Adding One Mohr: Her name is Olivia

The clock to TA ( travel approval from China ) is is countdown mode, but the U.S State Department National Visa Center was experiencing IT glitch. We have been instructed to keep trying and trying to access a form where we apply for a visa that will be issued in China. While it is easy to get frustrated, ultimately it is really in the hands of God, his timing not ours. The outage has affected people all over the country not just us, China's Vice Council has given the go ahead to proceed to the next step, but it is still to be determined what will happen if the IT issue is not fixed within the timeframe need for the next step to become valid. Adoption is full of steps and forms and while some sail smoothly others get lost like a sock in the washing machine. In the instance of the missing sock it's really simple, you just wait until you figuratively find it stuck to the back of a towel in the linen closet. When adoption comes to a screeching halt you dig deep, get creative while being determined to get the momentum going. David wrote letter, I called the Visa center 42 times only to hear forty one times that they were too busy call back later.... click. David filled out a release of records, went to the State Capitol and was able to get a investigation started within our congressional system. Well we found our sock on the 13th of May. I believe there were about 6 people who were able to get into the National Visa Center and access the form. Needless to say we were excited and felt very blessed. No as Article 5 waits to be picked we are again are inching our way towards travel approval and our family day.

Cate had her first sleepover last week and while not the slumber party kind she was truly ready to go with her Ayi (Aunt) Colleen. It was great to see the growth in her and the willingness to go. I am often reminded that our friendship is priceless. Feeling blessed, such a close friend who has been through the good the bad and the ugly. Just last weekend while driving with John David (yes he's driving ) up to Park City, he was reminiscing about his childhood and lovingly recalled the times Colleen has stepped in and taken my place for him and Wyatt. When I worked few winters in Park City there were days of last minute appointments or inclement weather making me wait or inch my way over the pass. I would come home to find that Coll had already picked them up, made dinner and readied them for the next day. John David said those were "good" days that got better when Colleen picked them up and got them home. He said he remembers missing me, but not like the really sad missing someone, and that being with Colleen made him feel better.

We went on our first family of five camping trip and made some new connections with families that we had not spent time with. I got a little under the weather from a winding car ride to Dead Horse Point after taking medication on a empty stomach. Cate had a blast and David was very helpful and took over the camp cooking. I am pretty sure the boys had a gray weekend , we only saw them when they needed food.

Here are new picturea of Olivia, middle name to be determined.