Short and sweet...
We got a call about 2:30pm today from AAI...our home study is done!
I picked it up around 3:30pm, talked to Alla for a bit. We are going to meet up with her in a few weeks for a little one on one time to ask questions and set up a game plan.
At about 4:15pm I headed out to the Sec. of State, which by the way is all the way on the other side of 28th St (at the Centerpoint Mall) that closed at 5pm.
I got there at 4:50pm and (get this!) they were very nice to me, considering I had 32 pages to be apostilled and I had to count them when I got there to make sure. So $32 later...I was good to go!
I am going to drop off all the paperwork to Alla on Wednesday........(big smile) :)
Now we wait some more....as I have said before we do not have a time line for our referral, we are hoping for the Russian gov. to kick it in gear!
Monday, March 29, 2010
the trouble with patience is...
For those of you who know me well...for that matter know me at all...know I am not the most patient of people on this planet.
We are still waiting to hear from the agency about our home study being done and ready to be picked up. I did get an e-mail today (good thing too) saying that our consultant talked to our social worker and the home study is done on her end and being proof read and revised at this point, how long this is going to take I have no idea....
After we pick up or home study we have to take it and about 50 other sheets of paper (all notarized) to get the apostilled. For those who have no idea what apostilled means... think of it as the gold star of paperwork. Most international "official" paperwork has to be both notarized and apostilled.
(Thank you Robin from Twp. Hall...she has been a peach!)
After that is done we turn in our initial packet of paperwork (the meat and potatoes) back to the agency to be reviewed then sent to Russia. Once this is done we can send in our immigration paperwork (and a $1000 check!)in to the US government. After that it's sit and wait time again. The agency in Russia will get the paperwork, review it (again), translate it, and turn it in to the government. While we wait for government approval the agency looks for our kids. Once they have found two boys that match close enough to our wishes (we weren't too picky) they then send us a referral (info on the boys). If we accept the referral we then put in for visa's and start planing for our first trip.
I really don't have a timeline for this as it can take several months for the Russian Government to review the paperwork, we were told that they should not have too much trouble matching us with children as we were flexible and we wanted boys and not girls.
I will do my best to keep everyone posted, as always THANK YOU for your prayers and well wishes!
p.s. The vote for Wyoming Public Safety is May 4....please pray for us!
We are still waiting to hear from the agency about our home study being done and ready to be picked up. I did get an e-mail today (good thing too) saying that our consultant talked to our social worker and the home study is done on her end and being proof read and revised at this point, how long this is going to take I have no idea....
After we pick up or home study we have to take it and about 50 other sheets of paper (all notarized) to get the apostilled. For those who have no idea what apostilled means... think of it as the gold star of paperwork. Most international "official" paperwork has to be both notarized and apostilled.
(Thank you Robin from Twp. Hall...she has been a peach!)
After that is done we turn in our initial packet of paperwork (the meat and potatoes) back to the agency to be reviewed then sent to Russia. Once this is done we can send in our immigration paperwork (and a $1000 check!)in to the US government. After that it's sit and wait time again. The agency in Russia will get the paperwork, review it (again), translate it, and turn it in to the government. While we wait for government approval the agency looks for our kids. Once they have found two boys that match close enough to our wishes (we weren't too picky) they then send us a referral (info on the boys). If we accept the referral we then put in for visa's and start planing for our first trip.
I really don't have a timeline for this as it can take several months for the Russian Government to review the paperwork, we were told that they should not have too much trouble matching us with children as we were flexible and we wanted boys and not girls.
I will do my best to keep everyone posted, as always THANK YOU for your prayers and well wishes!
p.s. The vote for Wyoming Public Safety is May 4....please pray for us!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
good advice...
Not alot to report, hoping to hear from the agency this week about our home study being done.
I want to have our paperwork turned in and being sent to Russia by the 1st of April.
We attend a class called Attachment Disorder with Kurt Ellis last night. Kurt specializes in counseling adopted children and there parents and he is the one who did our psych eval.
Anyway, the class was very helpful. It gave us alot of good ideas as well as a different prospective. We have decided to have him look over our referral when we get it and have him do a home visit shortly after the boys arrive home (with in 2 months).
We were the only "parents" in the class without kids already and some of the other parents had been having trouble for some time now, so I am hopeful that being armed with this knowledge ahead of time will help us.
As always thanks for the prayers and support... I will let everyone know ASAP when we get our paperwork turned in!
I want to have our paperwork turned in and being sent to Russia by the 1st of April.
We attend a class called Attachment Disorder with Kurt Ellis last night. Kurt specializes in counseling adopted children and there parents and he is the one who did our psych eval.
Anyway, the class was very helpful. It gave us alot of good ideas as well as a different prospective. We have decided to have him look over our referral when we get it and have him do a home visit shortly after the boys arrive home (with in 2 months).
We were the only "parents" in the class without kids already and some of the other parents had been having trouble for some time now, so I am hopeful that being armed with this knowledge ahead of time will help us.
As always thanks for the prayers and support... I will let everyone know ASAP when we get our paperwork turned in!
Monday, March 1, 2010
another one bites the dust!
Home study is done! Yippie!
We had our last home study visit today...get this....at home :)
It went well, our social worker talked to Holly and asked some general questions, then finished with asking us parenting, finance, and home questions. Then she took the nickel tour of the house and (drum roll) we were done.
She gave us some good pointers (things the Russian gov. likes) and I am sure it won't be the last time we see or talk to her, but I am glad to have that done.
When she got here at 10 am we offered her Cinnamon rolls and a drink. You know what she told us? That we are only the second family in 7 years of doing this, that have offered her food. Most people don't even offer her a water or anything else for that matter.... where are every one's manners!
Also we called AAI (adoption associates) and said we had some questions about our dossier but we had not been given a new consultant, I left a message for the woman we were hoping to get.
Who I am sure everyone wants because she is in Jenison and is the director of the Russian program. Her name is Alla. She called me back just a bit ago and...we got her! This is good because the other option was Farmington Hills and because she is the head honcho.
Anyway, got my questions answered and we should be able to get our initial packet (Dossier) completed and hopefully sent in, in 4-5 weeks.
Then it's just waiting for a referral from Russia, which can take some time but we have been told that our wait should not be too bad because we want two boys....fingers crossed!
As far as any new news from work....everything is up in the air. All that matters right this second is getting our Millage passed in May, then we can worry about what the city has planned for the FD. No millage...no job by July....plan and simple.
Thanks for the continued support and prayers!
We had our last home study visit today...get this....at home :)
It went well, our social worker talked to Holly and asked some general questions, then finished with asking us parenting, finance, and home questions. Then she took the nickel tour of the house and (drum roll) we were done.
She gave us some good pointers (things the Russian gov. likes) and I am sure it won't be the last time we see or talk to her, but I am glad to have that done.
When she got here at 10 am we offered her Cinnamon rolls and a drink. You know what she told us? That we are only the second family in 7 years of doing this, that have offered her food. Most people don't even offer her a water or anything else for that matter.... where are every one's manners!
Also we called AAI (adoption associates) and said we had some questions about our dossier but we had not been given a new consultant, I left a message for the woman we were hoping to get.
Who I am sure everyone wants because she is in Jenison and is the director of the Russian program. Her name is Alla. She called me back just a bit ago and...we got her! This is good because the other option was Farmington Hills and because she is the head honcho.
Anyway, got my questions answered and we should be able to get our initial packet (Dossier) completed and hopefully sent in, in 4-5 weeks.
Then it's just waiting for a referral from Russia, which can take some time but we have been told that our wait should not be too bad because we want two boys....fingers crossed!
As far as any new news from work....everything is up in the air. All that matters right this second is getting our Millage passed in May, then we can worry about what the city has planned for the FD. No millage...no job by July....plan and simple.
Thanks for the continued support and prayers!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Snow'd
Everything happens for a reason....right?
I know this is true but it doesn't make me any happier when I am faced with something I don't like.
We are at a stand still because our social worker called this morning and said the roads were too bad to come all the way to Muskegon. I am sure that she has a valid point and I don't want to see anyone get hurt...
But may I point out that we not only made it to both our appointments in Jenison but made our first one after wiping out the Jeep. So now after cramming all the paperwork and cleaning into last week we now have to sit on our hands till next Monday.
We are also in the process of waiting to find out who our new Russian consultant is because ours just up and quit last week. All my hard work is going to the crapper!
Just to top it off, I got an e-mail last week Thursday (from union prez) saying that if our millage fails I will be out of a job by July and even if it does pass it looks like PSO for us and that may not include FD people. Who knows...it must be hard to talk to the city when there heads are so far up there butts.
Well enough sharing of the good news .... hope everyone else is having a good week.
I know this is true but it doesn't make me any happier when I am faced with something I don't like.
We are at a stand still because our social worker called this morning and said the roads were too bad to come all the way to Muskegon. I am sure that she has a valid point and I don't want to see anyone get hurt...
But may I point out that we not only made it to both our appointments in Jenison but made our first one after wiping out the Jeep. So now after cramming all the paperwork and cleaning into last week we now have to sit on our hands till next Monday.
We are also in the process of waiting to find out who our new Russian consultant is because ours just up and quit last week. All my hard work is going to the crapper!
Just to top it off, I got an e-mail last week Thursday (from union prez) saying that if our millage fails I will be out of a job by July and even if it does pass it looks like PSO for us and that may not include FD people. Who knows...it must be hard to talk to the city when there heads are so far up there butts.
Well enough sharing of the good news .... hope everyone else is having a good week.
Monday, February 15, 2010
die dust bunnies die!
So my mother-in-law calls it nesting.... I call it getting-rid-of -the-crap-we-don't-need!
We are having our last homestudy meeting on Monday Febuary 22nd and I want to be ready with all the paperwork needed and the house atleast presentable. To most people there are varying degrees of presentable, mine just requires we get rid of all the extra stuff that we haven't used in years.
So now, I am off again to finish hanging pictures in the hallway and taking the required photos...
Blessings!
We are having our last homestudy meeting on Monday Febuary 22nd and I want to be ready with all the paperwork needed and the house atleast presentable. To most people there are varying degrees of presentable, mine just requires we get rid of all the extra stuff that we haven't used in years.
So now, I am off again to finish hanging pictures in the hallway and taking the required photos...
Blessings!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
In one piece even!
First off, we made it. Yes, Tim drove there.... quit your giggling! I drove home and we made it there fine too :)
Our meeting was good. Our social worker, Mary Beth is a very easy to talk to person, she is also going through the adoption process at the same time (just domestic). She asked general family dynamic questions and about your personality, ect. I think mine went so much longer because I eventually had to break out a flow chart to explain my family!
We then had a trans racial/trans culteral class in the evening. It was a good class, opened our eye's to some of the things we might be dealing with in the future. We also met two other couples who are adopting from Russia. They both stated they just finished there 2nd meeting with Mary Beth too, I then started asking if they had there psyco. eval., passports, and educational stuff done......... (deer in the headlights)...... I guess I am just a little more OCD about the whole thing. It seems we are a little ahead of schedule. I am sure that somewhere along the lines a goof up will make up for all our hard work...but for now we are doing good.
We are scheduled to get the medical evals done for all of us and are waiting for conformation of our next meeting. We will try to keep everyone posted.
A BIG Thank you to our Friends who got stuck with a reference letter, we know they are sometimes difficult and time consuming.... so thank you for your efforts.
Blessings!
Our meeting was good. Our social worker, Mary Beth is a very easy to talk to person, she is also going through the adoption process at the same time (just domestic). She asked general family dynamic questions and about your personality, ect. I think mine went so much longer because I eventually had to break out a flow chart to explain my family!
We then had a trans racial/trans culteral class in the evening. It was a good class, opened our eye's to some of the things we might be dealing with in the future. We also met two other couples who are adopting from Russia. They both stated they just finished there 2nd meeting with Mary Beth too, I then started asking if they had there psyco. eval., passports, and educational stuff done......... (deer in the headlights)...... I guess I am just a little more OCD about the whole thing. It seems we are a little ahead of schedule. I am sure that somewhere along the lines a goof up will make up for all our hard work...but for now we are doing good.
We are scheduled to get the medical evals done for all of us and are waiting for conformation of our next meeting. We will try to keep everyone posted.
A BIG Thank you to our Friends who got stuck with a reference letter, we know they are sometimes difficult and time consuming.... so thank you for your efforts.
Blessings!
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