One advantage of having done this before, this whole adoption thing, is that to a certain extent we know what is going to come.
And that could be a good thing and a bad thing.
On one hand, I am now very good at organizing papers, and sort of know the routine and have a system down for managing the huge amount of paperwork and procedure that goes into it.
But I also know what it takes to do it.
At this point our paperwork for our homestudy update is going in on Monday (Steve wants the weekend to get his portion done so I don't think it will be ready to go out yet tomorrow). That also means that we have gotten the first packet from our international agency - and they had paperwork that has to go to our homestudy social worker! Whoo-hoo! All in the same envelope!!!! That means that now we wait to hear from the social worker who gets to come and visit the house. We have one of those visits and they collect some information and documents and hopefully we can then be done with what it takes to get our domestic homestudy to an international one. We have to get some medical letters done, so I am making all those calls on Monday. Ugh. Ten of us. Ugh. We may just camp out there. Ugh. But, we also need medicals for the international portion, so I am going to make sure and have all the needed documents with us at one time!!! Somewhat streamlining things!
Once the homestudy is updated, then it can be sent to us, who then send it in with our I600A to Immigration in Texas. I have the documents all filled out, the copies of birth certificates, marriage decrees and all already in the packets. So, once we have the homestudy, then that can do in and then we wait for the fingerprinting appointments. Yep, we go back down to Homeland Security in Milwaukee and Steve and I get fingerprinted again. If they pass us then they issue another document that clears us to travel to adopt internationally and bring home our soon to be adopted children.
So, those things are needing to be as timely as possible.
Some of that I have control over and some of it I don't.
So, while we are waiting, once I have done what I needed to for the things listed above, then I will keep myself busy assembling everything for our dossier. My plan is to have it ready to go as soon as we get the letter from Homeland Security. Once that is all together, our agency can get it to Ethiopia for translation and then really get the ball rolling.
I have no idea how long things will take. Obviously the sooner we do what we need to, the sooner things can go. Honestly the hardest part may be getting both Steve and I together to get things notarized. I am hoping that we might have a friend at church who is a notary who could do it for us on a Sunday! LOL! Wouldn't that be funny????
Anyway, that is the adoption update. I so wish I could share photos. Our little girls are so cute and beautiful and I know I am gushing, but we are so over the moon in love! I dreamt about them this morning.
I am very blessed to have been asked to be a Mentor Mom for our church MOPS group and am really enjoying it. There are such neat ladies in it and it is a great group. I am finding that I have things to offer them as a mom, and from other life experiences. I haven't ever been involved in a group like this before. What a blessing, even after being a mom for more than 16 years!
This weekend is a little calmer, before the wild one coming up with the SUPER BOWL!!!!!! Yeah Green Bay Packers!!! The last time they went to the Super Bowl, Kiley wasn't even a year old, and the last time they won I was pregnant with her!!! There is just great excitement here over that, I have promised the kids a Super Bowl party here with yummy snacks while we lose our voices for our favorite team!!!!
Well, goodnight all. I will try to post more often, but don't just want to blab on about the boring old process.
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
And that could be a good thing and a bad thing.
On one hand, I am now very good at organizing papers, and sort of know the routine and have a system down for managing the huge amount of paperwork and procedure that goes into it.
But I also know what it takes to do it.
At this point our paperwork for our homestudy update is going in on Monday (Steve wants the weekend to get his portion done so I don't think it will be ready to go out yet tomorrow). That also means that we have gotten the first packet from our international agency - and they had paperwork that has to go to our homestudy social worker! Whoo-hoo! All in the same envelope!!!! That means that now we wait to hear from the social worker who gets to come and visit the house. We have one of those visits and they collect some information and documents and hopefully we can then be done with what it takes to get our domestic homestudy to an international one. We have to get some medical letters done, so I am making all those calls on Monday. Ugh. Ten of us. Ugh. We may just camp out there. Ugh. But, we also need medicals for the international portion, so I am going to make sure and have all the needed documents with us at one time!!! Somewhat streamlining things!
Once the homestudy is updated, then it can be sent to us, who then send it in with our I600A to Immigration in Texas. I have the documents all filled out, the copies of birth certificates, marriage decrees and all already in the packets. So, once we have the homestudy, then that can do in and then we wait for the fingerprinting appointments. Yep, we go back down to Homeland Security in Milwaukee and Steve and I get fingerprinted again. If they pass us then they issue another document that clears us to travel to adopt internationally and bring home our soon to be adopted children.
So, those things are needing to be as timely as possible.
Some of that I have control over and some of it I don't.
So, while we are waiting, once I have done what I needed to for the things listed above, then I will keep myself busy assembling everything for our dossier. My plan is to have it ready to go as soon as we get the letter from Homeland Security. Once that is all together, our agency can get it to Ethiopia for translation and then really get the ball rolling.
I have no idea how long things will take. Obviously the sooner we do what we need to, the sooner things can go. Honestly the hardest part may be getting both Steve and I together to get things notarized. I am hoping that we might have a friend at church who is a notary who could do it for us on a Sunday! LOL! Wouldn't that be funny????
Anyway, that is the adoption update. I so wish I could share photos. Our little girls are so cute and beautiful and I know I am gushing, but we are so over the moon in love! I dreamt about them this morning.
I am very blessed to have been asked to be a Mentor Mom for our church MOPS group and am really enjoying it. There are such neat ladies in it and it is a great group. I am finding that I have things to offer them as a mom, and from other life experiences. I haven't ever been involved in a group like this before. What a blessing, even after being a mom for more than 16 years!
This weekend is a little calmer, before the wild one coming up with the SUPER BOWL!!!!!! Yeah Green Bay Packers!!! The last time they went to the Super Bowl, Kiley wasn't even a year old, and the last time they won I was pregnant with her!!! There is just great excitement here over that, I have promised the kids a Super Bowl party here with yummy snacks while we lose our voices for our favorite team!!!!
Well, goodnight all. I will try to post more often, but don't just want to blab on about the boring old process.
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
1 comment:
You sure sound on top of things. I hope God blesses your efforts and everything just falls into place! (even though we all know there has to be some challenges!)
Keep blogging as I love following you!
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