Here’s my story and I’m sticking to it....my name is Julie Thomas and I’m a 44-year-old admitted baby addict (in a good way). I love babies! Little ones, big ones, black ones, white ones I love them all. I’ve been blessed to have many, many great babies in my life; many who are now great teenagers and one that is getting ready to graduate from college. But there was always something missing, I didn’t have a baby of my own to love, nurture and adore. As much as I loved all my other babies they weren’t mine, they had adoring parents of their own.

In July, 2003 I got a job with an international company and told my friends: "now that I’m traveling to Asia so much I’m just going to pick-up a Chinese baby on one of my trips". Little did I know how that statement would change my life!

For the first 18 months after that grand statement I did absolutely nothing to move forward with an international adoption. Then one gray January day I got a sign, I was in an airport (what’s new?) and a happy family was heading to Hawaii on their first vacation with their little girl from China. All the guys on the shuttle were mesmerized by her and so was I. When she got off to head to her gate, her Mom stopped the stroller by where I was standing and she just started blowing me kisses, for no reason at all! Her Mom was just staring at her and wondering what was going on and right then I decided it was time! I needed to educate myself on the process of adopting from China and I had to get moving, I wasn’t getting any younger and I did already know about the age requirements. So, I began contacting agencies and talking to everyone I knew who had adopted from China or knew someone who did, those who know me know that I can be pretty darn tenacious when I really, really want something! The news was not good, only a small percentage of total Chinese adoptions are allowed for singles and all the agencies I spoke with gave me little hope of getting a singles spot before late 2006 or even 2007.

Then came signs number 2 and 3....

....Number 2: My Mom took it upon herself (without telling me or my dad) to attend a Great Wall Adoption Seminar in Florida to learn more about the process. She fessed up immediately because she was unbelievably moved by what she heard at the meeting. She said I HAD to send another email to GW and beg for a spot; being a good daughter I did just that.

....Number 3: The Monday after my email, Great Wall had a single drop out of the 2005 program. Well, they had my email and they had a morning spent with my Mom so they called and asked if I’d like to apply for this precious spot, boy did I....everything happened fast from there!

This is my journey to Kacey, who is in China waiting for me. I know that it’s going to be a bumpy ride but I welcome you to join the trip, just bookmark this site and I’ll keep you posted.

Julie & Baby Kacey (waiting in China).