Our China Journeys: November 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Family Portraits

I decided to just do portraits in one trip this year instead of three. We got fewer pictures taken but it probably cost us less in the long run (even though we got several pictures to take home). (!)

These are Meighan's 6-year-old pictures (even though she doesn't turn 6 till December 16, Dawson's 3-year-old pictures (even though he turned 3 in August) and a new family portrait and picture of the kids together. Meighan doesn't take a bad picture and we got some decent ones of Dawson smiling this year! Yay!

Here's several of the best ones:

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Details, Details, Details...

1/28/08 - Met with Dick for the 1st International Home Study face-to-face
2/2/08 - Ordered 3 copies of Sue's birth certificate
2/8/08 - Mailed Adoption Application & Fee
2/23/08 - Home Study/Post Adoption Agreement -- Our signatures Notarized
3/1/08 - Mailed Adoption Agreement & Fee for that and the educational materials
3/5/08 - Sue's Letter of Employment Notarized
3/6/08 - Tony's Letter of Employment Notarized AND Mailed information for reference letters
3/12/08 - Letter of Intent Notarized AND Financial Declaration for Adoption Notarized
3/13/08 - Met with Dick over lunch time for the 2nd Home Study face-to-face AND Watched 1st Session of "Because They Waited" & took Test 1
3/15/08 - Watched 2nd Session of "Because They Waited" & took Test 2
3/16/08 - Watched 3rd Session of "Because They Waited" & took Test 3
3/18/08 - Mailed request for another copy of our Marriage License
3/20/08 - Met with Dick over lunch time for 3rd Home Study face-to-face
3/22/08 - Watch 4th Session of "Because They Waited" & took Test 4
3/24/08 - Sue's Medical Report Notarized AND Both Background Reports Notarized
3/24/08 - Received notification that we scored high enough on all tests to be successfully completed. CHI will receive notification of our completion the first week of next month.
3/25/08 - Submitted I-600A form & money to CIS
4/4/08 - Tony's Medical Report Notarized AND Both Physician's Statements Notarized
4/10/08 - Met with Dick at our house for our 4th and last Home Study face-to-face
4/13/08 - Had our passport photos taken for the dossier
5/13/08 - Home Study completed & Notarized and sent to CIS
6/4/08 - Received email notification of fingerprint appointment
6/6/08 - Received OFFICIAL notification of fingerprint appointment by mail
7/2/08 - Fingerprints taken by CIS
7/31/08 - Received email notification that our fingerprints are approved
8/5/08 - Received I-171H Form
8/6/08 - I-171H Form Copied & Notarized
8/7/08 - 13 Documents State Certified AND Prepared them to be sent overnight to the courier in DC
8/8/08 - Documents sent to DC to be authenticated
8/9/08 - Documents arrived at UPS station in Richmond, VA
8/11/08 - Documents delivered to courier
8/15/08 - Dossier picked up from Chinese Embassy and sent back to us
8/18/08 - Received documents from courier
8/20/08 - Copied all documents of the dossier
8/21/08 - Sent Dossier overnight to CHI in St. Louis
8/22/08 - Dossier arrived at Children's Hope
8/25/08 - CHI says our dossier is ready once they receive the agreement from NCHS
9/2/08 - NCHS signed and sent agreement to CHI
9/4/08 - Agreement received at CHI AND Dossier sent to Holt International
9/26/08 - DTC (Dossier to China!)
10/9/08 - LID (Log-In-Date!)
10/23/08 - Sat in on Holt's China Child of Promise webinar
11/11/08 - Mailed China Child of Promise checklist to Holt
11/18/08 - Holt received our checklist and pictures and said we're ready for our referral!
11/21/08 - 1st Referral received and declined
11/23/08 - 2nd Referral Received and Accepted, LOI sent
11/24/08 - Locked in for Qian Beibei
11/30/08 - Announced to our parents and then to everyone else by email
12/9/08 - Assignment Packet received
12/12/08 - Home Study Addendum completed and mailed out
12/16/08 - Beibei's 1st Birthday! -- Had adoption agreement and other papers notarized
12/30/08 - Had captions in photo album translated
1/1/09 - Filled out NCHS update paperwork AND completed Holt paperwork
1/9/09 - Sent adoption fees, forms and photo album to Holt
1/12/09 - Holt received our money, forms and photo album
1/16/09 - Photo album sent to China -- Beibei should receive it soon
2/2/09 - LOA Received by Holt
2/4/09 - Sent signed LOA back to Holt
2/5/09 - Holt received our signed LOA
2/9/09 - Sent Visa applications to courier
2/18/09 - Visas arrived
2/19/09 - Update home visit by case worker
3/5/09 - Received TA (Travel Approval)
3/9/09 - Travel Dates Received
3/10/09 - Airline tickets purchased
3/16/09 - In-China travel arrangements made
3/24/09 - Informational Conference Call with Holt and other families traveling soon
4/1/09 - Fly to Beijing!
4/3/09 - Tour Bird's Nest & Water Cube
4/4/09 - Tour Summer Palace & Temple of Heaven
4/5/09 - Tour Great Wall & Hutongs
4/6/09 - Holt Orientation, Tour TianAnMen Square & Forbidden City
4/7/09 - Fly to Guangzhou - GOTCHA DAY!
4/16/09 - Adoption Finalization at US Consulate
4/17/09 - Fly HOME!
5/18/09 - Certificate of Citizenship arrived
12/11/09 - Readoption Hearing -- IT'S FINAL!
1/6/10 - American Birth Certificate Received

Words of Wisdom

When someone asks you 'What would Jesus do?' remember, a valid option is to freak out and turn over tables. -- Unknown
The only way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. -- Walt Disney
Begin with the end in mind.
All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. -- Walt Disney
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break. -- Chinese Legend
Be the kind of woman (man) that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, "Awww CRAP she's (he's) up!"
You never know what you can do until you have to do it. -- Betty Ford

Tips for a Smooth Adoption -- Things I Learned Along the Way

Bring your PATIENCE!
Remain POSITIVE -- you CAN do this!
One thing I read early on was whenever you can do something or go somewhere yourself, do it. (i.e. Instead of mailing something somewhere, drive there yourself if at all possible.)
COPY EVERYTHING!
Keep in touch with your agency(ies) -- call or email whenever you think something is taking too long or if you have ANY questions
Know what form of payment your local CIS, Secretary of State, US State Dept, and Chinese Embassy accept before you go
Anticipate what you will need next. When you are in a "holding pattern" waiting for something to happen, look through your agency packet and see what will be needed next and gather what you will need. For instance, at this moment, we are waiting for the CCAA to approve us and give us travel approval. We know that once we receive travel approval we will need to get our Visas so I have printed out the Visa applications and the courier's instructions and rates. It gives me something to do and will help the next step go smoothly.
Things I'd do different: 1) Take Butt Paste if your child might still be in diapers! plus a couple in the gift for the orphanage. 2) Take more shorts, especially for Guangzhou! 3) Take MILK formula instead of soy. 4) Take even smaller clothes and diapers than you think you'll need, especially if you don't get current measurements before you leave!

Details for Bringing Home Le An

5/25/10 - Started filling out forms getting ready to FLY with paperwork--marriage certificate, birth certificates, passport renewal form for Sue, practice I-800A form
5/28/10 - Added more money (what was left from insurance money from accident) to SmartyPig
7/4/10 - Had family photo taken for application AND asked our references for their permission to use them as references
7/6/10 - Had IASA notarized
7/7/10 - Hand delivered application to Holt Omaha--exactly 15 months from the day we met Meighan
7/9/10 - Holt called to say they will be sending forms via mail and email to proceed with background checks, etc.
7/26/10 - Had Release of Info notarized
7/27/10 - Took several forms to Holt
7/28/10 - More forms taken to Holt
7/29/10 - Printed/bound guidebook to help with expediting paperwork
8/2/10 - Had fingerprints taken by NSP and mailed paperwork the next day
8/13-14/10 - Attended Parents in Process training
8/23/10 - Mailed requests for marriage license and 2 birth certificates
8/24/10 - Both medical exams
8/25/10 - Received certified marriage license copies
8/27/10 - Took medical forms to Holt AND received our birth certificates
9/2/10 - Got Dossier medical forms signed and notarized
9/4/10 - Received bill for Home Study fee
9/7/10 - Mailed money for Home Study to Eugene, OR
9/10/10 - Holt called & said we need to have our well water tested
9/15/10 - 1st water test
9/17/10 - Water test came back BAD!
9/20/10 - Shock-chlorinated the well water to kill bacteria
9/26/10 - 2nd water test
9/27/10 - 2nd water test results MUCH better -- but not perfect
9/28/10 - Ordered UV filter
10/6/10 - Received UV Filter
10/7/10 - Installed UV filter; Took water sample before installation
10/8/10 - Took 2nd (4th) water sample after UV filter install
10/11/10 - Both water test results came back CLEAR!
10/13/10 - 1st Home Study meeting with social worker
10/19/10 - 2nd Home Study meeting wih social worker
11/1/10 - 3rd Home Study meeting with social worker
11/16/10 - Got county background checks AND picked up Tony's employment letter
12/28/10 - Sue started a new job!
1/20/11 - Sue's employment verification signed
2/8/11 - Home Study Approved!
2/23/11 - Got money order for USCIS/I-800A
2/24/11 - Mailed I-800A to Texas
3/7/11 - Received I-800A back with rejection notice
3/10/11 - Mailed I-800A to Texas--AGAIN!
3/30/11 - Received our USCIS fingerprint appointments!
4/11/11 - Received Sue's letter of employment
4/25/11 - USCIS fingerprints taken
5/9/11 - Had I-797 form notarized
5/10/11 - Had 11 dossier documents certified at the State Capitol
5/13/11 - Had last 2 dossier documents certified at the State Capitol
5/14/11 - Took Dossier to FedEx to send to DC for authentication
5/16/11 - Dosier arrived at courier
5/24/11 - Received Authenticated Dossier back from DC!
5/27/11 - Sent Dossier to Holt! (Our Anniversary!)
5/31/11 - Dossier arrived at Holt!
6/10/11 - DTC!!
6/20/11 - LID!!
7/26/11 - Referral of Xu Le An!
7/27/11 - LOI submitted to Holt
7/28/11 - Announced to Sue's family while on Alaska cruise
8/7/11 - Announced to Tony's family at family b-day party
9/10/11 - Took PIP #V Class
9/12/11 - FedEx'd pre-travel forms to Holt
10/15/11 - LOA!
10/18/11 - FedEx'd LOA to Holt AND FedEx'd I-800 form
10/24/11 - FedEx'd our Visa applications to the courier
10/29/11 - Received I-800 back, forgot to sign
10/31/11 - FedEx'd I-800 AGAIN
11/8/11 - Received our Visas back from courier
11/19/11 - PA!
12/3/11 - NVC letter!
12/21/11 - Article 5!
1/9/12 - TA!
2/8/12 - Fly to Beijing and on to Xi'an
2/10/12 - Tour to Terra Cotta Warriors
2/11/12 - Express train to Zhengzhou
2/13/12 - Gotcha Day!
2/17/12 - Fly to Guangzhou
2/23/12 - Fly HOME!
3/26/12 - Certificate of Citizenship
6/8/12 - Received SS card
8/21/12 - 6-month update report
12/3/12 - Readoption hearing - it's FINAL!
12/15/12 - Received Birth Certificate! Yippee!