I-800A Approval!

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I-800A Approval!


No, we didn't get the IRS to allow us to use a special tax form although it sounds like it. :-)

 This is the very exciting. All of our documents have been approved on the US Immigration side (before heading to China). This is a big relief as this is the document we kept having weird things happen with. But now it is DONE! Does this mean Bailor's on his way? Not yet. This is the US approval. What's next is getting our Dossier (I-800A approval + Fancy Finger Prints taken at the covert government office next to Chuck E. Cheese + Homestudy + family pictures + original documents (where we never got a copy of our marriage certificate) + References ( I hope you all said good things) + Checks for random amounts like $3 to Shelby County Probate, $4 to Alabama Secretary of State and two random amount checks to someone name Cindy Marut (you're welcome Cindy if you're reading this) then subtract 15 and divide by the square root of 4 = Dossier) will get translated and then sent to China where we wait for the magic Dossier logged into China confirmation to meet our deadline of March 26th. :-)

 Thank you for your continued prayers as we await these next steps and as we work to fundraise the rest of the amount. For all of you that are taking a look at tax forms right now, our new fundraising site at adopttogether.com/clarkmiracle is now tax deductible! Just kidding, sort of, not about the tax deductible part, but if you want to make a donation it will help with taxes 2016. :-)

Chinese New Year
This is the second week of Chinese New Year. We celebrated by getting takeout from Panda Express, our new favorite nutrition-plan friendly restaurant.


 Yes, those are books on learning Chinese so hopefully we can communicate with our son a little bit. Mackenzie knows a lot about Chinese New Year since she teaches a lesson on it at school.

Some Fun Facts:
-The Chinese often use this time to clean their houses, get haircuts and pay off debts to get ready of the new year.
-The colors of Chinese New Year are red and gold, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune.
-Adults give younger people red and gold envelopes containing money, these are called hong bao ("Lucky Money")
-Parades feature colorful dragon dancers and lion dancers and lots of reference to the incoming zodiac animal
-The Chinese celebrate with fireworks and firecrackers (they did invent gunpowder)
-Some symbols of good fortune are fish, plum blossoms, and oranges

Bonus fact: This is the year of the monkey!


We were able to send Bailor and his nannies (ayis) some treats for Chinese New Year. Here is what our contact in China (Helen) picked out for his care package:
Not sure what any of this is but it looked festive!

More facts: Check out this informative video by Panda Express (It really is informative and not a commercial for delicious wok cooked delights and egg rolls- although I highly recommend them)

Upcoming fundraiser: 

April 16th is the Bring Home Bailor 5K sponsored by Oakbrook Elementary! More info including registration link coming soon for those in Charleston. Here is a preview of our 5K shirt!

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