On a Roller Coaster

It has been a roller coaster kind of week.  On Monday we received our written provisional approval on the I800s and were so excited to finally have that step done after four weeks!  This high point came crashing down about mid-week as we discovered that the National Visa Center didn't have any record of us or our approvals.  They seemed to be a bit concerned about that.  It has been an up and down ride throughout the day today, and to make a long story short, the NVC now has our information entered in their computer, and we are hoping for a speedy delivery of that all important pdf for our agency to email to their representative in China.  My excitement is somewhat subdued because our agency is closed all day on Friday for staff training.  It can't possibly get to their representative until Tuesday, no matter how quickly it comes tomorrow.  I have been told this immigrations step of the adoption process works "like clockwork" so apparently our clock has a low battery!

Some other high spots were getting new pictures of the little princesses -- this time with Jennifer's birthday cake, and the arrival of our passports with our visas to China! 

Happy Birthday to Jennifer!

Today is Jennifer's seventh birthday.  When Abigail had her birthday back in October, (click to see the post Abigail is six) we had to make due with having a cake at home in her absence.  This time, we are far enough along in the process that we were allowed to send a cake (from a bakery in her country) to the orphanage!

The cake pictured is the actual birthday cake!  I'm told (by someone who is now back in the states but used to work at the orphanage) that it is a pretty typical cake for China.  It is "sponge cake-like...very sweet...they don't use butter like we do, so theirs aren't as "rich" but super sweet."  She confirmed that it is a peach slice on the top in the middle not an egg yolk.  (After purchasing "moon cakes" last fall, we wondered!)  The only thing she found surprising was the absence of cherry tomatoes.  Apparently it is common to find them along with the other fruits.

We don't know if Jennifer has ever had her own birthday cake before.  It is rather doubtful.  We received photos of her blowing out tall, skinny candles and grinning her sweet little head off.  The cake was rather pricey, but that smile was PRICELESS!  So happy we were able to do this for her.  It may be her first birthday cake, but this is her LAST BIRTHDAY without a family!