Thank goodness the Dougster is a great carver!
(The jar is part of an incomplete project; maybe next year!)
Happy Halloween!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
In Transit
I have been losing my mind waiting for the majority of our dossier to come back from the Embassy in Houston AND also waiting for USCIS approval, which, again, is the final piece of the dossier. I have been plugging my dossier tracking number in over and over and over, and finally today it was good news!
Come on I-797!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Trust
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
(NIV)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
(NIV)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Consulate Bound!
Our dossier is Houston, TX, bound for authentication today! Hope to have it back in a week or two!
Hurry up immigration approval!!! PLEASE!!!
Also, in all fairness, I would like to report that the UPS store gave me a really nice discount today to make up for the error that occurred yesterday (see below). It's nice to see good customer service still in place somewhere!
Hurry up immigration approval!!! PLEASE!!!
Also, in all fairness, I would like to report that the UPS store gave me a really nice discount today to make up for the error that occurred yesterday (see below). It's nice to see good customer service still in place somewhere!
Fundraisers
We are about THIS CLOSE to launching pre-sales for 2 t-shirts and then also for bracelets. Get ready, info to be posted here soon!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Return to SENDER
My head almost exploded about 30 minutes ago. I began to wonder why it was taking so long for our packet to come back with certifications from Jackson. Last time, I remember that the SoS is super fast at returning those. So I tracked the package. And lo and behold, my package has been sitting at the MSU UPS office since Monday...THREE BUSINESS DAYS MY PACKAGE HAS BEEN SITTING THERE. Seems the clerk and/or computer put in the return address wrong. Then they opened the package, but they didn't bother to call me (name and number clearly on cover page). I very strongly let them know that they wasted three days of my time, and that every day counts.
Erica, I think my BP and HR might have matched Doug's just this once ;)
Erica, I think my BP and HR might have matched Doug's just this once ;)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
In My Shoes
At the 1st 5k in April, Elliott saw the other kids participating in the 1 mile Fun Run. His interest was piqued. Then in May at my 2nd 5k, I randomly won that medal. That really hooked him! So I've been trying to find a time that it would work for him to do his first Fun Run. Thanks to the help of Anna, today was the day!
This race was a mixed bag for me:
The end of every race is the beginning of a new one.
--T-shirt of a kid I passed
Doug took this unauthorized picture of me about to cross the finish line.
Since I look semi-decent, I decided to publish it for posterity.
I hope to see many "double" shirts in my future with Elliott!
This race was a mixed bag for me:
- Elliott's 1st Fun Run! :)
- Vanessa was unable to attend; this is the first time one of us has raced without the other. :(
- Katie V was my running buddy! :)
- Around 2.5 miles, I started gagging. Two sips of water instead of one did me in? Who knows what happened. Anyhoo, I had to walk a few yards to get myself back under control. :(
- My time was 30:34, shaving nearly 3 minutes off my 3rd 5k time! :) [no wonder I almost puked!]
- The first time Doug has ever been present for a race. :)
The end of every race is the beginning of a new one.
--T-shirt of a kid I passed
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Right Now
So, where are we right now in our journey?
The manilla envelope that UPS sent it in looked so unofficial, disturbingly so. Don't they know that weeks and weeks worth of paper chasing is in that envelope? I felt like it should be decorated with markers and glitter and ribbon. It needed a proper send off.
Ok, so what's in the envelope?
Our application letter to China, birth certificates, marriage certificate, letters of employment, medical forms (UGH), financial information, the home study, and police clearance.
Where is it headed?
The packet is headed to the Secretary of State's office first. Each of those forms/letters was notarized here, and now the SoS has to attach a certification that verifies that the notary is legit.
Then what?
When the packet comes back from Jackson, I make copies of all the certification sheets. Then it goes to the Chinese Embassy in Houston, TX, for authentication. Yep, that's another piece of paper that gets added. Then I make copies of those sheets. THEN, I add passport copies, photos of us and our home, and letters of reference to the packet, and the entire packet then goes to the agency in Oregon. The agency reviews it and holds it.
*Once the fingerprints are processed with our immigration application, we will receive the I-797 approval via mail. This will be the final piece of the dossier. But it too will have to be state certified and embassy authenticated.
When that piece of paper is sent to Oregon, and prayerfully crossing fingers that all documents pass muster, THEN AND ONLY THEN will the dossier go to China. Shew!
At that point I will turn my attention to two things: (1) working on her room and (2) FUNDRAISERS! Get ready, we will need your help!
Many of you have done some calculating and have, probably accurately, come to the conclusion that our daughter has likely already been born. I ask that you pray specifically for her health, that she is being well cared for, for her care givers, and for her adjustment when the time comes. I also ask, very selfishly, that you not say to me, "How exciting! She's (probably) already been born!" It hurts my heart for every second that I am not with her. And though, yes, down the road it will be exciting that she is probably close in age to babies in my life, right now all I hear is, "You are with your baby, and I am not."
When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start right now.
-When Harry Met Sally but as used in adoption context by Jillian Michaels
- We were federally fingerprinted (aka had our biometrics taken) in Birmingham on Tuesday.*
- The majority of our dossier left this morning on the first leg of its journey to the Secretary of State to get certified.
The manilla envelope that UPS sent it in looked so unofficial, disturbingly so. Don't they know that weeks and weeks worth of paper chasing is in that envelope? I felt like it should be decorated with markers and glitter and ribbon. It needed a proper send off.
Ok, so what's in the envelope?
Our application letter to China, birth certificates, marriage certificate, letters of employment, medical forms (UGH), financial information, the home study, and police clearance.
Where is it headed?
The packet is headed to the Secretary of State's office first. Each of those forms/letters was notarized here, and now the SoS has to attach a certification that verifies that the notary is legit.
Then what?
When the packet comes back from Jackson, I make copies of all the certification sheets. Then it goes to the Chinese Embassy in Houston, TX, for authentication. Yep, that's another piece of paper that gets added. Then I make copies of those sheets. THEN, I add passport copies, photos of us and our home, and letters of reference to the packet, and the entire packet then goes to the agency in Oregon. The agency reviews it and holds it.
*Once the fingerprints are processed with our immigration application, we will receive the I-797 approval via mail. This will be the final piece of the dossier. But it too will have to be state certified and embassy authenticated.
When that piece of paper is sent to Oregon, and prayerfully crossing fingers that all documents pass muster, THEN AND ONLY THEN will the dossier go to China. Shew!
At that point I will turn my attention to two things: (1) working on her room and (2) FUNDRAISERS! Get ready, we will need your help!
Many of you have done some calculating and have, probably accurately, come to the conclusion that our daughter has likely already been born. I ask that you pray specifically for her health, that she is being well cared for, for her care givers, and for her adjustment when the time comes. I also ask, very selfishly, that you not say to me, "How exciting! She's (probably) already been born!" It hurts my heart for every second that I am not with her. And though, yes, down the road it will be exciting that she is probably close in age to babies in my life, right now all I hear is, "You are with your baby, and I am not."
When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start right now.
-When Harry Met Sally but as used in adoption context by Jillian Michaels
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