Stories

October 3, 2007

For those of you who follow along on the site I have a bit of new info for you. We are trying very hard not to get excited here at the Hawkins house but we are doing a ton of praying. Here is what we received as of today in an e-mail from our agency.

Dear Interested Families,

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August 16, 2007

 Here we are 15 months into our adoption process! Where has the time gone! I sure hope to have Lia home in the next three to four months! I pray that a new waiting child list comes out early next month and that out Lia will be in that group of children. I decided not to wait to do her and Kera's room. I finished it off in two days and it looks beautiful! I'll post pictures when I can. With surgery (hopefully) coming up and I've decided to start homeschooling the kids, I won't have much time if we get a call. So we are all very excited and very happy here! Ask me again in a month or two *IF* our baby is not on the list and we'll see how I feel then. I'm sure I'll be down for a few days but I've waited this long. Till next month!

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July 25, 2007

Well I've finally added some new pictures! I hope you all enjoy them. I love my new camera, it takes awesome pictures. After much praying Bob and I decided on June 27th to fill out the application for the Waiting Child/Special Needs Program. For those of you who do not know what any of that means let me explain. Yes, we are still waiting on a child from China. The only difference is that she may have a minor medically correctible special need. Referrals for these children come every 2-4 months with an average of 25-30 children on the list, half of which are girls. I am praying that we do not have to wait too many referral rounds but it is out of my hands. I am thankful for this wait but I am ready for it to draw to a close. Please pray for our family and for Lia's health. More than likely we will get a referral for a special needs child before a non-special needs child. BUT one never knows.

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July 5, 2007

Can you believe it?!?! May is out of review! We can now all breathe a sigh of relief! I for one am glad to be out. That means no problems with our health documents that I've been fearing. The doctor had forgotten to write up why I had a hysterectomy at 31 so I was all nervous. He did write a letter staying I was in good health and everything else he just forgot the above. Boy, am I glad that is over! PTL!!

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June 21, 2007

Well it is about time! LOL April is finally out of review and May is finally in! That means China is finally looking at our paperwork to see if we'll make good parents for Lia. So after all this waiting, yes they can still deny us! I don't think they will but they could still ask for more information which could set us back a couple of months. Here is the new update from the CCAA.

Anyway this is what the offical site of the CCAA says, notice the review room has yet to change.

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June 5, 2007

Ok so here we are with another batch of referral and I must say we aren't really moving much but atleast we are moving. Here is what the CCAA has said!

Anyway this is what the offical site of the CCAA says, notice the review room has yet to change.

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May 16, 2007

WooHoo! Who would have thought we would have had to wait a year for Lia! Well hear we are still waiting. Sounds like the wait is going to get much longer but the Lord always has his way with things. So only in his time, will we know. Thank heavens the last year has gone by as fast as it has! I hope the next year does as well!

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May 1, 2007

Referrals have been made and this is what the CCAA site says

Anyway this is what the offical site of the CCAA says, notice the review room has yet to change.

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April 9, 2007

Ok so it is that time of month when the referral come out. Big woop! They did a whole two days. To top it off they say that next month may be the same amount of days referred. I just wish they would get into 2006 already. We know we won't be traveling this year to get Lia, I'm starting to get nervous with the olympics and all being over there. I don't know if we'll be able to travel during the games or not. The whole thing is up in the air. I know when the timing is right we'll get her but it doesn't make this wait any easier. Atleast I'm not at work getting the same questions of "have you heard anything yet". I want to scream to these people who keep asking "I told you last week that it would be another year!" Why must they keep asking! I just smile and tell them the samething over and over.

Anyway this is what the offical site of the CCAA says, notice the review room has yet to change.

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March 16, 2007

 This was *suppose* to be the *MAX* of our wait but as you can see we are still waiting and still have a long wait to go. Only God knows how much longer the wait will actually go. I'm guess we still have another 14 months to wait before we see Lia's sweet face but pray it is only 10 to 12 months. I am actually OK with the wait, time really is going by rather fast. I'm starting her quilt and can't wait to see what it looks like. After her quilt I'm making one for Kera! I already have a pattern and everything. I have plenty to keep me busy.

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March 3, 2007

Yes, it's that time of month where referral have gone out. So here you have it.

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February 16, 2007

Yeap, that's right! Nine months down in this long wait! We have hit out 9 month LID anniversary! With any luck we will start on the downward hill now. Only time will tell and God does have control. Time really has gone by fast, I just pray the rest of the wait continues to do so.

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February 2, 2007

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January 16, 2007

  Wow!! Eight whole months since we've been LID with China! Time really is going by pretty fast for me right now. I hope the rest of the wait goes by as fast as it is for us now. The Fall months seemed to be the worst for me. Not sure why but I'll be sure to keep myself busy this fall! :)

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January 3, 2007

Yes, can you believe it is 2007 already!! They matched babies today!!

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December 23, 2006

For all of those who have seen the news updates on China's adoption policy and wondered if we would be included in any of the "new" rules that have come out let me put your mind at ease and tell you no! :) Let me first tell you that most of these are not new rules but China becoming stricter about the rules they have had in place. There are a couple that bother me but I really feel for those singles out there that will not be able to apply after May 1, 2007. It just stinks! China 's adoptions have increase 260% in just a couple of years! That is a lot of parents wanting a lot of babies! Anyway here are the rules if you are interested in what I am talking about.

At present, the number of adoption application documents that the China Centre of Adoption Affairs (hereafter referred to as CCAA) receives is increasing very fast. However, the limited number of Chinese children available for inter-country adoption is far from being able to meet the demand of families from overseas. The CCAA maintains, in accordance with the principle of protecting the best interests of children in the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (hereafter referred to as Hague Adoption Convention), that adopters in the following conditions answer better to the spirit of Hague Adoption Convention and the provisions of adoption law in both China and your country, and are able to offer the Chinese children adopted the best possible environment to grow in. It is our hope that you read this letter attentively, screen the families and give priority to those in the following conditions, and submit the adoption application
documents for them:

The CCAA first accepts and reviews adoption applications of foreign adopters who are qualified with the following conditions from the day of 1st May 2007, and then makes placement of adoptees with them. Adoption applications of the other adopters who are not qualified will be put into considerations after all the cases of the qualified have already been dealt with.

I. The adopters are a couple of one male and one female with a stable marital relationship. In case that both the husband and the wife do not have any ex-marriage, the length of marriage has to reach two years. In the case either the husband or wife has ex-marriages (not more than 2), the length of the current marriage has to reach 5 years. (Put a cap on # of marriages)

II. Both the husband and wife have reached the age of 30 and are under 50. For adoption of special needs child, both of them should have reached the age of 30 and are under 55.  (Lowered the age Limit to 50 for NSN)

III. Both the husband and wife are fully healthy physically and mentally, and do not have the following conditions:

1. AIDS; (not new)
2. Mental handicap; (not new)
3. Infectious disease within infective stage; (not new)
4. Binocular blind or binocular parallax or monocular blind and with no ocular prosthesis; Not sure)
5. Binaural hearing loss or language function loss; adoption of special needs children who have identical conditions will be exempt from this limitation; (not sure)
6. Afunction or dysfunction of limbs or trunk caused by impairment, incompleteness, numbness or deformation; severe facial deformation; (not new)
7. Severe diseases which require long term treatment and which affect life expectancy, like malignant tumor, lupus erythematosus, nephrosis, epilepsy, and ect.; (Some I've know would disqualify you but not all)
8. Post-surgery of major organs transplantation, not yet 10 years;
9. Schizophrenia; (Not sure)
10. Medication for severe mental disorders, like depression, mania, or anxiety neurosis and etc. stopped not more than 2 years; (new)
11. BMI > or = 40. (not new)

IV. Either the husband or wife holds a stable occupation. The family annual income reaches $10,000 for each family member including the prospective adoptee and the family net assets value should reach $80,000. The family annual income does not include welfare income, like relief fund, pension, unemployment insurance, or government subsidy, and etc. (Portions of this are new)

V. Both the husband and wife have received education of or above the level of senior high school, or vocational skills training of the same level. (new)

VI. The number of children in family under the age of 18 years does not reach 5, and the youngest one should have reached the age of 1 year. Adoption of special needs children will be exempt from the limitation of ?the number of children in family under the age of 18 years does not reach 5?. (not new)

VII. Both the husband and wife have never come under any criminal sanction. And they behave honorably with good moral characters and abide by regulations and laws. Both of them do not accord with the following situations:
1. Have a history of domestic violence, sex abuse, abandonment or abuse of children (even if they are not consequently arrested or criminated);
2. Have a history of taking narcotics like opium, morphine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and etc. and medication for mental diseases, with are able to arouse addiction among human beings;
3. Have a history of alcohol abuse and have given up drinking not more than 10 years ago. (has been going at least for the last year, so not new)

Adoption application will be given consideration on a case by case basis when either the husband or wife has less than 3 criminal records of slight severity with no severe outcomes, and the time for correction of wrong has reached 10 years, or has less than 5 records of traffic law violation with no severe outcomes. (not sure)

VIII. The adopters are able to have a correct cognition of adoption, and expect to provide a warm family for the orphaned children (or children with handicap and disability) via adoption and to meet the needs of the children adopted for the sake of a good development of them. They have a correct cognition of inter-country adoption as well, and are fully mentally-prepared for the potential risks within inter-country adoption and for the situations of children adopted as potential diseases, developmental delays, post-placement maladjustment, and etc. (not new)

IX. The adopters make in the adoption application letter clear promise of being able to accept post-placement follow-ups and offer post-placement reports as required. (not new)

X. The fixed number of year or age that appears in this letter shall be dated from the day when the adoption application documents are logged in at the CCAA. (not new)

The CCAA expects sincerely to cooperate with you and to provide better services for the adopters and children adopted and to help the Chinese children adopted develop in a family full of happiness, love and understanding. Thank you very much for your understanding and assistance.

I believe China thinks they are doing what is best for their children. They also need to get thing under control with the wait for the parents waiting. I don't think what they are doing now will help those of us waiting now but hopefully later down the road it will help those who will still be able to apply.

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December 16, 2006

 We are now seven months into our LONG wait! It is one more month down though! :) Next month brings the new year and we are praying that Lia comes home in 2007! We shall see what God has in store!

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November 30, 2006

CCAA has updated their site to read the following -

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November 16, 2006

Here we are at our 6 month Log in Date! There are days the wait seems to drag by and feels like it is never going to end. Then rolls around the 16th and another month has gone by! We have 6 months under our belt! Woohooo! Not sure how many more to go but atleast we have made it this far. Within the next couple of months all of out paper work will be reviewed by CCAA for any "red flags". Please pray that we make it out of review without any problems or questions asked. If questions are asked this could hold up our referral for a month or two.

Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving, I for one will be working but will have a nice dinner on Friday! :) Enjoy!

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Novermber 3, 2006

CCAA changed their webpage! Here is what it is now reading. Praying for another batch at the end of the month as this should really be counted as Octobers referrals.

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