family. Two little boys had cleft lips/palates, and 2 little boys had heart conditions. She was kind enough to send photos with very brief descriptions. Up out of bed, Dawn gets on her laptop and goes through all the information. Gregg comes home from a ship at 12:30am, and Dawn shows him the photos and brief descriptions. We talk it over, and we are both drawn to Yunhui. The next morning at 7am, Dawn sends a text message to Stephanie to let her know of our intention to pursue Yunhui, and we ask her to “lock his files.” She sends us his medical records and growth report at 8:30am. At 8:45am Dawn sends his files to two pediatric cardiologists – Dr. Peggy Crawford out of All Children’s in Saint Petersburg, and Dr. Lars Erikson out of Boston, MA, and one Adoption Specialist Pediatrician out of the University of Minnesota. Dawn speaks with Peggy at 9:20am, and we receive a written report from Dr. Erikson later that evening at 10:55pm. Thursday, January 15 9pm - Dawn tells Leigh Anne from Great Wall we want to adopt Yunhui! The next morning, Gregg, Dawn and Emma leave at 6am to drive to Boca Raton to see the Greenberg clan (Dawn’s brother and his family). During the drive, Dawn gets a call from Leigh Anne and Stephanie together, and they congratulate us, confirming our paperwork was submitted! Friday, January 16 8:30am - Our Letter of Intent is submitted to China Monday, January 19 - Our Pre-Approval is received! Friday, March 6 (six weeks later, or rather 23 months, 2 weeks and 5 days later)- Our official Letter Seeking Confirmation is received - we’re officially approved by China’s CCAA! While we wait for our Travel Approval, we decide on the name Ethan. Dawn is decorating, ordering care packages, arranging for translations so we can send a letter to Ethan’s foster family. Emma has become a celebrity at school, showing Ethan’s picture to her friends. Friends and family are lending their support in countless ways. And now, on to the next chapter, as we prepare for our greatest adventure………