Busy, Busy Week...

Whew!  What a busy week!  It sure had it's fill of ups and downs.  Below is a brief recap.

Monday - I found yet another error (This was the second.) on our i800 pre-approval.  I quickly emailed our agent and she sent yet a third corrected version of our pre-approval.

Tuesday - Hannah's beloved hamster, Latke, died.  While she was a part of the family for only a brief time (2 years), she was well-loved by all and a good friend to Hannah.  We held a funeral in the backyard, played her favorite song, and said a few kind words.  When Zach told Kaleb that Latke was "in a better place," Kaleb asked, "In the dirt?"  Gotta love a four-year old's perspective.  Below is a picture of Latke, in healthier times.

Tuesday evening, Zach also had his eighth grade award ceremony at school.  He earned both the Middle School Years "AB" Honor Roll (He actually only made one B his entire middle school career.) and the Principal's Honor Roll.  We are so proud of him.  Below is a video of the handsome young man receiving his awards.

  
Thursday - I emailed the National Visa Center to see if they had our i800 pre-approval in their system...and they wrote back saying that they did!

Friday - We received our letter from the National Visa Center stating that our approval had been sent to the U.S. Consulate in Guanzhou.  This is a big step!  Next, this Tuesday, all of our documentation will be hand delivered to the Consulate and in two weeks we should be issued an Article 5.  This is our final approval from the U.S.  Then, it's travel approval time!

In addition to hearing good news, the kids and I were able to spend a wonderful few hours with my sister who was in town for a conference.  We met at the Mall of Georgia, ate dinner, and walked the mall.  It is always great to see her.  She is more than my sister; she's my best friend.  Below is a picture of the two of us.