The Proposal of Bui Duc Tan (aka Nate)

For a year and four months we waited for "the proposal". In adoption terms "the proposal" means an actual baby is proposed to you for you to adopt. The agency receives a file with information and pictures of a baby and matches it up with an appropriate family. We knew that we were close, but could not have been more surprised when on Monday February, 16, 2009 at approximately 3:40 pm the phone rang and it was "the call". We had been out all morning at the park with the dog and were being a bit lazy in front of the tv..the phone rang..we both looked at each other and said "who would be calling on family day?"..I then said to Brian..."you better get it..it could be "the call"". I could hear Brian talking to someone that was definitely not a telemarketer and got up and went into the kitchen to see who it was. He was sitting at the table with glistening eyes and he gave me the "thumbs up" and mouthed this is "the call". If it wasn't for the tears in his eyes you would have thought he was speaking with someone about the weather. His manner was so calm. He wrote down 4 things during the conversation, date of birth (Dec 31) , location (north province, Hoa Binh), name (Duc Tan Bui) and a # where the Director could be contacted. I would ask him to recount the conversation that he had with the Director of the Adoption Agency, but only a couple of minutes after he hung up I asked what we needed to do next and he looked at me and said "I don't remember".

Within minutes we received an email with pictures and Duc Tan's medical information and that was it. We were in love and our life that had felt on hold for so long was beginning again.