Good morning to all!
I heard from our agency - - - they are working on the translations of the documentation, there is apparently a lot of paperwork (that's good!), and the in-country facilitator "thinks" it will be sufficient to satisfy the USCIS for I-600 approval (that's GREAT!!!!!). They will send us and the Embassy the paperwork once it's translated, then - again - we wait.
Keep praying!! Every day we are one step closer!!!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Home, sweet home!
We are safely home and were SOOO excited to see Austin! I got an e-mail from our agency that said we may not hear anything until today or tomorrow.....I'm about to e-mail her back and find out why the delay.
Stay tuned.....
Stay tuned.....
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Bon jour...
...From Paris!! We are at the Charles de Galle airport awaiting our return flight home. It has been an amazing trip, and I will write more at length later (and add some pictures of this BEAUTIFUL city!). We celebrated our 7th anniversary having dinner at a wonderful restaurant overlooking the Eiffel Tower!
But for now, I wanted to let you know what is happening in adoption-world: The Justice Office in Vietnam called our agency's in-country facilitator on the 15th and asked her to come pick up the documents the following day (which is basically now - it's 3:30 p.m. in Vietnam). SOOO.....because it's only 4:30 a.m. at home, our agency rep hasn't begun her work day yet, so we won't know what has transpired until we get off the flight later today. And the documents will have to be translated before we see them, but I asked our agency not to wait until all of that is done to contact us. I am much more interested in content than seeing the actual documents.
I'm so full of anticipation I can't stand it! Nervous, excited, anxious, eager and HOPEFUL!! I just pray, pray, pray that it will be enough to end this craziness!! Kai is 10 1/2 months old, and I can't believe how close we're getting to her first birthday. It just breaks my heart not to have her with us.
But for now, I wanted to let you know what is happening in adoption-world: The Justice Office in Vietnam called our agency's in-country facilitator on the 15th and asked her to come pick up the documents the following day (which is basically now - it's 3:30 p.m. in Vietnam). SOOO.....because it's only 4:30 a.m. at home, our agency rep hasn't begun her work day yet, so we won't know what has transpired until we get off the flight later today. And the documents will have to be translated before we see them, but I asked our agency not to wait until all of that is done to contact us. I am much more interested in content than seeing the actual documents.
I'm so full of anticipation I can't stand it! Nervous, excited, anxious, eager and HOPEFUL!! I just pray, pray, pray that it will be enough to end this craziness!! Kai is 10 1/2 months old, and I can't believe how close we're getting to her first birthday. It just breaks my heart not to have her with us.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Anticipation....it's keeping me waiting!
Yeah, I know, another reference to song lyrics - - - this time it's the legendary Carly Simon who sings the words of my heart!
This could be a big week in the adoption process, and I ask you all to keep us in your prayers. The Vietnamese officials have promised the documentation by September 15th, which is our Sunday night, so we may know exactly what they have this week. Of course, we have no way of knowing if it will be sufficient for the USCIS to grant us the I-600 approval we so desperately need - - - or how quickly they will review it. I've heard horror stories from other families who received RFEs like us - - they provided the additional evidence then the USCIS has taken months to make a ruling! I pray, pray, pray that this doesn't happen in our case. I've even been praying for the USCIS and Mary Ann Russell specifically - - - if anyone needs God's help, it's them!
I am a little nervous about going to Paris, just because it's such a pivotal time, but we will have e-mail access and will be available to be reached if/when our agency has the documentation to pass along.
Thanks again to everyone for all your love and support - - - Let's GET KAI HOME!!!!
This could be a big week in the adoption process, and I ask you all to keep us in your prayers. The Vietnamese officials have promised the documentation by September 15th, which is our Sunday night, so we may know exactly what they have this week. Of course, we have no way of knowing if it will be sufficient for the USCIS to grant us the I-600 approval we so desperately need - - - or how quickly they will review it. I've heard horror stories from other families who received RFEs like us - - they provided the additional evidence then the USCIS has taken months to make a ruling! I pray, pray, pray that this doesn't happen in our case. I've even been praying for the USCIS and Mary Ann Russell specifically - - - if anyone needs God's help, it's them!
I am a little nervous about going to Paris, just because it's such a pivotal time, but we will have e-mail access and will be available to be reached if/when our agency has the documentation to pass along.
Thanks again to everyone for all your love and support - - - Let's GET KAI HOME!!!!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Girls' Night!
Here is a pic from last night's Birthday Club/Girls' Night - - not sure how Dee and Claire managed to nearly completely be out of the shot, but we had a great time catching up with everyone! Happy Birthday to Claire and Jill!!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Student of the Week!!
Yep! That's our boy!! Student of the Week - - - !! We're so proud of him; he's such an awesome kid!
We had a fun Labor Day weekend with dear friends from Atlanta here (shout-out to the T clan!). We took the boat out and went to our "soon-to-be" new dock. The kids had a blast swimming and riding the boat towable (sort of like an innertube, but you sit in it). They were worn out and having fun! I was worried about Shawn's back, but he was cautious so he felt okay afterward.
We close on our new lot on Friday and are going to get to go see a Show House for a floor plan we found that we love! Check out the "Lifestyles Home" plan on this website: ginnhomedesign.com. It is a beautiful house with every feature (including TWO pooper rooms in the master bath!) we could have dreamed and a couple we will do without (the elevator, for one!). I can't wait to see it "live"!!!
Sorry, but still no news about the adoption. I just hope that all this waiting isn't in vain and that whatever documentation will be provided will be just what we need to get I-600 approval!! Today is day #134 after Acknowledgment of Receipt (!!).
Kai turned 10 months old on Saturday, so we had to return most of the 6 - 9 month summer outfits we had. It broke my heart. Happy Birthday, Sweet Angel - - - - we will be coming to get you just AS SOON AS we can!!
We had a fun Labor Day weekend with dear friends from Atlanta here (shout-out to the T clan!). We took the boat out and went to our "soon-to-be" new dock. The kids had a blast swimming and riding the boat towable (sort of like an innertube, but you sit in it). They were worn out and having fun! I was worried about Shawn's back, but he was cautious so he felt okay afterward.
We close on our new lot on Friday and are going to get to go see a Show House for a floor plan we found that we love! Check out the "Lifestyles Home" plan on this website: ginnhomedesign.com. It is a beautiful house with every feature (including TWO pooper rooms in the master bath!) we could have dreamed and a couple we will do without (the elevator, for one!). I can't wait to see it "live"!!!
Sorry, but still no news about the adoption. I just hope that all this waiting isn't in vain and that whatever documentation will be provided will be just what we need to get I-600 approval!! Today is day #134 after Acknowledgment of Receipt (!!).
Kai turned 10 months old on Saturday, so we had to return most of the 6 - 9 month summer outfits we had. It broke my heart. Happy Birthday, Sweet Angel - - - - we will be coming to get you just AS SOON AS we can!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
A little distraction is a good thing!
It has always been a dream of mine to raise my children in a neighborhood where kids run around and play together, families hang out together, and where community spirit abounds. Our current neighborhood is nice enough, but it is mostly comprised of empty-nesters and retirees. And since I was pregnant with Austin while we were having it built, I had NO idea how much STUFF children accumulate, and we didn't design our house in the best kid-friendly way. Fast forward five years, and we have simply outgrown the functionality of our home. It doesn't have sufficient storage space, the laundry room is more a "laundry closet", and we would love to have a basement for all the kid stuff.
Our lot is great; we have a 4-acre fishing pond directly behind our house, we have lake access to "the big lake", and we can put our boat in at a boat ramp very close by. We've loved all the wildlife we get to see: deer, blue herons, Canadian geese, hawks, ducks....and yes, even snakes! It's very private and serene.
But for at least two years we've been thinking/talking/wishing about a neighborhood that is 2 miles from Austin's new school, and in which Austin's best bud Jay and his family purchased a lot several months ago. A lake lot was recently put on the market within the last couple of weeks....SO....drumroll, please!!....we signed a contract on it this weekend!! YAY!!! Of course, we can NOT do anything until this adoption is completed - - to do a change of address on the mountains of paperwork we completed would be disastrous - - but it has been a great distraction for us to look at house plans, talk about what's important for us in the new house, and to NOT THINK ABOUT THE ADOPTION PROCESS!!! It's the next best thing to a beach trip!! :)
Shawn is still working from home and trying to take it easy. He's feeling okay, and I'm just looking forward to him feeling 100%. We've had 3 days of pretty much solid rain (which we desperately needed!), but I think we're both getting a little cabin fever. I've at least made it to the gym with regularity and run errands, but it's been a lot of time within these four walls. It's supposed to rain again most of tomorrow.....thank goodness I've got plenty of Fall Festival stuff to work on!
Our lot is great; we have a 4-acre fishing pond directly behind our house, we have lake access to "the big lake", and we can put our boat in at a boat ramp very close by. We've loved all the wildlife we get to see: deer, blue herons, Canadian geese, hawks, ducks....and yes, even snakes! It's very private and serene.
But for at least two years we've been thinking/talking/wishing about a neighborhood that is 2 miles from Austin's new school, and in which Austin's best bud Jay and his family purchased a lot several months ago. A lake lot was recently put on the market within the last couple of weeks....SO....drumroll, please!!....we signed a contract on it this weekend!! YAY!!! Of course, we can NOT do anything until this adoption is completed - - to do a change of address on the mountains of paperwork we completed would be disastrous - - but it has been a great distraction for us to look at house plans, talk about what's important for us in the new house, and to NOT THINK ABOUT THE ADOPTION PROCESS!!! It's the next best thing to a beach trip!! :)
Shawn is still working from home and trying to take it easy. He's feeling okay, and I'm just looking forward to him feeling 100%. We've had 3 days of pretty much solid rain (which we desperately needed!), but I think we're both getting a little cabin fever. I've at least made it to the gym with regularity and run errands, but it's been a lot of time within these four walls. It's supposed to rain again most of tomorrow.....thank goodness I've got plenty of Fall Festival stuff to work on!
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