New Blog for the Sisters!

http://missmollyandgraciegirl.blogspot.com/

Visit our new blog that we have started for Molly and Gracie and stay updated on Beetner life with two girls

Graceland

Gracie has a whole closet full of hand-me-downs. Her toys are all worn in. Her crib is Molly's old one. The least we could do is give Gracie her own blog.
To follow along head over to Our Graceland. Hopefully we will have uncensored access to blogger and be able to post updates almost daily. Right now the schedule is to meet Gracie on the 6th but keep in mind the time difference. We'll be a day ahead of the states.
We love all the people who follow along and comments from home will make it feel not so far away during our 3 week (!) trip so don't be shy about leaving comments. And forward along the blog address for anyone who you think might want to see it.
As I write this it is just about 24 hours until we board a plane. We are (mostly) packed and ready to go. Wish us luck!

Travel Approval!

We finally got the email we've been waiting for, the one that tells us we have travel approval, it came yesterday morning!  The email gave us a travel window estimating that we will arrive in China on December 4th and return home on December 18th, just in time for our family of four to enjoy a Merry Christmas together at home.  Right now we are busy looking at International flight options but won't be able to book anything until the beginning of next week when we have firm dates.

We're on our way Gracie . . . we'll be there soon!!!

Halloween

Halloween has become Molly's favorite holiday. It all has to do with dress up. Her costume was Olivia the pig (from the books) Her dress was a one of a kind creation Marie found on line. Molly loved it. Mom and Dad played along with pig ears and noses. She also designed her first pumpkin, below. Dad cut it out but it was entirely her design. All in all it was a great night. Nana G and Poppy came up to go trick or treating with her and she stayed up until 10:00. Now, to gently take 90% of the candy away...

New Gracie photos!

We got more Gracie photos! She looks so old but, more importantly, happy. We finally get to see that cute little smile. And it is a good one. It is so comforting to see the joy she is capable of. We just hope that we will inspire the same elation in her. We're only a few weeks away now. Next up is our travel assignment. Then we will be a family.

Ready or what?

Twice in the last week Molly called us back into her bedroom after we put her to bed for the night and asked, "who's going to sleep with  me?".   Then she told us "I am lonely, I want Gracie to come home and sleep in my room."  We recently put the crib up in their room and put up the Gracie letters over the crib, maybe we should of held off for a while because this started shortly after.  I think next time this happens we are going to video tape it and show it to Molly the first time she tells us she doesn't want to share her room with Gracie.

Until Gracie comes home Maybel is sleeping in Molly's room.

New pictures

I got some photos today that I really like. The trick these days is to let her dress up in whatever princess dress she likes (today was Belle and Snow White) and then just shoot her face and not the dress.

Last Steps

Last week we received our I-800 approval from Homeland Security to adopt Gracie and our agency sent all our paperwork back to China last Friday for Travel approval. Travel approval should take 5-7 weeks to receive and of course our paperwork landed back in China just in time for a week long holiday when all government offices are closed. We've had good luck on timing in the last two steps so we're keeping our fingers crossed that this step will be on the short end of the estimated time. Once receiving our travel approval we will have 2-3 weeks to book tickets and pack for our trip.

It's been challenging to explain time and the adoption process to Molly. With each hurdle we pass we are excited and explain to Molly we are one step closer but still have a long wait. We think she understands the best a three year old can and when we received LOA and Eric said, "Gracie will be home soon," Molly said, "No Dad, just one more step." But then yesterday when I picked her up from school her teacher asked me if we were leaving for China soon because Molly said that her sister would be here for Halloween and it broke my heart. Eric and I are so excited to bring Gracie home and have another daughter but we are even more excited to see the joy on Molly's face when she finally has her sister home.

Approved!

It seems crazy this far into the process but we got our LOA(Letter of Acceptance) from China on Wednesday. It came in weeks ahead of what we were expecting so this is great news for us traveling this year and even possibly in late November. We were caught a little off guard and Marie had to scramble to finish the I-800 form which is the next step. She was on it though and got it out the same day the LOA arrived. We all did our parts. I came home at lunch time to sign the forms and Molly was a real trooper waking up early from a nap (something she normally hates) and pitching right in, throwing her shoes on and going right out to the post office with Mom. All she needed to hear was that it was for Gracie and she didn't complain a bit.

The time table for travel is still a little up in the air but our adoption agency is predicting the last week of November or first week of December. If all goes well we could be traveling during the week of Thanksgiving. The irony goes without saying. This is the first big step forward in quite a while and suddenly it seems right around the corner. At the very least we are certain that we will be a family before her 2nd birthday and it looks certain that we will all be together for Christmas.

new portrait session

After some drama getting it started, including the putting in and then ripping out of hair bands and then the dropping of a candle stick on her head (and the subsequent crying jag that followed) I got some more great photos of Molly today. It's been a while since I've been able to get time on a weekend to just sit and take some real portraits so I'm glad I got some new ones. Her hair is getting so long! I can't wait until I get to take pictures of the two of them together. Her friend Caelyn was over on Saturday and I was playing with them both, picking them up and flopping them down on the couch. At one point it struck me when I was holding both that it was going to be like that fairly soon. Not soon enough but I am ready. My arms can take it and Molly has such fun with a playmate that I know she will love every minute of it.

Funny Face

She's a ham and she knows it.

That's our Girl who said that

For as long as Molly has been putting sentences together she has at random moments asked Mom and Dad "Are you happy?"
Tonight on our way home from our favorite frozen yogurt place the following conversation took place.
Molly: "Are you Happy Mama?"
Mom: "Yes, you make me happy Molly! Are you happy Molly? Of course you are, you have a belly full of ice cream(for Molly's sake we call our treat ice cream not yogurt)and a Mommy and Daddy that love you so much! What else could you want?"
Molly: GRACIE

When ever we start to think Molly can't amaze us anymore than she already has . . . she does.

Gracie is so lucky to have such a loving sister.