Everyone said, your time will come. Well it did and like everyone else before us, it's unbelievable! No words can describe the feelings, joy, excitement, thrill and anticipation that overcome you when you get that call. We really didn't expect to hear so soon - I had just talked to our agency last week and they thought we'd still have 6-8 more weeks of waiting. Then within a week we got our referral! We received "the call" (actually the answering machine got it first) on 7/13 but both my husband and I were working very late. He got home first, played the message - almost had a heart attack - couldn't speak and because I wasn't home yet, was going crazy with no one to talk to! He then paged me on my beeper and I couldn't get to my car phone for about 5 minutes at which point he was really going nuts. So, he decides he's gotta go and get some champagne! Out he goes, I call the house - just get the answering machine, leave a message and then page him on his beeper and leave the car phone number. Car phone rings just as I'm negotiating a busy intersection in downtown Boston - "hello??" He then asks, "where are you?" A little perturbed by the timing of the call, I answer, "I'm in Kenmore Sq. trying to get onto Storrow Drive!! What do you want??" In the background I hear the answering machine rewind, then the customary beep and then , "this is Yige (from our agency),.....today.... assignment,.... excellent baby.....call me..." Remember, I'm driving, (and I drive a big, huge cargo van) -

"WHAT??....WHAT??...Can't drive...gotta put the phone down...I'LL BE RIGHT HOME!!!!!!" ......click. Then the longest 10 minutes of my life occurred until I got home-fortunately in one piece. All I remember about the drive home was saying over and over, "Oh my goodness, we have a baby!, Oh my

goodness, we have a baby!"

Needless to say, we're thrilled beyond belief - we got Yige at home and he faxed us her particulars and picture. Of course, she's beautiful! Picked up her color photo Tuesday at the agency. Her DOB is 10/5/97 (the day after mine!). Her picture shows her at 7 months and she weighed 13 lbs and is 25 inches. (our dossier was sent to China on 11/14/97)

So, however she came to us, we feel blessed and honored to have Liu Lu a part of our lives.

Application to Florence Crittenton: 8/14/97

Homestudy complete: 9/30/97

Homestudy to INS: 10/2/97

All doc's complete and translated:10/22/97

Received INS- I171H: 10/31/97

Dossier sent to China: 11/14/97

DTC (accepted in China): end 11/97 (not sure??)

Referral: 7/13/98 of Liu Lu (haven't decided on her new name yet), DOB

10/5/97, Fuzhou Welfare Institute, Fujian Province