I-800A APPROVAL!!!!!

 

We just received I-800A APPROVAL!!!

The I-800A is for "Determination of Suitability to Adopt a

Child from a Convention Country". 

Basically we have received approval from the

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  (USCIS)

to adopt a child internationally from a Hague Convention country.

 

Last Thursday we had received RFE (Request for Evidence) from our officer with the USCIS, but our caseworker was quick to get the issue resolved.  He just had to update our home study to state that we had lived in other states, and that background checks had been completed for all states.  Today our officer emailed me that our case has been approved!!!!

We should receive the I-797 form in the mail by Wednesday and our dossier will be ready to send to ______!  Then we wait on Matching Approval from the _______ government.  We have already identified our child (8 months ago) and have been receiving updates and pictures of him, but we still have to receive the formal MA from the Adoption Unit.  That process usually takes 8 to 18 weeks from the time the dossier reaches the Adoption Unit.

 

Now to wait some more,

because,

adoption = being patient waiting

Update:  We were able to go ahead today (5/20) and mail our dossier to our intake coordinator.  I'll just have to email her the copy of the I-797.
 

Happy 15th!!!

 

How on earth is he 15???

 

On Saturday we had Connie, Ben, Richard, and Nana Vickie over for Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and cake.  On Sunday, which was Mother's Day, we went to Kim's and Stacy's for lunch, were we had more Hamburgers and Hot Dogs.  That day we celebrated not just Mother's Day, but also Alla's 15th B-day, and Nick who was getting ready to leave on a mission trip!

Biometrics appointment for I-800A (Friday, May 10, 2013)

Heading to our I-800A biometrics appointment

We left around 10:00 on Friday morning to head to N-ville for our biometrics appointment.  We had a little time to kill so we made a pit stop at Build-a-Bear.  Alla was with us, despite what pictures display.  He's a good ducker when I pull my camera out. 

The last time we were here was suppose to have
been Boy's FINAL Build-a-Bear.  Oh Well.

 

"My dog needs a leash and a dog bed, please."

 

After our appointment, which went very smoothly, we met Nana Vickie at Cheddar's for lunch.  We ran into Home Depot looking for a new ceiling fan for the living room.  This would be our 2nd need of a ceiling fan for the month.  We just replaced our bedroom fan a few weeks ago because of a faulty bulb socket issue.  Al has decided he wants to change out the LR fan, since it is the exact same fan we had had in our bedroom. 

 

And what outing isn't topped off with a trip
to Sam's (and Shoe Carnival and Target. . . )

 

New Toy

 

 

Fortune Cookie Messages

Testing Week

Our church has a christian school, and we use it as our umbrella school.  They keep up with grades (quarterly reported by me), credits for high school (they provide a transcript), the kids get to test every spring with the regular attendees, they can participate in: sports, field trips, prom, plays, etc., and my homeschooled kids will get to graduate and "walk the line" along with the rest of their class and receive a diploma.  This week the boys have been at the school testing.  It has made for some crazy days, as we don't do early mornings well, we have had to eat out ALOT this week, and my house is a MESS.

Clearly Subway is not her favorite

Pancakes and Sweet Tea
Now she's happy!

And today (Friday 4/26/13) our I-800A fingerprinting appointment cards came in the mail!!!

"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.  And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it."
 - Jeremiah 18:7-10