Boo!

So, I've mentioned this on facebook but I feel like I need an actual adoption update so here it is:

August travel is looking pretty impossible. I'm bummed because I was led to believe that it would be about 6 weeks from the time I submitted my dossier until I traveled. Now, all of a sudden, it's 3 months from submission to travel. There about 10 steps that I didn't know about. I'm not sure what happened but it's a little weird that Angie got the same news at the same time. USCIS has slowed down. (Welcome to summer!) Sara's country has also slowed down. This and the extra steps now have me praying that I'll be traveling in October.

Both Angie and I believe that God is still in this process. While I'm bummed that I won't be with my little girl for her birthday, I know God has a purpose in the delay.

I think one of the reasons for the delay is financial. I applied for about 8 grants. I have received "nos" from two of them. Another emailed to say my application was slated to be reviewed on June 30th and another will be reviewed on August 30th. I am hoping and praying that this delay allows at least one of the grants to come through so I won't have to take a loan.

From a work stand-point, it will be better if I'm around to get the school year started off on the right foot. At this point, I'm planning to be off for October and November. I had wanted to travel in August so I wouldn't have to take time off without pay. I have a meeting with the HR department tomorrow to figure out my leave. I have 5 weeks of sick time saved up. I'm hoping to take 4 weeks in addition to that. We'll see how the meeting goes tomorrow!

I'm still waiting for USCIS approval and my psych eval report. One of the "new" steps in the process is a whole packet of information about my little girl! I can't wait for that step. I NEED an updated picture!

So, while I wait, I'm holding an auction and knitting scarves like crazy (and even dog sitting)! There isn't anything I can do to speed up the US government or the Latin American government but I can knit and sell scarves!

Prolonged Silence

This will be short. I'm on my kindle and I don't type well on here.

Last week was very busy with the end of the school year. Then, I headed to NY for a long weekend with the fam. Tomorrow, I leave for a much needed vacation with my friend Anna. When we bought this trip in October, I had no idea how much I would need to get away right now.

I am hoping to come back to USCIS approval, a completed FBI background check, and a signed letter from my doctor. Wouldn't that be great?

Please don't forget to check out my Avon fund raiser while I'm gone!

Update--Here's How the Adoption's Going

I know it's been way too long since I updated. I always feel like I'm letting people down if I don't have something to say. (Maybe no one cares. Maybe it's all in my head.) So, here's the update that you've all been waiting for.....

I mailed my I800A into USCIS (I didn't know what any of that meant a few months ago) last week. I received confirmation on Friday that they have received my paperwork and they cashed my check. (That has to be progress, right?) Then, on Friday night, I heard about two families that had received their USCIS approval. Both families received approval in just under a month!!! This is HUGE! The official line from USCIS is that approval takes 90 days. These two families both sent theirs in a month ahead of mine and got approval in a month!!! So, what does that mean for me?

It means that Sara will probably be here sooner, rather than later! (Lots of exclamation points today. I'm excited!!!) I have said all along that I wanted to work summer school (I need the money)and travel during my August break. It would give me 3 extra weeks of my leave and allow me to save some of my sick time for appointments, etc. when Sara got back. Well, I've doubted for quite a while that that was going to happen. Now it looks like it's more than likely!!

Here's the breakdown as I currently understand it:

1. It will take USCIS about 3 weeks to assign me an appointment to get my fingerprints done. The appointment they assign me will be about a month after that. BUT, I have learned that you can go in before your appointment date. So, I'm hoping and praying that I have an appointment assigned when I get back from vacation. Then, I can use one of my last two days of break to go get my prints done. I'll have them done long before the appointment and I'll get to do them without taking off any work. (I'm hoarding every minute of sick time.)

2. Within a week of getting my prints done, I should have my approval from USCIS. This will hopefully be the last week of June.

3. As soon as I have that form in my hand, I can send the dossier into the country for approval. The director of the orphanage has already given me his approval. So, it really shouldn't take too long to get the dossier approved. (The director says 2 weeks!)

4. When that is approved, I will be granted a court date. (Probably about 2 weeks after approval.)

5. So, if you are following all the time lines, this puts me in the last week of July!!! Summer school ends August 2nd. How perfect is that? (And how soon!!!)

Obviously, international adoptions are very fickle and there is no guarantee that everything will go smoothly or quickly. BUT, this timeline gives me hope. (A LOT of hope!)

So, I will be spending this Memorial Day getting all the dossier paperwork in order to get finished this week. (I also am finishing up one more grant application.) I want everything done and ready to go before I go on vacation. (I've said all along that things may delay this adoption but I won't delay it.) I am playing phone tag with a psychologist and hope to get that evaluation done sometime in the next two weeks. I also have to get a letter written and notarized by my doctor. (Remember how fun she was the first time around?) The rest of the stuff is pretty small and I should be able to get that all done today.

Now, if I could just get an updated height and weight and a shoe size, I'd be almost ready for my little girl to come home...

Tears of Joy

I've said it on here before and I will continue to say it. I am so blessed by all the support and encouragement I've received in this process. A lot of people in my adoption group talk about the resistance, and sometimes ridicule, that they are getting for their choice to adopt a child with special needs. Maybe people are talking about me behind my back but I haven't run into one negative comment (except the blog troll but that doesn't count).

I've spent most of the day gladly filling out grant applications. I will do ANYTHING to get this adoption paid for so that I can get my little girl home (even dog sitting and baby sitting for 3 days). As I've plugged the numbers into every form, I realize that this adoption just isn't financially possible. I've prayed with each application that at least ONE of these agencies would like our story and give us a little money.

I started out with enough to pay for the home study and most of the incidental fees--nowhere near what I would need for this process. I've been continuously brought to tears (I am NOT a crier) by the donations and support I've received from almost everyone in my life. High school friends, college friends, church friends, work friends, my sister's friends, my parents' friends, long-lost relatives, people I don't even know. Just when I think everyone I know has given all they can, someone else steps up. I can't say enough how much I truly appreciate the gifts. TRULY.

I just got off the phone and now I'm in tears again. The last $1,500 I needed for my program fees have been donated--once again by people I don't know. The program fees are supposed to be paid before the USCIS paperwork goes in. Mine goes in on Monday. I've been slowly chipping away at the $7,500 fee and it's such a relief to know it's covered.

There are more fees coming and there will be more hurdles. But, today, I rest in God's goodness, His plan and His timing. I sit with a smile on my face because my daughter and I are loved and blessed by some amazing people.

Letters to My Daughter - May 2012

Mija,

I've been putting off writing this letter to you because I was starting to feel like I'd never get through this process and you would never come home. So many people kept asking about you and I felt like I had nothing to say. I was still waiting for the home study to be finished and I haven't received any more information about you. It was a little discouraging. Even with all that, some big things have happened for you in the past month. Whether I feel like it or not, each day brings us one day closer to meeting. I dream about that day. I long for it. You are so loved!

Some of my amazing work friends got together last month and threw you a shower. They bought you tons of great toys, books, decorations, clothes. You are well spoiled already. (You are so special that a few of the guys from work showed up for their first ever showers!)

We all love to sit around and talk about what it will be like when you finally get here. People continue to offer to baby sit you, teach you about sports, let you swim in their pool, travel with us.

After the shower, your Tia Anna and Miss Julia came over and helped me unpack and set up your room. Your bedroom is adorable. Every time I walk by it, I long to see you in it. Your play room is coming together too. I just need to get some more shelves for all your toys! (You should probably know that Anna is responsible for all the cuteness. Don't expect that kind of thing from me!)

Sarita, I am amazed at your power to bring people together. There are people that I haven't talked to in years that are watching your story unfold and helping bring you home. There are people that I've never met that are very invested in getting you home as soon as possible. It's a little bit crazy to me how many people love you!

I met with the principal of your school the other day. Your Tia Anna and I went and met the teacher. I could definitely picture you in that class with all those adorable little kids. The teacher speaks Spanish and that makes me feel so much better about sending you off every day.

Last weekend was Mother's Day. It's always a hard day for me. I've wanted to be a mom for so long. While I AM your mom, this year just made me realize how much I want you here with me!!! NOW!! I look forward to celebrating our first Mother's Day together next year.

I've been trying to read as much as I can on your country. I want to help you preserve that heritage. I also want to get as much as possible out of our time together there---even though I hope it will be short.

Today, I finally got the official home study in the mail. This is a HUGE step!! I'm so excited and I wish you were here to celebrate with me. Now, I'm waiting for home land security and immigration to give me permission to bring you into this country. I hope they work quickly and that we'll be together before your birthday! Until then, I promise to keep working and to love you more every day!

Te quiero,
Tu Mami

A Good Day!

I've been pretty frustrated for the last two weeks or so. It seemed like the home study would NEVER be done. Every day that went by with no movement, I got more concerned that I wouldn't be able to travel this summer when I actually have vacation time. Every time someone asked what the latest news was, I wanted to scream because there wasn't any.

Then....Today happened....

*My home study is in Springfield right now. If they don't need any additional information, it will be approved tomorrow and could be sent to Immigration and Homeland Security by the end of the week!! (This is HUGE!)

*I have received several donations to the puzzle piece fund raiser. My friend Becky is holding a 31 Party for Sara. I got another donation to my FSP. God is providing!!

*I found two more possible grants today. I'm mailing off 2 applications tomorrow. The rest will go out when I have the official home study in my hands.

I'm ENCOURAGED. Greatly! I feel like things are finally moving. It will be nice to fall asleep tonight and not be counting weeks until August 1st or the amount of money I still need to pay.

Once again, God has shown me that it's all in his hands and in his timing.

So, how's the adoption going?

In all honesty, this is starting to be my least favorite question ever. It's kind of like when you are a senior and everyone wants to know what you are going to do after graduation. I really don't know how the adoption is going. I've never done one before. I have nothing to compare this to.

I can tell you this: It's long. It's hard. I'm emotionally exhausted.

(I don't think that's what people really want to hear.)

On the other hand: It's amazing. I feel so supported and blessed. I can see God's hand in it.

I feel like I should have a daily update for everyone but really, most days, I just fill out, copy, and notarize more paperwork. I send it off to someone....somewhere....who doesn't seem to be in nearly as much of a hurry as I am.


Regardless, here's where I am in the process right now:

I have completed all the things I need to do for the home study. I've been waiting for a draft from my social worker. She emailed today to say that she will submit it to the state by Friday! FINALLY!!! It then has to be approved by the one person that reads home studies for the entire state. Please pray that she has a slow week next week and gets to it immediately.

I have completed my paperwork for Homeland Security and Immigration. As soon as the homestudy is approved, that paperwork will be sent to a lockbox. I have no idea why they call it that but it doesn't sound promising, does it? Again, please pray that the right person will get my paperwork and that it will be processed quickly!

While I am waiting for that paperwork to be processed, I will compile the rest of the documents for the dossier to go to Latin America. This is a lot of the same paperwork for the homestudy but now has to all be notarized. (This means another visit with my doctor to get a letter she didn't give me last time. Oh, boy!) Thankfully, we have a notary at work who has been very gracious to me and is great to work with! That saves me lots of time!

When that's all approved, I get a date to travel. I will then have to be in country in 3 weeks or less. Yikes! Can't wait and am scared to death to spend so much time in a country, with a child I've just met, but alone. Definitely going to be a life experience I will not soon forget!


The other question I dread: How much money do you still need?
Honestly, I really have no idea. I know that I am about $1,000 short of my program fee. I know that I will need another big chunk when I submit my dossier and some more to travel. I haven't sat down and figured out what I've spent so far or what I still need. I'm a little afraid the number would cause a numbing fear.

I know that God will provide. I've seen it happy so far for me and I've seen it with tons of other RR families in the last month. I appreciate every gift and everyone who has donated.

As soon as I have the official home study, I can start applying for grants. After that, we'll see what happens. I have seen God work so much in this situation that I have to believe he will provide!


The question I hate to answer in person but have lots of answers for: What can I do to help?

1. Pray. I have seen God working and answering prayers. I know it's because there are so many people praying for my little girl to get home quickly. It's the only answer! Please continue to pray for both of us through this process. Pray for those who are caring for her now and for those people who will process our paper work.

2. Repost my blog on your blog. Post it on your facebook. Tweet about it. Spread the word about Sara and about Reeces Rainbow. Long after Sara is home, there will be more little children around the world needing homes.

3. If you are a coffee drinker, both Just Love Coffee and Furnace Hills Coffee are giving a portion of their sales to Sara. FHC even made Sara's blend---specially created to support Sara's adoption.

4. If you feel led to donate, you can donate on the ChipIn on the right or on my FSP on Reece's Rainbow.

5. It's not too late to donate an item to my Give Away that will continue for the rest of the month of April.

6. A few of the women in my small group are planning to host a Yard Sale in early June and donate the profits to Sara. This is still in the beginning planning stages but I wanted to put the idea out there. If you have items that you would like to donate to be sold, please let me know. I will let you know more info as it is available but wanted to let you know that this is coming up. Start cleaning out those closets and the garage!

Above all, just continue to be the amazing, supportive, encouraing people that you have been to me for the last 2 months!