USCIS is going in the mail tomorrow

We completed another extensive and complicated document today. The I800-A form that goes to the Department of Homeland Security. It is required by OUR government along with a healthy fee and from what I can tell is basically our request for official government fingerprinting.

Hmmm hope the incident coming home from Rocky Point earlier this year doesn't come up (: It was really nothing...instead of using our passports (the sensible thing) we tried to show our DL's when coming back into AZ and the border patrol agent told us he was going to flag us as non-compliant. Hope that's not too bad ):

Dave will be getting the required money order and copies tomorrow and is putting the I800A form in the mail! Yeah!!! Just one more detail that puts us closer to our little "Shania"

Goodnight for now...

Final Home Study Visit is Over!

We just now completed our final home study visit and I believe that we have passed. Our emergency numbers are posted, our evacuation plan is on display, guns are all locked up, and all of our toxic waste has been properly disposed.

Special thanks to our special neighbors Janet and Gregg who loaned us their vacuum cleaner when ours died out unexpectedly this morning. They live in Alaska part time so they don't even know it yet - thanks guys!

Now our social worker Tricia is going to put together the reports she generated during our three visits together and write the official Home Study Report. This report is submitted locally to the court and is translated into Mandarin and sent to China. It is the first of three major steps in the Shania Project. Home Study, Dossier, and I-800 USCIS. One down and two to go!

Thank you to everyone who has been thinking of us and praying for us today. Words can't fully express our gratitude.

Final Home Study on Saturday

This Saturday, October 18 is circled in red on our calendar. It marks the day of our final home study visit with our social worker. If you have been following the list along the right side of this blog you have seen all of those home study items move from the to-do list to the done list. (another example of my wonderful wife's persistence and multi-tasking skills, you amaze me Shmoopie).

Saturday's visit is one of the final hurdles in the home study process. Once the visit is completed our social worker Trish will write the home study report, which is then translated and sent to the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs).

Each day brings us closer to our little Shania.

Adoption Fundraising

Adoptive families describe adoption as a significant, amazing and life-changing experience. They also say that it is expensive. I am absolutely amazed at families that have adopted two, three or more kids over a short period of time. How do they pull that off financially? My guess is that it is resourcefulness and the following blog supports that. Touching Lives... One at a Time is a site dedicated to promoting fundraisers for adoptive families. Check out the creative ways people come up with to fund their own Shania Projects.

Sheri's amazing jewelry received a mention this week. Thanks Lady in Waiting!

To our little Shania: add one more to the list of people that love you and care about you. Come see us soon little peanut.

Fenced in...

or out, depending on how you look at. The pool fence is in. A little weird, 9 years without a pool fence and voila, the fence is in. I think I like it. I was concerned that it would bother me but I barely notice it. It looks nice! Not sure that Louie (Missy's dog) and Rock Star know what to think of it, especially because it has still been pretty warm here and we keep them out of the pool area most of time. They like to swim on demand. It's all for you little Shania (:

Etsy is up and running

I am so excited! I have been soldering for a week now, and with the help of my patient, smart and kind husband I now have some of my latest solder pieces on the web. So please go take a look. These are just a few of the latest designs. I will work on getting my initials and little girl designs up soon! Have fun (Oh, and buy something too!)

www.charmaddiction.etsy.com

Our Photo Page

Three photo pages are required for our dossier for China. The CCAA is very specific on what they want to see. Here are our photo pages, approved and ready to go to China!