First steps towards citizenship

Today we headed to the US Consulate for the babies' US visas. We were prepared for a long wait but it turned out they were able to process us very quickly. All children adopted from China headed for the US process through this same room. The gentleman from the consulate was quite nice and chatted with us for a few minutes and updated us on some US news before swearing us in.

(Livvie likes baths now)

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After the swearing in ceremony we were handed sealed brown envelopes and told not to open them and bring them with us to the US immigration official. This made a little leery. The last time I was handed an sealed brown envelope and told not to look inside was by a guy named Momo in Newark. But he paid me $200, the guy at the consulate didn't give me a dime.

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We have been eagerly awaiting Livvie's first steps. Well, it happened today Livvie promptly took her first steps all by herself in the US Consulate after being sworn in.

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We begin our journey back to Grand Junction tomorrow evening, we will leave China at 9pm, arrive in L.A., spend the night and continue on home on the 1st. Once we land in L.A. and they stamp Livvie's passport and visa she immediately becomes a US citizen. The Statue of Liberty's torch burns a little brighter to welcome you home Liv.