54 Days

Still waiting. The CCAA has sent out packages to the adoption agencies around the world. No one knows, not even the agencies, what is in the packages. All we know is that they are due to arrive sometime in the next few days. If our LOA is in there, we hopefully will get a phone call from our agency. So far, they have only communicated through email, so, maybe that is how we will get the news.

This weekend, on Oct 3rd, is the Harvest Moon Festival in China. We will be celebrating with a bonfire in our fire pit in the backyard, and homemade moon cakes, which are our version of the moon cakes made in China, except ours are sweet pastries, and theirs are often made of bean paste, or cheese, more savory and my kids just aren't into them. When I was in China on the adoption trip to bring Myleigh home, I bought some authentic moon cakes. On that first Harvest festival at home, we tried them. Not as yummy as they looked. They were very artistic looking though as they are made in special presses, that shape them and imprint designs on them. So, I found a moon cake press on ebay and use it to make our own cakes. I use cookie dough and fill them with different fillings, jams, preserves, that kind of thing. Even chocolate could be used. Then, before baking, you fold a note inside each cake, a message to the person who gets that cake, usually wishing them good luck or something or it can be a special message meant just for them. We sit around the fire and open our mooncakes and look at the huge moon. In China, the harvest festival is a time of family reunion. Families travel from all over China back to their family home. It lasts for the weekend.

Since we are now approaching this year's harvest festival weekend, the CCAA is planning to be closed for the next week due to families traveling to and from their reunions. This may have an affect on our wait. There are rumors that the CCAA is planning to clear their desks and send out a large amount of LOA's and TA's this week, and then have a fresh start when they come back to the office. Another rumor says they are not planning to send out anything until after the holiday.

All I know is, I want my LOA this week. I will be sleeping most of the day tomorrow, since I am working all night tonight, so, if it comes in and our agency calls or emails in the morning, I won't know it til I wake up. Maybe that's for the best. Nothing like waiting around for news, especially if it never comes.