Almost an American

This afternoon we went to the U.S. consulate for a brief ceremony where we and a dozen or so other American families raised our right hands and swore that we were completely truthful on all the various forms. It lasts about 15 seconds and normally is preceded by a brief talk that is light on pomp and circumstance.

Today's event, however, was a special occasion. U.S. consulate officials from thoughout Asia were attending a seminar at the Guangzhou consulate, and the meeting also brought in some top dogs from Washington, D.C., including David Donahue, the Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Visa Services. He led the ceremony, and the room was filled with roughly 25 other consulate and Secretary of State officials, all with wide grins as they watched these new families form. As much of a joy as it was for us to be part of it, I sensed that these people genuinely enjoyed it, too. Several of them looked approvingly at our new daughter, and Donahue called out "The Thorntons" and has us stand to acknowledge us as the family in our group who has adopted the most children from China.

One of the U.S. folks runs the consulate in Shenyang and, coincidentally, knows a couple, Heather and Dennis Larrabee, that we were supposed to travel with in early 2005 for our adoption of Abbey. They recently moved to Shenyang to do medical and mission work. Gayle still keeps in touch with them. This may be the definition of the term "small world."

Abbey will become an American citizen when we go through Customs at O'Hare in Chicago. We have no photo of today's ceremony because cameras aren't allowed in the consulate.