It's A Wonderful Life

We finally have it!  After much difficulty and major stress we finally got our I800 approval. We had to threaten to get our Senator involved to get things done.  I could go into all the details but suffice it to say we had the stereo typical government experience.  Funny thing, we did end up getting our senator's office involved. They have been fantastic! If all goes well we may have our Article 5 by the end of next week. For those that don't know the process we have to submit for approval for the children to come to the US.  That is the I800 process.  Once that is issued the approval is sent to the National Visa Center or NVC.  They typically take a week or so to cable or email the consulate in China a letter that gives them the go ahead to process our case.  Our agency submits another form to the consulate with a copy of the same letter from the NVC. Exactly 2 weeks later the Article 5 is picked up from the consulate and mailed to the Chinese ...

In the 25 years that we have been married (Wow, I feel pretty old right now) we have tried all but 2 or 3 years to grow a garden.  One of those years we did pretty well.  I give all the credit to the homeowners that had prepared the soil over the years and we just hung onto their coat tails.  Now the rest of our gardens have been pretty dismal.  This year we decided to really go for it.  We moved our garden plot and spent hours bringing in horse manure adding nitrogen and tilling it all in.  This was all during a very wet cold spring.  We got the whole family out and created furrows, planted and made an irrigation system.  All the while the whole world around us was out watching soccer games, playing, shopping and seemingly having fun.  We just kept telling ourselves that it would all be worth it. We are now many more hours and a couple of months later.  I had lost all motivation and hope that we would get anything out of our garden....

We still have not heard anything after the initial contact with our officer at USCIS.  She was going to call us as soon as our package was in her hand or we were to call her if our original package came back.  The copy package was delivered last Monday, 11 days ago and she still has not called.  Our check for the second child has been processed and we left a message for the officer yesterday morning, still nothing.  We have no idea if we will be OK or not.  I would really like to know something about now. We also were informed yesterday that another paper has to go with our LOA back to China and the agency does not have a signed copy for some reason.  We were just told about this last night and now have to sign one and send it to them.  But according to them we aren't to worry about overnighting it because our LOA won't go back to China for a week or so. . The last time they used the words "or so" it was 12 days later. They received ou...

This is posted by Doug, Deanne's guest blogger who does not make nearly enough posts..... The mortgage industry is riddled with compliance requirements since the financial mess started a few years ago.  This mindset is probably why I came up with the much needed compliance idea that follows. Here's the background - yesterday we had some friends (who also had some adopted children) over to visit and while the children were all playing together, Deanne and Jen, the other mom, engaged in the same conversation all adoptive mom's around the world engage in when they are within the same zip code - adoption.  One thing lead to another and they ended up online looking at available, and very cute, Chinese children.  (See actual sample to the left of this post.)  I happened to walk by the computer at that moment and that's when my compliance idea struck.  Orphan websites need to have the following warning. " Warning - this website contains images that may cause f...

Woo Hoo!!!!  We finally got our Letter of Acceptance.  This is the official approval from the country offering us the opportunity to adopt our two precious children.  We now have a little better idea of when we will travel.  I already expected we would go in September or October so we still wait to find out.  If some miracles happen we could possibly go in September but it is more probable we go in October.  I am however, a big believer in the power of God.  I know he can do anything he wants so if he desires we go in September it could happen.  I just hope that for once in my life His will and timing match mine.  What would the chances be of that? On Thursday night Ressa said that I need to stop sitting at the computer and get out and do something.  She offered to even take me shopping.  I felt pretty silly that I was so bound up by the desire to receive this approval that even my kids noticed.  Who am I trying to fool, anyo...

I just realized that I don't think we announced the names of our new children.  After much searching and fretting over it we chose to go with HYRUM and BRIA.  We chose Hyrum because of the legacy of Hyrum Smith.   Bria was chosen because it means "noble and exalted".  We felt that these children needed names that reflect who they are and what they can become. Now for the fun news.  We have had a couple of families visit Hyrum's orphanage in the last month and have gotten pictures.  The update today was very good. He is healthy looking and relatively quiet.  he was walking around with his red truck when we saw him.  The staff were very excited to let us take pictures of him but reluctant to let us take pictures  of the other children (but we did anyway!)  he obviously got your care pictures and they said he loves the toys.  He was picking up the shoes off the floor when the other children were napping a gentley putting ...

No, there is nothing to tell!!!  I just had to say it.  We are now 3 weeks later than expected to get our Letter of Acceptance to adopt our children.  It has been all consuming and yesterday I had to just resign myself to the probability of traveling in October or November.  That will be a whole year from when we started.  Those who have been in the adoption cycle will understand.  I just can't believe how I have let this take over my thoughts and emotions.  The day before yesterday all I could do is wander the house.  I am getting almost nothing done.  I think I will be more productive when I have two new toddlers to care for than I am right now with my youngest being 5.  I really have to snap out of this.

I had someone ask me the other day if I was doing better with all the changes.  I just need to let everyone know that yes I am! I had so many things come at me at once that I felt like I was drowning.  Outside of starting a new therapy for three children, getting a new older child, doing an adoption, making a big change in Doug's employment, having a child graduating from high school, the end of the school year with all the programs and field trips parents have to be at, getting some immunizations before going to China, and dental and doctor visits before our insurance ran out, there were other things that would have put me in a tail spin no matter how smooth life was running.  I have been through enough to know that all things do pass.  Even though I would tell myself that I still couldn't  grasp it emotionally.  The good news is, I have adjusted to the new normal.:)  All is well and under control.  We still have a lot of changes that...