We are in the home stretch now

After three years it is looking like we are in the final stretch and we could not be more excited to bring Mirlande home.   I shared on facebook a few weeks ago that we got her adoption decree which changed her name to Mirlande Daniel and allowed us to finally share a bit more about our sweet daughter.   

So here is where we are at now, currently we are in a stage called MOI, basically a rubber stamp stage checking to make sure everything was done correctly.  We expect to be out of this stage very soon.  Next, her passport will be issued, that should take 1-3 weeks.  Then her file will go through USCIS (essentially immigration).  This phase typically takes 8-10 weeks, however, recently there have been families moving through as quickly as 4 weeks. From there her VISA to travel home should be issued very shortly after USCIS is finalized and then guess what, she is HOME!   So we could be looking at homecoming as early as May, or very realistically in  early June.   Praise Jesus for bringing us to this point and making our beautiful family in this way.   

One of the awesome things about Mirlande being older, she is 11 now, is that she can tell us what she wants and does not want.   It is typical that all families through a party at the creche when it is time to go home.  Mirlande has big plans for this....specifically for her wardrobe.  She is quite the fashionista and typically goes through 3-4 outfits a day.  You know, a girl has got to have the right outfit for every activity in a day.   Anyways, for a year now she has been telling us she wants a very fancy white dress, we were given specifics on length, material, fit, style.  I just LOVE this. So just this last week we sent her pictures of a few dresses to choose from and she had a clear front runner, which we ordered for her.  It was SO exciting to be finally ordering this dress, the homecoming dress.  We still need to pickup some heeled dress shoes and a veil....yes, she said she wants a veil, or at least some sort of headpiece.   What a crack up this kid is.  

She also has told us that when she flies home at the airport she wants a BIG welcoming with lots of people, including all the people who traveled to Haiti with our church.   

Claire is getting very excited to FINALLY have a sister here at home.   She says playing on the trampoline by herself is so boring.   Claire and Mirlande get along beautifully.   Claire has been to Haiti twice to hang out with Mirlande, and it is astonishing how well they connect and play with each other.  Both of them just laugh and giggle ALL.THE.TIME together.   

Mirlande is also very funny. She is the one in a group who will be playing jokes and keeping people talking and trying to make everyone laugh....that is after she gets over her initial shyness, which comes out here and there.   I can't wait to see how having a jokester in the family is going to add to all the FUN we have together.

Hoping soon to share with you that we have exited MOI and are ready for passport printing!