tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61462682011-04-22T00:14:20.665-04:00The Friend Family Adoption of our Daughter from China<b> The Chinese have a wonderful way of explaining how people come together, all people. In their culture, long before we meet the people who will be the most important in our lives, we are linked with lengths of invisible red thread. A red thread they will tell us, joins us to our child. As a red thread crossed the Atlantic to join Taney to me the thread continues to China and to our daughter.</b>Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1160855211396324852006-10-14T15:03:00.000-04:002006-10-14T15:46:51.420-04:00

This week was a week of three firsts that are noteworthy.But first a little update. Wow you have grown fast and are now up to 38 inches tall. You have named your first stuffed toy, Mr. Cow. Given to you by Uncle Kevin, Auntie Lou, Hannah and Daniel on their trip here earlier in the summer. That does seem a long timne ago.In the last couple of weeks you have a huge interest in the film, The Little

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1131201679118999352005-11-05T09:22:00.000-05:002005-11-05T09:41:19.146-05:00

Celeste:Returning to America may have been the end of our adoption journey but the start of our life together as family. Last weekend I sat and watched the video footage of gotcha day for the first time, reliving the moments of that special day half-way across the world. How things have changed in such a short space of time:You could barely sit up without support then, now you are running around

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1117569028796437672005-05-31T15:36:00.000-04:002005-05-31T15:50:28.800-04:00

This is the final posting of this blog.After over twenty four hours of travel from Hong Kong entering into JFK where you were made an American Citizen and a short shuttle flight to Philadelphia, in the evening. You were met by your Gran, Aunt Tabitha, Uncle Scott and Uncle Pearse at the airport.We have all travelled far. The Red Thread has proven to be very long but not tangled and now with the

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1117568155399157432005-05-31T15:31:00.000-04:002005-05-31T15:35:55.400-04:00

This morning the sun shone brightly over Guangzou, home to the adoption section of the US Consulate and Department of Homeland Security. You were carried from the White Swan to the Consulate where our identities were checked and we made a solem oath that all of the papers we had signed were truthful and honest. A visa for your entry to America was given and as soon as your feet touched American

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1117567859414321982005-05-11T15:25:00.000-04:002005-05-31T15:30:59.416-04:00

Celeste:We will relive this day many times over for years to come as this is the day you were placed in our arms for us to be a forever family. This special day has been written into a journal that we are keeping during the journey in China and is our special story.There have been plenty of happy tears shed to this point, and many more on this day not only by your Mom and Dad but by all of those

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1117567525133782702005-05-06T15:23:00.000-04:002005-05-31T15:25:25.136-04:00

Celeste,You probably will not know this, but today is your first birthday. Of all the gifts your Mom & I could give you on this special first birthday. We boarded the plane in New York to fly to Hong Kong and are a half-way around the world closer to you.

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1112409638022062282005-04-01T21:22:00.000-05:002005-04-01T21:46:34.323-05:00

The lack of posting in the week plus has been a result of a significant amount of activity at this end of the red thread.Earlier this week we received our second but not final travel packet that included papers needing signatures and notary action. This was all resolved by today, most completed and returned to Colorado by Wednesday. Visa applications were submitted to JC Travel in San Francisco

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1111376100529916402005-03-20T22:21:00.000-05:002005-03-21T11:02:32.333-05:00

I write this posting only to record the happenings and events that unfolded this first weekend because they are very important and never to be forgotten.Celeste we are sending you an early Birthday present, we are putting together a little box that contains a blankie and a chick-a-dee bird that sounds like those that sit and chirp outside your nursery window. In the box will also be a button up

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1111118966611428952005-03-17T22:42:00.000-05:002005-03-17T23:09:26.616-05:00

4:30 this afternoon our friend Hillary at CCAI who has worked with us through the compilation of our paperwork called Taney to announce that we have a daughter.In the following moments, the call explained that she is in a town called Chongqing a few hundred miles west of Shanghai. In an instant our family grew by one adorable little girl who has pulled at our heartstrings for many months. A

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1110585377139898872005-03-11T18:49:00.000-05:002005-03-11T18:56:17.140-05:00

The end of another week and the news from CCAA suggests that after the general slowdown for Chinese New Year holidays, much like December here, followed with training for CCAA staff, this has compounded the delays in matching and sending on referrals.Wishing and praying this last week did not measure on this occassion as nothing has been mailed to America for us this week. It is possible that

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1110156288539304762005-03-06T19:34:00.000-05:002005-03-06T19:44:48.540-05:00

It is a little over six months and a couple of days since our dossier was logged in with CCAA in China. Taney & I have patiently waited, worked on the nursery and since the end of January been caught up in a split of referrals that now places us very close to the end of a six week wait for news of referral.We cannot wait, we are simply set to burst as we are instructed that referrals should be in

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1107218967909478122005-01-31T19:40:00.000-05:002005-01-31T19:49:27.910-05:00

Some weeks ago I wrote the closer we seem get, the less certain everything seems to become. Today and yesterday, I have been watching the news from other families those who had dossiers in China in late July and up to around the 23rd August last year receive news of their referrals. I am thrilled for them all, however this means a wait of a month for us. Our predicted timeline is for the call

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1105736436337861582005-01-14T15:53:00.000-05:002005-01-15T08:38:49.913-05:00

This has been a roller coaaster of a week as with DTC of late August and the split of the July referrals we sit on the cusp of good news in February or later. If later we are aware of the trade show in China that effectively halts the adoption program for about a month as the hotels are booked by businessmen for the annual trade fair. Nobody in America really knows the timelines and sometimes

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1105230894906567062005-01-08T19:22:00.000-05:002005-01-08T19:34:54.906-05:00

It would seem that not everyone who had their dossiers logged in with the CCAA in July received a referral this week. The latest is around the 25th, leaving a number of frustrated parents waiting another month. Our concern is that as our dossier was logged in on August 30th, will we be included in the next group of referrals due around this time next month (possibly) or will their be a break as

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1104895673456506492005-01-04T22:11:00.000-05:002005-01-04T22:27:53.456-05:00

Today we have discovered that there is a strong supposition that those adopting with their dossiers log into the CCAA system last July have been matched and that referrals are being sent to respective agencies over the next couple of days. All things being equal February 10 many of the parents DTC July will be holding referral photos and on the brink of the next steps of their journey. There are

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1104528302281974602004-12-31T16:23:00.000-05:002004-12-31T16:25:02.280-05:00

Dear Friends: Today is New Years Eve. It is a time to look to the future and to look back at the year that has gone by. 2004 has been a good year for this friend house as Malcolm and I have been busy preparing for the new arrival to our family, our darling daughter. This past Christmas marked our 1-year anniversary of the signing of our adoption agency application. By that stroke of the pen and

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1102732063631441422004-12-10T21:23:00.000-05:002004-12-10T21:27:43.630-05:00

Taney came into the family room this evening to tell me that June referrals were out and that this also included some from July. It is very early reports and we will know how wide the spread of referrals are for this month. After the inital surprise, although I had been wondering when June was coming out, the reality that August DTC could be one month away is a real reality check. So mid

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1101293795483493472004-11-24T05:46:00.000-05:002004-11-24T05:56:35.483-05:00

The nursery is all but done and Taney & I have had fun putting the room together. Uncle Pearse helped me get a sleeper sofa out before painting the room and Uncle Chris helped with the decorating. The room is a disney fairy princess pink with white woodwork and trim, a white ceiling and blue carpet. The crib and changing table are white. A bedroom chair given to us by Grandmere sits under one of

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1098303311747459582004-10-20T19:14:00.000-04:002004-10-20T16:15:48.506-04:00

There is a certain satisfaction from painting the nursery… The last couple of weekends have seen painting activity in the nursery; the yellow walls are now a beautiful shade of Disney Fairytale pink, the wooden window frame now white to match the rest of the trim in the room. Taney paid a visit to Home Depot and with the help from the man in the decorating aisle purchased everything the novice

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1097002813858135072004-10-05T14:56:00.000-04:002004-10-05T15:00:13.860-04:00

Hi folks sorry for the lull of information of the redthread blog. What has been happening? We Malcolm and I are DTC August and we have been logged in (LID) CCAA. Now we know we will be in the August batch so now we wait. Hmmmm let me translate that for you all who are not in on the China Adoption lingo. Translation: Malcolm and I sent our dossier to the Agency CCAI in early August and they

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1093563031251391002004-08-26T19:24:00.000-04:002004-08-26T19:30:31.253-04:00

Eight months and one day from the date Taney & I completed our CCAI application form (last Christmas Day), our papers tonight are being couriered to be delivered by hand tonight. HURRAH! We are both thrilled and delighted. Taney & I hope to hear soon if we are classified as dossier to China (DTC) for August or September. The Chinese categorize this and we wait hoping... There was one minor

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1093377643752954192004-08-24T18:57:00.000-04:002004-08-24T16:00:43.753-04:00

This afternoon Taney & I both heard from Hilary in the dossier department to inform us that our dossier was translated, the final papers received today and within the week our dossier is due to be sent to China. Whoo-hoo!!! Now the waiting for our daughters referral begins. This call was truly out of the blue as neither of us expected translation to take less than a month.

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1092161929473692272004-08-10T17:45:00.000-04:002004-08-10T14:18:49.473-04:00

Taney spent most of the morning, copying everything for our dossier, signing checks, credit card authorizations and sending our completed dossier documents to Colorado with the help of our local Kinko's and Fed-Ex. Since we started writing our adoption agency application last December 25, it has taken 7 months, 16 days and a couple of hours, minutes and seconds to reach this part of our adoption

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1092143008633294832004-08-10T09:02:00.000-04:002004-08-10T09:03:28.633-04:00

As I write this I am about to fall over with exhaustion. I woke up today at 3:15am and took the 4:50am train from Philly to D.C. to take the rest of my paperwork to first the British Embassy then authenticate it (which I had to go back to do again long story) then to the PRC. I am now DONE WITH THE PAPERCHASE! I want to thank (as if this were the Oscars of paperchase) APC and Paperchase2000

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1092083029018097082004-08-09T17:59:00.000-04:002004-08-09T16:23:49.016-04:00

With all our paperwork together, Taney headed to Washington DC to visit the British Consulate where she met Martine the delightful lady who has helped us in the past from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, then to the State Department in DC before heading to the Consulate for the Peoples Republic of China. A minor pothole was hit as although the papers the originated from Pennsylvania had

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1091709811334057682004-08-05T08:42:00.000-04:002004-08-05T08:43:31.333-04:00

Much activity has been going on since the last posting and here is an update that Taney has written on behalf of us both. My husband should apologize the absence of any postings to the red thread. I am indeed guilty as well for the lack of postings since the Fingerprint appointment. So, what has been happening... Well, we sent in the Homestudy as soon as we were fingerprinted and waited and we

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1084105017017087452004-05-09T08:16:00.000-04:002004-05-09T08:21:27.653-04:00

This week has been a good-news highly productive week. With the home study complete and a date corrected, our second filing of our I600A is complete. Taney & I also received notification for our fingerprinting in Philadelphia that we plan to do first thing on Thursday May 13.

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1083204134167715942004-04-28T22:02:00.000-04:002004-04-28T22:06:30.700-04:00

As I look to the last post almost a month ago, I can't beleive that it has taken a month to dot the i's and cross the t's on the home study and make the language suitable for the CCAA, Chinese authorities. There have been a number of feverent phone calls between us, CCAI and AHA our home study social workers to button this part of the process up. Since the last post on March 30, I have been to

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1080964806549379182004-04-02T23:00:00.000-05:002004-04-02T23:03:47.483-05:00

A scant eight pages long, our home study is complete. The process of the home study has not been the easiest of processes to personally work through. While I recognize that difficult questions need to be asked and answered, one thing I have discovered is that despite my outwardly open nature, there are some private parts of my life that I would prefer to keep just that, which I have had to

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1079876742473164212004-03-21T08:45:00.000-05:002004-03-21T08:53:02.280-05:00

I have some interesting stories to recount since the last posting. Both Taney & I have completed the medical reports that we need for our home study. Dr Goisse our new physician, left a note with letter needed to wish us every success in our adoption journey. CCAI our agency contacted us in the last few days to remind us to return some papers that needed to be notarized. The local bank in the

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1078062673986605762004-02-29T08:51:00.000-05:002004-02-29T08:54:08.090-05:00

A couple of things happened this week, the police clearance reports returned from Harrisburg on Friday and we are thrilled at the speed of the turnaround. With our home study just days away, and that yesterday was a wonderful spring day, we threw open windows, got that first rush of fresh air in the house and spruced the house as part of an early spring clean. A trip to Home Depot we also

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1077455057165306002004-02-22T08:04:00.000-05:002004-02-22T08:09:35.390-05:00

Since our home study part one, we have been quietly working through some of the paperwork and some other "fun" stuff as we continue to move in the right direction. Our three cats (Jaffa, Truffles and Kiki) have all been taken to the vet to bring their shots up to date. A trip to Home Depot was on the list last weekend as we headed to pick out a paint color for the nursery. Long gone are the

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1076694838986894072004-02-13T12:53:00.000-05:002004-02-13T12:56:32.106-05:00

This morning Taney & I met with Sheri at our Home Study Agency, licensed to conduct homestudies in the state of Pennsylvania. The meeting lasted a little under two hours and we were both questioned on questions we expected and other we were not. In conclusion it was a good meeting and we have a new pile of papers to pull together for the home study, and a target date for Home Study - Part 2, at

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1076116042307419402004-02-06T20:07:00.000-05:002004-02-06T20:10:50.246-05:00

The following is a posting added to the Yahoo Adopting Parents from China APC boards tonight and also to my London Chimes blog page. The subject is where are the Dad's who are adopting from China and why do the rarely chime in on the subject matter posted on APC. This is my tonge in cheek response. Good evening to Kurt and all the guys on APC who lurk quietly and read these posts. The

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1075585519559871772004-01-31T16:45:00.000-05:002004-02-01T17:45:20.543-05:00

On February the 13th we are going to have the first of many homestudies. To explain to those who don't know the adoption process well I will explain. When you adopt from China you are required to have a series of a homestudies. A home study is not just an examination of the home but more importantly it is an examination of the family. Questions are asked of those living in the home and sometimes

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1074904101510611232004-01-23T19:28:00.000-05:002004-01-23T19:30:25.670-05:00

Happy new year to you all as we enter and celebrate the year of the monkey. We hope that it is a sign of good fortune that on the 22nd, we received written confirmation of our acceptance by our agency CCAI and the next pack of papers that Taney & I are itching to start to work through tomorrow. Returning to the subject of Chinese new year, we were sent the following information that is of

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1074436177139185412004-01-18T09:29:00.000-05:002004-01-18T09:31:33.826-05:00

Following Waynes site I found this really helpful.

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1074358411260129282004-01-17T11:53:00.000-05:002004-01-17T11:56:16.420-05:00

One thing that has crossed our minds recently is that given we anticipate our adoption to complete December 2004 or January or February 2005, this means that our daughter is most likely to be born during the year of the Monkey. We will mark the occassion as this is one of great significance to us. January 22,2004. This is the first day in the Year of the Monkey. Interesting cultural link here.

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1073334580180940572004-01-05T15:29:00.000-05:002004-01-05T15:29:59.183-05:00

It was with tremendous excitement that our application form was mailed off today to CCAI.

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1073154513865828122004-01-03T13:28:00.000-05:002004-01-03T13:28:52.410-05:00

The i's are dotted and the t's crossed on the application form to CCAI that Taney & I signed on Christmas Day. The application form was sitting under our tree on Christmas morning and was our gift to each other on Christmas Day. The second gift to be opened on Christmas Day was a Panda for Taney with a special message attached to his arm. We say he as the Panda has been named "G.W." Today our

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1071608342975434432003-12-16T15:59:00.000-05:002003-12-16T15:59:16.310-05:00

Written by Taney Friend. Yesterday I was watching the movie, “It's A Wonderful Life”. Many of you know the movie very well and have seen it many a time. If you have never seen to movie go out tonight and rent it. In the beginning of the film (Don't worry this will not ruin it) they show all of these houses and you hear voices sending prayers to Heaven for George Bailey. "Dear Lord, please watch

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1070555231910755182003-12-04T11:27:00.000-05:002003-12-04T11:27:22.526-05:00

One day sometime in the future Taney & I will sit and tell our daughter of her adoption story, part of that story will be the written account added to “The Red Thread”. The day after thanksgiving, Taney & I were walking around our local Target store to perhaps pick out gift ideas for one another to secretly wrap and place under the tree on Christmas Eve. Neither of us was very enthusiastic

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1070151706020278732003-11-29T19:21:00.000-05:002003-11-29T19:42:28.253-05:00

It is wholly appropriate that on this weekend, during an American holiday that all residents in America with no exclusions, stop and give thanks for what they have. Over the next months my wife Taney and I will undertake with the greatest thanks an unbelivable journey that makes us so excited that will realize our combined dream of parenthood and a very welcome addition to our family. There

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146268.post-1070148720086945562003-11-29T18:32:00.000-05:002003-11-29T18:40:38.800-05:00

September 27, 2003 I am thrilled to report that Taney & I have started the process of adopting from China, hence the recent reference to the red thread. We are deeply involved in the information gathering, selecting our agency to facilitate the process and the necessary documentation to move forward. We are researching how we can make our adoption plan work for us, from having papers notarized

Malcolmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171777930428964693noreply@blogger.com