To Rescue Our Princess....an Adoption Story: January 2012

Our Adoption Timeline

11-2-10 - FLY HOME WITH OUR GIRL!!!!!!

11-1-10 - Pick up Everlyn's visa

10-28-10 - US Embassy appointment and medical exam

10-27-10 - GOTCHA DAY! :o) Returned to Kiev.

10-25-10 - Our 10-day wait ends...

10-16-10 - Our 10-day wait begins...

10-15-10 - We are shocked with an early court date. It's OFFICIAL - Everlyn is our daughter!!!

10-14-10 - Interpol clearance arrives at the SDA.

10-12-10 - Court papers filed in Everlyn's region...and it's my BIRTHDAY!!! :o)

10-8-10 - We met Everlyn!

10-7-10 - Pick up official referral paperwork and headed to her region by overnight train.

10-6-10 - SDA appt! :o) Of course we ACCEPTED her referral!

10-3-10 - We left for Everlyn's birth country!

9-9-10 - We got our travel date!

9-2-10 - Dossier successfully submitted to the SDA!

8-30-10 - Hard copy of dossier delivered to translation team.

8-26-10 - Hard copy of dossier Fed Ex'd to Everlyn's birth country and a copy faxed to our translator so translation can begin ASAP!

8-25-10 - Our 171H arrived! The last piece of the puzzle is here!

6-25-10 - Final documents arrived for our dossier. IT IS DONE....except for the 171H from the USCIS. Praying it comes quickly!

6-23-10 - USCIS fingerprints DONE - 3 weeks ahead of scheduled appt! WooHoo!

6-10-10 - Home study COMPLETE!! Sent in I-600A - "Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition" with copy of Home study, birth certificates, marriage certificate and a sweet little cover letter (with her picture on it) asking the USCIS to expedite our application so we can get our sweet Princess home quickly!!

6-9-10 - Bloodwork done for dossier medical form. Mailed marriage certificates for Illinois apostilles.

6-8-10 - Passports arrive!!!

6-7-10 - CSP and POAs arrive in Everlyn's birth country

6-3-10 - Child Specific Petition and Power of Attorneys notarized, apostilled and sent to Everlyn's birth country!

6-2-10 - Home Study draft ready...let the proofreading begin!

6-1-10 - Results of psych eval appt. (Yikes!) Update: We're not crazy. :o)

5-28-10 - Sent our "information request letter" to the SDA.

5-27-10 - Applied for "expedited" passports

5-24-10 - Home Study "wrap-up" meeting

5-20-10 - Eric's psychological evaluation

5-19-10 - Ashli's psychological evaluation and physical

5-18-10 - Physicals for Easton and Emersen

5-17-10 - Final (marathon) homestudy visit! We are cramming the last three into one so we can get our Princess home SOON!

5-14-10 - Physical for Eric

5-12-10 - Physicals for Elijan and Elliston

5-11-10 - First homestudy visit!

5-5-10 - Homestudy application approved. Hard copies of RR forms mailed.

5-4-10 - Completed Disclosure & FSP forms and emailed/faxed them to Reece's Rainbow. Completed home study application and dropped it off at Small World Adoption Foundation of Missouri with photos and application fee.

5-3-10 - Emailed Andrea at Reece's Rainbow letting her know we wanted to commit to adopting "C"!!!

4-30-10 - Saw the most precious picture of "C" on the Reece's Rainbow website. Emailed Andrea at RR for more info.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

We had a Merry Christmas and here's to another great year!

I know...I am not the best at updating this blog. I swore when we adopted Everlyn that I would update the blog weekly. Obviously that has not happened. Gosh - I have not even blogged MONTHLY.... LOL

But as part of one of my "goals" for 2012 (I don't do resolutions...no one keeps resolutions...) I hope to blog more. But I plan to create a new FAMILY blog. More on that to come once I come up with a catchy title, layout, etc. :o)

I wanted to share some pictures of our Princess from Christmas though. She had a great time. Her favorite gift? A little pink broom! LOL!

My attempt at a picture of all 6 kids...