Got some good news today!

I talked with my casemanager this morning...it looks like we are on target for traveling to Russia on our first trip in March. If all continues to go well and there are no hang ups we could know as early as the first week of March when we are traveling.

We have 2 documents that we still need for our updated dossier from our homestudy agency that needs to be in before the second week of Feb. It's been 2 weeks since I've checked with my homestudy agency so it looks like an update call is needed for tomorrow to see how those documents are coming!!

For our 2nd trip we will need my updated employment letter, updated medicals on the whole family and of course that 171-H. I may be sending a courtesy letter by next week to my friend at USCIS office to check the status of that little paper. My casemanager is not worried yet as I won't need it till our 2nd trip for court and the Embassy. If we travel in March our second trip will likely be May (if we run into no problems) I can't believe it!! In possibly just 4 months our daughter could be home with us forever!!!

Whoohoo!! I'm so excited!!

He sent us a travel pack to start getting ready for the big trip. It looks like we are going to be busy for awhile just getting ready for the trip. Where to start? We will need heavy duty jackets and crisp bills. We also need to look into phone service so we can call home. And I'd better start looking into airfares too. I'm hoping we can fly direct from LA. Only a 12 hour flight...wow..hope I can sit still that long!! Our agency will handle our hotel accomodations and incountry travel.

We also need to look into gifts for everyone we meet on the first trip and I have a suitcase of kids clothing to donate to the ophanage too.

It looks like I'd better get started with those lists and do some research.

Home Again

It's Monday morning and we are home. Back to the routines and daily grind that is our life. Even though our dream vacation is over...there is something comforting about walking back into your home after being away. We had a crazy funny day of traveling and will post the story later today on the boys blog if anyone is interested. The link is inbetween the boys pictures off to the right side.

The first thing I did? Check my mail. Two big grocery bags of mail and nothing from the USCIS office. Oh well, I didn't really think they would get back to me that fast. I also checked my email and got an update from my placing agency while I was gone. Looks like with the new year brought new requirements from the region we are adopting from. Guess it's back to the paper chasing for me. I will need to get a few more documents to update my dossier again. Should be fairly easy stuff, mostly paperwork from my homestudy agency regarding their license and updated employment letters. My casemanager said not to stress about receiving the USCIS 171-H. It will be here before we really need it. So I'm not going to worry about it for now. If I don't hear back by the end of January I will contact them then.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday! I'm excited to pick up our pooches from the kennels today! I've really missed my 3 furballs!! Just called the kennels and they are being bathed now...yeah..good smelling fur balls!! Should be able to bring them home after BW gets back from school!!

Aloha!

Aloha from Maui! It's amazing how the sound of the waves crashing on the beach can free my mind and leave me feeling so well rested. The ocean has always been my calming place and I hadn't realized how long it's been since I've been to the ocean. I also had no idea how stressed out I had become. My mind has apparently been on overload from the holidays, worrying about kindergarten next year and of course all things adoption related. I'm so going to be dreading getting back on that plane to go home!

The weather here is beautiful...apparently it is in the 80's no matter what time of the year you are here. We have a beautiful view of the ocean from every room in our condo. I love sitting out on the lanai (balcony) with laptop in hand and checking in with everyone's blogs while the boys take an afternoon nap. It so beats my couch back home which is where I usually am when I'm emailing.

We are looking forward to a few more relaxing days in the sun and on the beach. Who knows, maybe the kids will even sleep in. One can always dream.

Gone Vacationing

We are loving the Holidays so much that we are putting our regular chaotic lives on hold for just one more week. The wet weather is really starting to get to us. 3 days straight of rainy weather and throw in a 12 hour power outage. We just can't take it anymore. This is supposed to be sunny California afterall. So.... we are going to where it is truly sunny...to Maui!!! But seriously folks, my hubby's brother is getting married and they have chosen a very beautiful spot to tie the knot. We are very happy for them and look forward to helping them celebrate their special day. And lucky for us it just happens to be in a beautiful place too.

I'm so hoping that when we return there will be a special envelope in our mailbox from our dear friends at the USCIS office. Can anyone guess what I'm hoping that will be? Anyone? Anyone? That's right!!! Our 171-H approval letter! That little letter would just make my month!

Happy New Year's Eve!!

Here we are, standing in the last day of 2007. Looking back over this year I have a lot of fond memories. We moved into our dream home, watched my baby start preschool, enjoyed Disneyland and San Diego with my family and began our adoption journey. It's hard for me to be sad about leaving 2007 when I know that in 2008 we will bring our daughter home!! I know for me just being in 2008 makes me feel closer to Emily. So while 2007 was a nice year, I'm ready to move on..."Onward" as my grandma says. So...bring on the new year!! I am so ready for you!!!

My hope is that this is the year that everyone's dreams of growing families comes true.

Receipt Received

I collected the extra documents needed for my I-600A and mailed them on Thursday. I just received my certified receipt that the documents were received by USCIS on Friday, Dec 21st. We are hoping to have our approval back by the end of January.

Hope everyone is enjoying this Holiday season. Christmas is almost here! We have actually finished our christmas shopping and our grocery shopping. We may actually be all ready for X-mas Eve and X-mas day one full day early this year. This is rare for us and it is nice. The boys are very excited and ask everday, "Is today Christmas?" It sure is hard to wait when you are little.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

I-600A update

On Friday I got a call from the USCIS officer handling our I-600A application. Wow!! If that isn't a miracle, I don't know what is. Getting a call...not waiting for news through the mail. Wow! He confirmed that he has received our entire file and that our fingerprints came back clear. There are no words for that simple gift. He is requesting 3 additional documents and then they can finalize our application. Maybe I did have a little luck from someone watching over me. Just three more documents...okay this I can handle. I have one of them, one is being mailed to me and one more we have to figure out where to go to get it. I'm hoping with a little more luck to be able to certify the rest of these documents and send them off to him by Friday. Hopefully, we will hear back sometime in January. I feel so much better already!