Wait List!!!!

We got the news today that we are officially on the wait list!!

Last week, Monday, the kids and I drove around town getting our I-171H notarized, then 'sealed' at the Secretary of State's office and then off in the mail to D.C.  Everything was approved because our caseworker told me this morning that she is sending our dossier off to Ethiopia and we are on the list!!

My best guess for how long we will be waiting is 9-12 months.  Of course, we would hope it would be sooner, but it's something that you can't predict.

So while we wait, please join us in praying - praying for the additon(s) to our family - they they are safe and are well loved, wherever they are.  Also, please pray for us that we can be patient and prepare our hearts and minds for our newest family member!

We're Approved!!

Yesterday, the 21st, we received our I-171H in the mail!!  This is the formal document from the US Governement, approving us to adopt.  Yippee!!  Now this week, I have to get the documents sealed and sent off to be authenticated by the Department of State and the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington D.C.  Once that happens, our dossier is off to Ethiopia and we are on the waiting list!!  (This should take a week or two, I'm guessing.  We'll see!!)

This is an exciting milestone - finishing the majority of the paperwork!!  We know that there is a long time of waiting ahead but we are comforted to know that God already has planned the child or children He has for our family!!

A Slight Delay. . .

On Saturday I opened the mailbox, giddy with excitement, when my eyes fell upon a letter from the US Department of Homeland Security!  However, after opening the much anticipated letter, I found that it wasn't our I-171H, but a document explaining that there was a very small detail missing from our packet that we sent.  Knowing our caseworker would know what to do, I scanned it and sent it off to her.  She wrote me back and said, thankfully, she believes it is their error.  She is calling today to work it out so hopefully we will continue to move forward!!!   

Fingerprints!!!

On Thursday of last week, KJ came running in with the mail, asking, "Is this one of them?"  Obviously, she has been scouting the mail, also looking forward to our fingerprint appointment letter arrival. Thankfully, it was the document we were waiting for. .  but with an appointment for July 17 - almost three weeks away!!!

So Friday morning, rearranging our scheudles and getting up and out a little earlier than normal, the four of us took off for the USCIS Support Center and thought we'd see if we could possibly, maybe, per chance get in ahead of our scheduled appointment.

The workers there seemed not too thrilled with our request, however, stated it was possible but we would have to wait until the room was completely empty (of people who had scheduled appointments). At that moment, there were only three people ahead of us but the worker claimed, "we would probably be waiting awhile".  Since we only had a window of one half hour, we decided to fill out the paperwork and see what happened.

As Ryan looked at the scheduled appointment while we sat and waited, he also noticed that he would not be able to make the appointment on the 17th, due to work.  If we couldn't get in, we would have to re-schedule for an even later date.

So, we sat there. . . hoping and praying no one else would enter the building (because they would automatically get to go ahead of us....the employees were clear - there had to be no one else there).  (I also texted my good friend Amy who paused in her day and prayed with her kids that we could get the fingerprinting done.)

After just a mere 10 minutes, the room was empty and the worker called me over.  When I was done, still no one new had come in the building so he also took Ryan.  As Ryan was in the middle of getting his fingerprints, people came in the building.  Whew!!  We seriously were there at the exact right time!!!

The only reason this is a big deal is because we know that there is a bit of waiting during the adoption process.  However, when there is anything that we can accomplish like paperwork, fingerprints, etc., we want to do it as quickly as possible so the process isn't waiting on us!  :)

We are now waiting for the I-171H document to come in the mail which we've been told takes about three weeks - could be sooner, could be longer.  Yeah.  That's not much direction in how long it will be but I will post as soon as we get it.  Once we do, our dossier can be sent to Ethiopia and we are put on a waiting list for our child (or children)!  :)