Saturday, November 15, 2008

How did we get here?

April 2005. A casual dinner at The Green Basil. A glass of wine. Some casual conversation. That's how this whole tale unfolds. Sue mentions to me that Tim asked if he was going to get a baby sister. And since Sue had already burned up her child rearing years with 2 wonderful boys, I ask her if she could have another child would she want a girl? Well, you know the answer. I then ask Sue if she'd ever thought about adopting? You know the answer to that, too.

The decision was pretty easy. We both figured if we had to talk ourselves into adopting, we probably shouldn't do it. So we began investigating what the adoption process entailed. At that time, Chinese adoptions were usually completed from initial application in less than 15 months, so we figured we'd have a child by the end of the next summer. And then everything slowed down.

More adoption requests than ever compounded with fewer available children necessarily prolonged the process. Sue and I were becoming so concerned that we were discussing what date would we withdraw ourselves from the process. We'd decided that if we didn't have a referral by the end of 2008, that would be it.

Luckily, that didn't happen and on October 1st we received notification that Nan Yun Dan had been matched with our application. While I can't imagine the feelings of a mother giving up her child, we are truly excited to have this opportunity to change the life of this little girl.



So here we are, 4 days away from leaving for Beijing with Matt and Tim. Our lives will change forever in a few short days. And we can't wait. Join us on the last leg of a 3 1/2 year journey of paperwork, frustration, hope, and finally jubilation.

4 Comments:

Blogger Mom of 7 said...

Greg and Sue,
This is going to be so much fun, each day getting to read where you have been, etc, and seeing pictures of places and people. I am so glad the boys were able to go with you as it will be such an experience for them, something they will never forget. Hope you are all having a great time. Talk later.
Love, Dad and Mom

November 20, 2008 10:40 AM  
Blogger Mom of 7 said...

One other thing I forgot to remind you of. According to Paula and a
chinese person at her work, Yun translates to Cloud and Dan translates to Precious or pretty.
So she is Elizabeth Precious Pretty Cloud Franz.... Nice name.
Love Mom AKA Grandma

November 20, 2008 10:47 AM  
Blogger Toothbrush Boy said...

Wow is she a beauty! We are so happy for all of you...and it's great to be able to share in your journey! We can't wait until you get home so we can meet the little lady ourselves. Eric

November 25, 2008 2:46 PM  
Blogger tedlepetit said...

As a Christian, I need to remind you, do not get involved with Buddhism. Buddhism is idol worship + witchcraft (not all sects of Buddhism has witchcraft) + denial to the Bible. And according to the Bible, those who believeth not in the Bible, those who worship idols shall go to hell. You need to quit messing with Buddhism because it is no different than playing with fire! You gonna end up going to hell if you believe in Buddhism!

December 9, 2009 6:35 PM  

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