This year for Thanksgiving it is a hard year to face as we hoped that Elizabeth will be in our home or we would be on the way to Vietnam to pick her up. While that can get us down we know that there are so many wonderful things happening -- even when a situation looks dire there is always something positive.
The positives we have found are our family; a new friend you find on-line who supports you; a co-worker who listens to you for hours on end; a great friend who is just that great; a reunion of a college buddy. We can look and be upset that we are not getting our way or a friend is dealing with a dire situation at home that we just never understand why this happens -- or we can look around and realize all the wonderful gifts God has given us. All of you have helped us move forward to the next day. We think of all of you and pray that you are all happy.
This year I give thanks to you for all of your support!!
If I listed everyone I will be writing for a week -- so thank you! We are so blessed that we know each other.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thank you Carol, Steve and Samantha
Today, Mary and I visited our friends Carol and Steve to see Samantha. OMG she is a cutie. It gives us so much hope that soon our adoption will happen. Mary said that I looked comfortable with Samantha. We played the alphabet song and with her shoes. Thank you for opening your home and family to us.
It is great to have such supportive friends who understand the issues with adoption and parenting in general.
It is great to have such supportive friends who understand the issues with adoption and parenting in general.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The wait continues
To all of our family and friends. Thank you all for helping us get through this waiting period. As you can imagine it is hard because we just do not know anything or can plan to take the next steps.
We wish Carol, Steve and Samantha all the best as they have given us hope that adoptions do really happen. Samantha looks so beautiful. Here is a link to their blog --> http://ourangelsamantha.blogspot.com/
We pray for all the families in similar situations especially our friends in Canada. Hopefully soon we will have our date and we will know when we can travel.
We can all be looking at the things we are missing in our lives or we can stop and look at what we do have in our lives. While we do not have Elizabeth we are lucky to have the referral. We have great friends and that is what matters most.
I would like to thank all of my friends who have taken time out to listen or share a story. It really means a lot.
Thank you all for helping us with the wait.
We wish Carol, Steve and Samantha all the best as they have given us hope that adoptions do really happen. Samantha looks so beautiful. Here is a link to their blog --> http://ourangelsamantha.blogspot.com/
We pray for all the families in similar situations especially our friends in Canada. Hopefully soon we will have our date and we will know when we can travel.
We can all be looking at the things we are missing in our lives or we can stop and look at what we do have in our lives. While we do not have Elizabeth we are lucky to have the referral. We have great friends and that is what matters most.
I would like to thank all of my friends who have taken time out to listen or share a story. It really means a lot.
Thank you all for helping us with the wait.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Analogy of work/life balance
Read this with an open mind and with a smile.
Mary and I sat down with an adoption agency and we signed our DOU. Once we signed the DOU they said it looks like you would like to incorporate someone you did not create into your family. Before we were allowed to build your family we went off for our Open Source Education to make sure we can incorporate a child into our life. The agency wanted to make sure we were who we said we were. They called our friends, we showed tax forms, and came to interview us at the house. All of the data was collected and placed into our COO. Finally after months of waiting the phone rang and said we have a beautiful daughter for you. Our hearts stopped and I was driving home saying I am going to be a father.
We signed our DOU, completed our education and had all the signatures needed for the COO. We thought we were good to. On April 4th we received more paper work. Mary and I filled out the forms in one night and then I realized that the forms had changed. After entering our data in the LIDB we learned that we had to go to RPM. We printed off the new forms and filled them out. The next day they were expressed mailed. The agency took the Vietnamese paperwork and had to translate it to English. Elizabeth’s license was translated and accepted by the US Gov’t on June 3rd.
The clock started and we waited for our US import papers to be accepted. Many families we know had issues in the import process. We were lucky until the end of July when they said a part of our COO expired. Once the fingerprints were retaken the COO was valid. September 11th we received our import approval.
This week we learned that the Vietnamese government is working on the Export process. Hopefully soon they will accept that paperwork and we will be able to travel to Vietnam to pick up Elizabeth and bring her home.
We just have to hope that there are no patents pending. I have no clue how that process will work.
Mary and I sat down with an adoption agency and we signed our DOU. Once we signed the DOU they said it looks like you would like to incorporate someone you did not create into your family. Before we were allowed to build your family we went off for our Open Source Education to make sure we can incorporate a child into our life. The agency wanted to make sure we were who we said we were. They called our friends, we showed tax forms, and came to interview us at the house. All of the data was collected and placed into our COO. Finally after months of waiting the phone rang and said we have a beautiful daughter for you. Our hearts stopped and I was driving home saying I am going to be a father.
We signed our DOU, completed our education and had all the signatures needed for the COO. We thought we were good to. On April 4th we received more paper work. Mary and I filled out the forms in one night and then I realized that the forms had changed. After entering our data in the LIDB we learned that we had to go to RPM. We printed off the new forms and filled them out. The next day they were expressed mailed. The agency took the Vietnamese paperwork and had to translate it to English. Elizabeth’s license was translated and accepted by the US Gov’t on June 3rd.
The clock started and we waited for our US import papers to be accepted. Many families we know had issues in the import process. We were lucky until the end of July when they said a part of our COO expired. Once the fingerprints were retaken the COO was valid. September 11th we received our import approval.
This week we learned that the Vietnamese government is working on the Export process. Hopefully soon they will accept that paperwork and we will be able to travel to Vietnam to pick up Elizabeth and bring her home.
We just have to hope that there are no patents pending. I have no clue how that process will work.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Flooding
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and citizens in Vietnam. Time magazine is reporting the death toll from a week of flooding across large sections of Vietnam rose to 92 on Wednesday (November 5) as life returned to normal in the capital, with flood waters receding and residents cleaning up their homes. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1856696,00.html
Sunday, November 9, 2008
3rd set of pictures
Pictures from September -- she is growing so fast and we hope soon we have our G&R date
Our First Pictures of Elizabeth
These are the first pictures we saw of Elizabeth back in April. She was born on January 22 and the pictures were taken January/Feb 2008
Journey to Elizabeth
Our Journey to Elizabeth started a few years ago when Mary and I agreed to start the adoption process. After almost 2 years of waiting, on April 4, 2008, we received a call that a 2 1/2 month old girl was available for adoption. April 7, 2008 we saw our first pictures of Elizabeth and we knew right then that she was meant to be our daughter.
Between April and June we waited for our paperwork to move from Vietnam to the US Embassy. June 3, 2008 we received word from the US Embassy that they have received our paperwork and would start to process the adoption to allow us to bring Elizabeth home. This was a very stressful period because at any time we could be rejected for the adoption. We had heard of others being denied. At the end of July we learned that our fingerprints expired. This caused us some panic and follow up with Homeland security. After a few weeks we received our date to get fingerprints retaken. The waiting then continued.
September 11, 2008 we received word that our I-600 was approved. This was approval from the United States to let us bring Elizabeth into the country. We thought that we were ready to travel. Not quite. We now had to wait for a G&R date. It is the court date in Vietnam where we would sign the paperwork officially adopting Elizabeth. As of now we are still waiting for that date to be established. November 1, 2008 -- there was flooding in Hanoi and our agent was not able to travel. Hopefully this week he will be able to get to the center to give us an update and help push for our G&R date. We are hoping to be over there by the end of November.
The adoption process is not easy. It tests who you are as a person; are you willing to fight for your child; are you willing to put your life on hold until that day comes when you become a family. Mary and I want to thank all of our family and friends for their support. We wouldn't have made it this far without you.
Between April and June we waited for our paperwork to move from Vietnam to the US Embassy. June 3, 2008 we received word from the US Embassy that they have received our paperwork and would start to process the adoption to allow us to bring Elizabeth home. This was a very stressful period because at any time we could be rejected for the adoption. We had heard of others being denied. At the end of July we learned that our fingerprints expired. This caused us some panic and follow up with Homeland security. After a few weeks we received our date to get fingerprints retaken. The waiting then continued.
September 11, 2008 we received word that our I-600 was approved. This was approval from the United States to let us bring Elizabeth into the country. We thought that we were ready to travel. Not quite. We now had to wait for a G&R date. It is the court date in Vietnam where we would sign the paperwork officially adopting Elizabeth. As of now we are still waiting for that date to be established. November 1, 2008 -- there was flooding in Hanoi and our agent was not able to travel. Hopefully this week he will be able to get to the center to give us an update and help push for our G&R date. We are hoping to be over there by the end of November.
The adoption process is not easy. It tests who you are as a person; are you willing to fight for your child; are you willing to put your life on hold until that day comes when you become a family. Mary and I want to thank all of our family and friends for their support. We wouldn't have made it this far without you.
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