January 20, 2011 at noon!
On Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving, we heard from our agency that Ukraine issued our invitation to travel. So exciting!
We now have a lot of preparing to do!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Dossier Day!
Today our agent in Kiev submitted our dossier. We have now passed one more hurdle in our adoption adventure. In 2-3 weeks we should be notified of our SDA appointment date which tells us when we will travel to Ukraine.
I expected this day to be one of great joy. And it is, for we are now just that much closer to our little girl. But our joy is tempered by news out of Ukraine that their parliament is considering a bill that would suspend all inter-country adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements with Ukraine - including the United States. And the language appears to include suspension of all adoptions in progress. The bill must still pass a second vote and be signed by the President, so it is by no means a done deal at this point. But if it should pass the second vote in the next few weeks, it could be signed and go into effect by the end of the year (2010). This information comes from the US Department of State at http://adoption.state.gov/news/ukraine.html The article is very short and does not say much more than what I wrote above.
Our agency believes that even if the legislation passes, we have a very good chance of completing the adoption (at our court date) before the stoppage would take effect. So rather than the ecstasy we expected on this date, we are guardedly hopeful that our adoption will proceed without further delay.
I also want to say that I don't know whether the suspension of adoptions is the "right" thing for Ukraine. It very well may be. I choose to believe that those who support the suspension do indeed have the best interest of the children at heart and that they truly believe the system will work better once the agreements are obtained. So please do not vilify the supporters of this bill. Of course it works to my family's advantage for the bill to fail, but ultimately it is finding a good procedure for placing orphaned children that truly matters.
I expected this day to be one of great joy. And it is, for we are now just that much closer to our little girl. But our joy is tempered by news out of Ukraine that their parliament is considering a bill that would suspend all inter-country adoptions from countries without bilateral agreements with Ukraine - including the United States. And the language appears to include suspension of all adoptions in progress. The bill must still pass a second vote and be signed by the President, so it is by no means a done deal at this point. But if it should pass the second vote in the next few weeks, it could be signed and go into effect by the end of the year (2010). This information comes from the US Department of State at http://adoption.state.gov/news/ukraine.html The article is very short and does not say much more than what I wrote above.
Our agency believes that even if the legislation passes, we have a very good chance of completing the adoption (at our court date) before the stoppage would take effect. So rather than the ecstasy we expected on this date, we are guardedly hopeful that our adoption will proceed without further delay.
Should the bill pass, our "worst case scenario" would likely be to travel to Kiev, select our child, meet her, love her, and then be interrupted before we can officially make her "ours." Any other undesirable scenario would likely just be a delay of undetermined length (and probably more paperwork, etc).
So, as in all things, pray God's Will be done regardless of the outcome for us personally. And pray specifically for the children who are most affected as they wait for their forever homes.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Dossier Drama
The last 2 months have just flown by. We have 5 days left before we send the package to the agency. And a lot has to happen to make that a reality.
Turns our the homestudy update was no big deal. We gave our social worker the changes, and she wrote it up. However, we don't have it in hand yet due to a problem with the notary (who took a few days of vacation unbeknownst to the social worker). We are supposed to have it by the end of the week.
Our medicals proved to be a bit difficult just because our doctor's office is in transition and had difficulty facilitating the write-up of our documents. I had to provide a notary, as they didn't have one in the office. Fortunately, Cliff has a former coworker who volunteered to meet me at the doctor's office (twice!) to get the paperwork done. The first time we couldn't complete my paper, because the doctor's office forgot to order a required test. The second time, they lost my paperwork, found it, and ended up having to re-do Cliff's paperwork due to an error, because we can have no mistakes, white-out, scratch-out on any document. I have one final touch to add to my paper, and we're done. Hopefully THAT will be simple.
We had 2 documents that we had to send out of state for authentication - one to Virginia and one to Missouri. Those documents were generated by offices in those states and so had to be authenticated in those states. I was nervous about getting them back in time, but both are completed and safely in my file folder.
Everything else seemed to be no big deal. Just request and receive or copy and notarize.
The BIG drama happened last week when we realized that we would not have our federal background check completed by our submission date. Who knew it would take 12 weeks to get an FBI background check???? It takes 10 weeks just to clear security and get logged into the system. What??
For a while it looked as if we would lose the whole adoption over 2 pieces of paper. Needless to say that was a really rough day. By the end of the day we had devised a work around that would substitute a STATE background check for the federal pending the completion of the federal. But then I had to figure out how to get a state check in a very short amount of time. I called everyone I could think of - state senator, state rep, private investigator, to name a few - trying figure it out.
Then, after a desperate prayer for a miracle and a desperate comment on Facebook (of all places), my brother gently reminded me that he works for the Office of the Attorney General and might be able to find some way to get the background checks within our timeframe. By Friday I had a name and a plan. On Monday we hashed out what needed to be in the letters. And this afternoon I had scanned copies of the letters and the promise that they were sent out in the afternoon mail. I should have them Thursday.
As a backup, Cliff and I made a quick appointment last Saturday to have our fingerprints made again and submitted electronically to the state for print-based background check. We were told it would be 5-7 working days (which would make us late with our document submission to our agency). This morning I found out that the checks were run yesterday and the letter sent out today. So we should have THAT letter on Thursday as well.
AND as a bonus, the fingerprints we did on Saturday will also be submitted to the FBI for federal background check, so we could have that letter sooner than the prints we originally sent to the FBI.
Drama, drama, drama!
So the long and the short is that assuming we get the State background letters and the homestudy update, AND everything is in the proper format, we should be able to submit our paperwork on time and stay on schedule for travel at the end of the calendar year.
Whew! God is GOOD!
Turns our the homestudy update was no big deal. We gave our social worker the changes, and she wrote it up. However, we don't have it in hand yet due to a problem with the notary (who took a few days of vacation unbeknownst to the social worker). We are supposed to have it by the end of the week.
Our medicals proved to be a bit difficult just because our doctor's office is in transition and had difficulty facilitating the write-up of our documents. I had to provide a notary, as they didn't have one in the office. Fortunately, Cliff has a former coworker who volunteered to meet me at the doctor's office (twice!) to get the paperwork done. The first time we couldn't complete my paper, because the doctor's office forgot to order a required test. The second time, they lost my paperwork, found it, and ended up having to re-do Cliff's paperwork due to an error, because we can have no mistakes, white-out, scratch-out on any document. I have one final touch to add to my paper, and we're done. Hopefully THAT will be simple.
We had 2 documents that we had to send out of state for authentication - one to Virginia and one to Missouri. Those documents were generated by offices in those states and so had to be authenticated in those states. I was nervous about getting them back in time, but both are completed and safely in my file folder.
Everything else seemed to be no big deal. Just request and receive or copy and notarize.
The BIG drama happened last week when we realized that we would not have our federal background check completed by our submission date. Who knew it would take 12 weeks to get an FBI background check???? It takes 10 weeks just to clear security and get logged into the system. What??
For a while it looked as if we would lose the whole adoption over 2 pieces of paper. Needless to say that was a really rough day. By the end of the day we had devised a work around that would substitute a STATE background check for the federal pending the completion of the federal. But then I had to figure out how to get a state check in a very short amount of time. I called everyone I could think of - state senator, state rep, private investigator, to name a few - trying figure it out.
Then, after a desperate prayer for a miracle and a desperate comment on Facebook (of all places), my brother gently reminded me that he works for the Office of the Attorney General and might be able to find some way to get the background checks within our timeframe. By Friday I had a name and a plan. On Monday we hashed out what needed to be in the letters. And this afternoon I had scanned copies of the letters and the promise that they were sent out in the afternoon mail. I should have them Thursday.
As a backup, Cliff and I made a quick appointment last Saturday to have our fingerprints made again and submitted electronically to the state for print-based background check. We were told it would be 5-7 working days (which would make us late with our document submission to our agency). This morning I found out that the checks were run yesterday and the letter sent out today. So we should have THAT letter on Thursday as well.
AND as a bonus, the fingerprints we did on Saturday will also be submitted to the FBI for federal background check, so we could have that letter sooner than the prints we originally sent to the FBI.
Drama, drama, drama!
So the long and the short is that assuming we get the State background letters and the homestudy update, AND everything is in the proper format, we should be able to submit our paperwork on time and stay on schedule for travel at the end of the calendar year.
Whew! God is GOOD!
Friday, August 13, 2010
90-Days and counting
So it is now August. I really did plan to write more over the summer. I just didn't get it done. Part of the reason is that we've had some pretty big things going on here. I can't talk about it in this forum. So if you're a close friend or family, contact me privately and I'll fill you in.
Today we are officially 3 months out from our dossier submission date. So now we can start gathering the documents for our final submission before we travel. Ukraine requires that all documents be dated within 3 months of the dossier submission date. Our agency wants our documents one month ahead, so that gives me 2 months (60 days) to get it all pulled together.
I have already sent my request for certified copies of our marriage certificate. We have our medical appointments set for Tuesday. I need to check with the local branch of our mortgage company to see if they can provide the paper we need about our loan. If not, then I have to deal with headquarters in Missouri (which requires a Missouri apostille and will take more time than a local document). Cliff will get the employment letter from his office. Its a start.
We also must still get our homestudy updated. I have contacted the social worker, but haven't heard back. We were on vacation for a couple of weeks, and it is possible that she is on vacation now. School starts here on the 23rd, so I should be able to connect with her soon.
Feeling some pressure, because Cliff will be traveling again soon, and anything that needs his signature will be delayed if it comes in while he is gone.
Please keep praying for us and for our little girl. Will update soon.
Today we are officially 3 months out from our dossier submission date. So now we can start gathering the documents for our final submission before we travel. Ukraine requires that all documents be dated within 3 months of the dossier submission date. Our agency wants our documents one month ahead, so that gives me 2 months (60 days) to get it all pulled together.
I have already sent my request for certified copies of our marriage certificate. We have our medical appointments set for Tuesday. I need to check with the local branch of our mortgage company to see if they can provide the paper we need about our loan. If not, then I have to deal with headquarters in Missouri (which requires a Missouri apostille and will take more time than a local document). Cliff will get the employment letter from his office. Its a start.
We also must still get our homestudy updated. I have contacted the social worker, but haven't heard back. We were on vacation for a couple of weeks, and it is possible that she is on vacation now. School starts here on the 23rd, so I should be able to connect with her soon.
Feeling some pressure, because Cliff will be traveling again soon, and anything that needs his signature will be delayed if it comes in while he is gone.
Please keep praying for us and for our little girl. Will update soon.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Come on. . . .Really?
Just heard from our agency (via email on the Friday before a 3 day weekend) that Ukraine now requires a home study to be less than 6 months old at the time we submit our dossier (11/11). Ours will not be less than six months old, so we must update between now and submission.
What does this include? Paying for our social worker to do an update. Re-doing child abuse clearances, criminal checks, medical evaluations, finances, and references. Sounds like a whole new home study to me!
I'm hoping that we can "piggy-back" on some of the info required for the dossier - like medicals and criminal checks. Also hoping that our references can just change the dates on their letters and still count as references.
Cliff seems to think this new requirement could be fallout from the Russian adoption issue earlier this year. Maybe, but we both agree it doesn't really matter. We have to do it, so we do it.
6/1/2010 UPDATE:
Talked to our agency today. Turns out the update is specific to the state in which the adoptive parents reside. Their email gave the requirements for the state where the agency is - which is not our state. So now I have to find out what our state requires for a "complete" update. Sounds like I need to contact our social worker. . . .Stay tuned. . . .
What does this include? Paying for our social worker to do an update. Re-doing child abuse clearances, criminal checks, medical evaluations, finances, and references. Sounds like a whole new home study to me!
I'm hoping that we can "piggy-back" on some of the info required for the dossier - like medicals and criminal checks. Also hoping that our references can just change the dates on their letters and still count as references.
Cliff seems to think this new requirement could be fallout from the Russian adoption issue earlier this year. Maybe, but we both agree it doesn't really matter. We have to do it, so we do it.
6/1/2010 UPDATE:
Talked to our agency today. Turns out the update is specific to the state in which the adoptive parents reside. Their email gave the requirements for the state where the agency is - which is not our state. So now I have to find out what our state requires for a "complete" update. Sounds like I need to contact our social worker. . . .Stay tuned. . . .
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I-171H. . . .check (almost)
So we received our approval of our I-600A form yesterday. YEA! This was much faster than I expected.
BUT some of the information is incorrect. The form allows us to bring home 2 children of either gender who are 0-3 years old with no special needs. I know. You're looking at 2 children of either gender and thinking that is the problem. Actually, our agency told us to do it that way. We don't HAVE to adopt 2 children. But if we changed our minds in-country and DID want to adopt 2 children, this gives us pre-approval and less paperwork/travel time. Same with gender. So we did that part on purpose. These approvals provide options once we are there.
No, the problem is with the age and special needs designations. The I-171H approval form must match our home study, and our home study specifically states the age as 3-7 and the special needs category as "correctable." Without these designations on our approval form, we will not be able to bring our child home without significant in-country difficulty.
So, I am in the process of fixing this. After communicating with our agency, I called USCIS and (amazingly) got through to the officer handling our case. She is very nice and indicated that it should not be a problem. She needs to pull our file and compare our home study to the approval letter to confirm the discrepancy. And it should be fixed with little issue.
We'll see. . . .I won't breathe a sigh of relief on this until I see the corrected letter. Fortunately we have plenty of time to get it fixed, so it won't slow us down at all.
BUT some of the information is incorrect. The form allows us to bring home 2 children of either gender who are 0-3 years old with no special needs. I know. You're looking at 2 children of either gender and thinking that is the problem. Actually, our agency told us to do it that way. We don't HAVE to adopt 2 children. But if we changed our minds in-country and DID want to adopt 2 children, this gives us pre-approval and less paperwork/travel time. Same with gender. So we did that part on purpose. These approvals provide options once we are there.
No, the problem is with the age and special needs designations. The I-171H approval form must match our home study, and our home study specifically states the age as 3-7 and the special needs category as "correctable." Without these designations on our approval form, we will not be able to bring our child home without significant in-country difficulty.
So, I am in the process of fixing this. After communicating with our agency, I called USCIS and (amazingly) got through to the officer handling our case. She is very nice and indicated that it should not be a problem. She needs to pull our file and compare our home study to the approval letter to confirm the discrepancy. And it should be fixed with little issue.
We'll see. . . .I won't breathe a sigh of relief on this until I see the corrected letter. Fortunately we have plenty of time to get it fixed, so it won't slow us down at all.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Fingerprints . . . .check!
This morning Cliff and I drove in to the USCIS office and had our fingerprints (a.k.a. "biometrics") done for our I600-A. This will kick off our background checks and result in approval of our application. Amazingly, we were finished in less than 45 min.
One more thing to check off the list!
One more thing to check off the list!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Passing Time
To pass the time, I started a craft project. My girls both have hand made Christmas stockings. Emma's was a gift, and I made one for Vivian. When we started our adoption journey, I decided to go ahead and start one for our new child. I have been working off and on since the first of January. I knew with everything else going on in our household, it would take me a while to get it finished. This is where I am so far.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
USCIS Confirmation and Appointment
So, today we got our confirmation of receipt of our I600-A application AND our letters containing our appointment times for our biometrics (fingerprints). YEA!
Our biometrics appointments are set for May 12th at 8:00 AM. I'm still confirming with Cliff that he can do that date and time. He is supposed to be out of town but mentioned that he may be in the office instead.
So until I hear differently, that's the plan.
Our biometrics appointments are set for May 12th at 8:00 AM. I'm still confirming with Cliff that he can do that date and time. He is supposed to be out of town but mentioned that he may be in the office instead.
So until I hear differently, that's the plan.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Other things in the works
USCIS processed our check, so we should see our confirmation letter soon. Hopefully our fingerprint appointment will be at a time when Cliff is in town, so we don't have to reschedule.
Made plans to pick up bunk beds from a friend on Saturday. She says we will probably want to refinish or paint them, so that is likely in our future.
Made dossier payment to agency.
Rosetta Stone Russian Language program arrived today.
Made plans to pick up bunk beds from a friend on Saturday. She says we will probably want to refinish or paint them, so that is likely in our future.
Made dossier payment to agency.
Rosetta Stone Russian Language program arrived today.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
We are Official!
Heard from the agency this morning (email on my phone and then voice mail at home) that our documents were officially submitted and accepted at SDA in Kiev. We are Officially In Line!
I was so excited to get the email! I thought it would take longer to translate and submit. I was planning to call the agency next Monday for an update. So, I'm pleased that it didn't take as long as I thought it might. I'm also thrilled that we have passed this milestone of getting registered.
The rest of our documents are due November 11th which means we must have them to our agency about a month before that. Because Ukraine has specific requirements about how "recent" a document is, we don't start acquiring the rest of our documents until mid-August. That gives us a couple of months to receive documents and get them authenticated before submitting to the agency (who will double check them before sending on to the facilitator in Ukraine).
I must admit that I felt a twinge of disappointment that our submission date is in November. I was so hoping for October! But November is good!
The timeframe from here (as we understand it, and subject to change) is:
mid-October - send completed dossier to agency who then sends to facilitator in Ukraine
November 11 - facilitator submits completed dossier to SDA
In a week or 2 - SDA reviews dossier and assigns date of referral appointment which is usually 4-6 weeks later.
mid- to late December - we leave for Ukraine
Like I said, everything after the 11/11 submission date is highly tentative. What we DO know is that we are official, and we will experience Ukraine in the winter time. Vivian is thrilled that she will get to see snow. That's so Viv!
For now, we are on a bit of a hiatus. We have plenty to keep us busy as we wait, so check back often. We still have US immigration paperwork, home updates, doctors to locate (for Cliff and me and for our little one), and many other preparations to make.
I was so excited to get the email! I thought it would take longer to translate and submit. I was planning to call the agency next Monday for an update. So, I'm pleased that it didn't take as long as I thought it might. I'm also thrilled that we have passed this milestone of getting registered.
The rest of our documents are due November 11th which means we must have them to our agency about a month before that. Because Ukraine has specific requirements about how "recent" a document is, we don't start acquiring the rest of our documents until mid-August. That gives us a couple of months to receive documents and get them authenticated before submitting to the agency (who will double check them before sending on to the facilitator in Ukraine).
I must admit that I felt a twinge of disappointment that our submission date is in November. I was so hoping for October! But November is good!
The timeframe from here (as we understand it, and subject to change) is:
mid-October - send completed dossier to agency who then sends to facilitator in Ukraine
November 11 - facilitator submits completed dossier to SDA
In a week or 2 - SDA reviews dossier and assigns date of referral appointment which is usually 4-6 weeks later.
mid- to late December - we leave for Ukraine
Like I said, everything after the 11/11 submission date is highly tentative. What we DO know is that we are official, and we will experience Ukraine in the winter time. Vivian is thrilled that she will get to see snow. That's so Viv!
For now, we are on a bit of a hiatus. We have plenty to keep us busy as we wait, so check back often. We still have US immigration paperwork, home updates, doctors to locate (for Cliff and me and for our little one), and many other preparations to make.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Good News!
After a long weekend in Paris, our home study made it to Kiev one day ahead of schedule. Yea! Finally something going faster rather than slower!
Heard from the agency earlier today that the facilitator has already sent it out for translation. Don't know how long that will take, but hoping less than a week.
We'll see.
Heard from the agency earlier today that the facilitator has already sent it out for translation. Don't know how long that will take, but hoping less than a week.
We'll see.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sigh of Relief
Today is our 20th wedding anniversary AND the date that our home study left the country to get us registered in Ukraine! YEA!
We heard from the agency that our documents arrived. Then later in the day we heard that they were on their way to Ukraine. Hopefully we won't have much (if any) delay due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
From here, the process (as I understand it) is:
Also today I mailed our I600-A to USCIS. That is the application to bring a foreign-born orphan into the US. Once that application is processed, we will receive an appointment to have our fingerprints taken. They will do a background check, request additional information if necessary, and then give us permission to proceed.
So now we are back to waiting. . . .
We heard from the agency that our documents arrived. Then later in the day we heard that they were on their way to Ukraine. Hopefully we won't have much (if any) delay due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
From here, the process (as I understand it) is:
- Documents arrive in Ukraine
- Our facilitator has the documents translated
- Our facilitator files the documents with the SDA
- We get a date for submission of our full dossier
Also today I mailed our I600-A to USCIS. That is the application to bring a foreign-born orphan into the US. Once that application is processed, we will receive an appointment to have our fingerprints taken. They will do a background check, request additional information if necessary, and then give us permission to proceed.
So now we are back to waiting. . . .
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Whew!
After waiting 12 days, I finally got to take our documents to Austin for apostille! Yea!
I finally had the documents in my hand late last night. Believe it or not, after all the miscommunication and last minute requirements, UPS delivered our documents to the wrong address!! Thankfully, though, it was our next door neighbor. At 9:45PM I was on the phone with Cliff (he was in LA, en route to Australia) telling him we didn't have the documents, and he suggested that I go next door. When I did (with him still on the phone) I found our envelope on their porch!
So the girls and I took off about 7:30 this morning. We arrived about 9:45, parked, and were in the Secretary of State office by 10AM. About 10 min. later we walked out with our authenticated documents. YES!!
From there we met my brother for coffee (haven't seen him in a while), found some lunch, sent the documents to our agency, and headed home.
I thought I would feel better. Don't get me wrong. I did a happy dance as I walked out of the FedEx office. I don't really know how to describe how I feel. Worried that maybe we forgot something? I just don't feel the relief I thought I'd feel.
I finally had the documents in my hand late last night. Believe it or not, after all the miscommunication and last minute requirements, UPS delivered our documents to the wrong address!! Thankfully, though, it was our next door neighbor. At 9:45PM I was on the phone with Cliff (he was in LA, en route to Australia) telling him we didn't have the documents, and he suggested that I go next door. When I did (with him still on the phone) I found our envelope on their porch!
So the girls and I took off about 7:30 this morning. We arrived about 9:45, parked, and were in the Secretary of State office by 10AM. About 10 min. later we walked out with our authenticated documents. YES!!
From there we met my brother for coffee (haven't seen him in a while), found some lunch, sent the documents to our agency, and headed home.
I thought I would feel better. Don't get me wrong. I did a happy dance as I walked out of the FedEx office. I don't really know how to describe how I feel. Worried that maybe we forgot something? I just don't feel the relief I thought I'd feel.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Still Waiting . . . .
We have had some movement on the things that are keeping us from submitting our home study.
Mostly we're having communications issues. I keep reminding myself that this process involves people and organizations with their own rules, bureaucracies, egos, and frailties. It is still frustrating.
Mostly we're having communications issues. I keep reminding myself that this process involves people and organizations with their own rules, bureaucracies, egos, and frailties. It is still frustrating.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
On Hold
We received our notarized home study last night, but we did not hear from the agency to know that it was a "go." So no road trip to Austin today. Disappointment #1. Maybe Friday.
Heard from the agency this morning that they approved the final draft (YEA!) But then we learned that we had to have our power of attorney returned with the home study, and it needs to be apostilled as well.
Okay, we can do that. I took the documents to Cliff's office to have them notarized. We can have them apostilled when we take the home study. Whew! We can still do this Friday and have the package to the agency by Monday morning. It can be in Ukraine by the end of the week.
Additionally, the agency said that our social worker's license and her agency license need to be on separate pages AND they must be notarized separately and individually. {insert tire screeching} We don't have that. Disappointment #2. Definitely not Friday.
Ready for the last part? The last draft of the home study that I saw did not include some of our financial information (that was the package that got lost in the mail in mid-March). When I looked at it this morning (I don't know why I did), it is incorrect. Disappointment #3. Now we have to re-do part of the home study. BUT, at least this is not the only paper we need from the social worker (see above).
So, I have been on a roller coaster this morning. From hopeful that we can apostille and submit tomorrow to uncertain when any of this will happen. I screamed. I cried. And now I am resigned. This just isn't going to go smoothly. Whining and crying and wishing it was different will not make it go any more smoothly.
I calmed down and called the social worker. Left a message.
I emailed the agency to report the delay
We are farther along than we were, and that is good.
Did I mention I really don't like roller coasters?
Heard from the agency this morning that they approved the final draft (YEA!) But then we learned that we had to have our power of attorney returned with the home study, and it needs to be apostilled as well.
Okay, we can do that. I took the documents to Cliff's office to have them notarized. We can have them apostilled when we take the home study. Whew! We can still do this Friday and have the package to the agency by Monday morning. It can be in Ukraine by the end of the week.
Additionally, the agency said that our social worker's license and her agency license need to be on separate pages AND they must be notarized separately and individually. {insert tire screeching} We don't have that. Disappointment #2. Definitely not Friday.
Ready for the last part? The last draft of the home study that I saw did not include some of our financial information (that was the package that got lost in the mail in mid-March). When I looked at it this morning (I don't know why I did), it is incorrect. Disappointment #3. Now we have to re-do part of the home study. BUT, at least this is not the only paper we need from the social worker (see above).
So, I have been on a roller coaster this morning. From hopeful that we can apostille and submit tomorrow to uncertain when any of this will happen. I screamed. I cried. And now I am resigned. This just isn't going to go smoothly. Whining and crying and wishing it was different will not make it go any more smoothly.
I calmed down and called the social worker. Left a message.
I emailed the agency to report the delay
We are farther along than we were, and that is good.
Did I mention I really don't like roller coasters?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Could it be? Is it really done?
I feel almost giddy! I just talked to the agency, and our home study draft has been approved by their in country representative. Now the agency's social work supervisor has to approve it. If she approves, then we're good to go. If not, then we'll have to make some corrections and re-submit. Our social worker has already sent a notarized copy to us (should be here today).
So:
IF the SWS approves it today AND
IF we receive the notarized home study from our social worker today,
THEN we're making a road trip to Austin TOMORROW to get the thing apostilled and FedEx'ed to the agency!
Mind you, this is my timeframe, because I want it done immediately. Maybe I need to take a breath and relax back into that supernatural calm of Easter morning.
Please pray that all goes smoothly. IF we do go to Austin tomorrow, it will make a very busy day!
So:
IF the SWS approves it today AND
IF we receive the notarized home study from our social worker today,
THEN we're making a road trip to Austin TOMORROW to get the thing apostilled and FedEx'ed to the agency!
Mind you, this is my timeframe, because I want it done immediately. Maybe I need to take a breath and relax back into that supernatural calm of Easter morning.
Please pray that all goes smoothly. IF we do go to Austin tomorrow, it will make a very busy day!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Supernatural Calm
This morning I sat on our covered patio in my pajamas with a cup of coffee ready to welcome Easter morning. I had intended to watch the sunrise, but we had rain in the night and it was still wet and cloudy. I closed my eyes and listened to the doves coo and the sparrows chirp. The air was cool but heavy from the rain. A soft breeze blew.
I opened my eyes and drank in the colors of spring. From where I sat, I could see the deep red tips of our photinia hedge framed by the new green leaves on the trees. Squirrels ventured out onto the wet tree limbs. The last raindrops drip, drip, dripped from the roof. I sat for many minutes, eyes closed, singing praise songs in my head and praying silently all the while listening to the sounds of creation around me.
"Odd," I thought. Just 12 hours or so before I had gotten an email from our social worker responding to my inquiry about our home study. I thought it was supposed to be mailed on Monday, and I should have it in hand.
Turns out it is "missing." What?!?
Normally that would really freak me out. Normally I would obsess about the fact that this puts us another week behind where I think we should be. Normally it would ruin my mood and possibly the rest of the weekend. Normally I would not truly rest until I knew that the document was on its way to me. But not this time.
I puzzled over this supernatural calm until, in the middle of Easter Sunday Service, I heard two things that explained it for me.
First, the resurrection transforms disappointment into joy (see John 20:10-18). Losing the home study is a disappointment. Delay in this process is a disappointment. But ultimately we WILL have the joy of holding our child in our arms.
Second, the resurrection transforms fear into peace (see John 20:19-23). I had to back into this one. I knew I was already feeling peace. A peace I couldn't explain. A peace that made no sense. So, what was the fear? Loss of control. I was counting on her to get the home study to me, so I could stay on schedule. Whose schedule? Mine. I am putting an enormous amount of pressure on myself to get the home study submitted as quickly as possible. The sooner it is submitted, the sooner we get in line. The sooner we get in line, the sooner we have our child in our arms. I know I don't control much of the process, but I'm counting on things going "perfectly," because I want her home NOW!
So, yes, I do still feel disappointed that we are delayed. But I will know the joy of meeting our child and bringing her home. And I know that I will still struggle with wanting the process to conform to my wishes. But for now I have peace.
She's waiting for us. And God knows that.
I opened my eyes and drank in the colors of spring. From where I sat, I could see the deep red tips of our photinia hedge framed by the new green leaves on the trees. Squirrels ventured out onto the wet tree limbs. The last raindrops drip, drip, dripped from the roof. I sat for many minutes, eyes closed, singing praise songs in my head and praying silently all the while listening to the sounds of creation around me.
"Odd," I thought. Just 12 hours or so before I had gotten an email from our social worker responding to my inquiry about our home study. I thought it was supposed to be mailed on Monday, and I should have it in hand.
Turns out it is "missing." What?!?
Normally that would really freak me out. Normally I would obsess about the fact that this puts us another week behind where I think we should be. Normally it would ruin my mood and possibly the rest of the weekend. Normally I would not truly rest until I knew that the document was on its way to me. But not this time.
I puzzled over this supernatural calm until, in the middle of Easter Sunday Service, I heard two things that explained it for me.
First, the resurrection transforms disappointment into joy (see John 20:10-18). Losing the home study is a disappointment. Delay in this process is a disappointment. But ultimately we WILL have the joy of holding our child in our arms.
Second, the resurrection transforms fear into peace (see John 20:19-23). I had to back into this one. I knew I was already feeling peace. A peace I couldn't explain. A peace that made no sense. So, what was the fear? Loss of control. I was counting on her to get the home study to me, so I could stay on schedule. Whose schedule? Mine. I am putting an enormous amount of pressure on myself to get the home study submitted as quickly as possible. The sooner it is submitted, the sooner we get in line. The sooner we get in line, the sooner we have our child in our arms. I know I don't control much of the process, but I'm counting on things going "perfectly," because I want her home NOW!
So, yes, I do still feel disappointed that we are delayed. But I will know the joy of meeting our child and bringing her home. And I know that I will still struggle with wanting the process to conform to my wishes. But for now I have peace.
She's waiting for us. And God knows that.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Why Adopt?
To be perfectly honest, we were not looking for this. When we discussed having a family, before we were married and in the early years, we agreed that we were both generally "open" to the idea of adoption. I think at the time we thought of it as a contingency plan if we could not have "our own." Once we had our girls, adoption was no longer a consideration. Our family was complete. We were content.
Until January 2008. That is when our oldest daughter shared with us a dream.
In her dream, the angel Gabriel came to her and told her that God wanted us to adopt a child. I will never forget what she said when I asked her why she thought God wanted us to adopt. "Because we need to share our loving family with a child who needs a loving family." {tears in eyes, lump in throat}
When I regained my composure, we also talked about how big a decision it is to adopt a child. I told her that Daddy and I would need to talk about it and pray about it to confirm that expanding our family through adoption is really what we need to do.
Over the next year and a half, we looked first into domestic adoption and then into international adoption. As we learned more, thought more and prayed more, we realized that adoption IS in our future.
Through that time, Emma was patient but quite persistent. She prayed about "the adoption thingy" almost every night and remained insistent that this was the course that God wanted.
And now we agree.
So, why adopt? Because we choose to share our loving family with a child who needs a loving family.
Until January 2008. That is when our oldest daughter shared with us a dream.
In her dream, the angel Gabriel came to her and told her that God wanted us to adopt a child. I will never forget what she said when I asked her why she thought God wanted us to adopt. "Because we need to share our loving family with a child who needs a loving family." {tears in eyes, lump in throat}
When I regained my composure, we also talked about how big a decision it is to adopt a child. I told her that Daddy and I would need to talk about it and pray about it to confirm that expanding our family through adoption is really what we need to do.
Over the next year and a half, we looked first into domestic adoption and then into international adoption. As we learned more, thought more and prayed more, we realized that adoption IS in our future.
Through that time, Emma was patient but quite persistent. She prayed about "the adoption thingy" almost every night and remained insistent that this was the course that God wanted.
And now we agree.
So, why adopt? Because we choose to share our loving family with a child who needs a loving family.
About Us
WHO: We are Cliff and Courtney, and we have been happily married for 20 years this month. We have two daughters, Emma (11) and Vivian (9) whom we homeschool. We have always been open to the idea of adoption, but neither of us would have imagined what God had in store for our family!
WHAT: Adding a child to our family through international adoption.
WHEN: Hopefully before the end of the year!
WHERE: Ukraine
WHAT: Adding a child to our family through international adoption.
WHEN: Hopefully before the end of the year!
WHERE: Ukraine
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