AMERICAN!

This morning was our hearing in probate court for the re-finalization of Lily's adoption. For many international adoptive families, this is a desired step to obtain adoption decrees in English and an American birth certificate. In our case, it held much more significance. Since I traveled alone to bring Lily home from China, she did not obtain her citizenship upon arriving in America, like a majority of her peers. We were required to re-adopt her in our county court to fulfill the requirements for her citizenship. Because our county requires a child to live in the home for at least a year prior to filing a petition to finalize an adoption, today was finally Lily's day in court. So, although the adoption was finalized in China, today was the final requirement to officially re-affirm that Lily is our legal daughter, and to officially change her name. AND... today she is finally an official, flag-waving, red-white-and-blue American citizen! (Although we still have to file a long list of documents and pay yet another fee to the Department of Homeland Security to obtain a certificate to prove it. Can't anything bureaucratic ever be simple?) Congratulations, Lily!

family photo with the judge

Lily in the power chair!