Cool Hummer!!!

He is guarding the feeder!

the best way to share such a long video!

Zaijian
~Donna

Just ONE left!

Today we received my Birth Certificate back from the State of NY and a notarized copy of our Home Study.  Our I-800A is on it's way to the USCIS office!!!  then just one Doc to go!

Things left to do!

• Hague training!  Turns out a conference we went to back in Nov 2007 where we earned 8hrs of training is still good!  So that saves us some time and money!  This is requirement with the new International Child Hague Laws.  No biggie.
• Finger prints.  The USCIS will be sending us appointments on when we'll need to do that.  These fingerprints are what generates our Federal Background check.  So yes, we are IN the system!  Mostly because we've done them a few times already for Robyn's Dossier the first time around.  We'll need to do it again.

Once the USCIS has deemed us ok to bring a foriegn orphan into these United State of America, we'll receive a I-800 stating our approval.

Once we have the I-800, I will then need to get the last three documents, notarized, county authenticated, and state authenticated. (I-800, David's Med form and the Home Study)

Next step is to get all 13 documents Authenticated at a Chinese Consulate.  IF I can mail documents to the Washington DC Embassy, I will send my NY doc there.  The rest of our documents are to go to the Houston Chinese Embassy.  It costs $25 per doc for the Chinese Authentication and we have to have them sent via Courier!  YIKES!!  The courier costs $150 to have 12 documents delivered and picked up.  gosh I wish the Chinese Consulate/Embassy here in Atlanta did that.  Seems that only certain ones do it.  

Moving right along!

ZaiJian
~Donna

Nine down..4 to go!

So… last week we decided to go into the city on Friday and get some paperwork taken care of.. Here’s how it went!

First, breakfast at Waffle House just up the street from us.  Need a big breakfast for a long day!

Next stop the Post Office, right across the street.  I ran in to get two money orders.

Next.. we went to our agency’s office.  CCAI, they are located right near Perimeter Mall.  No problems getting there, the traffic was done for the morning.  We gave them our I-800A application and had Jamie check our Dossier photos.  Chandra notarized 6 documents for us.  We learned that it’s only $2 per doc to verify a notary from Fulton County.. but in COBB it’s $15 a doc!!!  YIKES!  So Chandra is a notary in Fulton!  Next stop, the Georgia Vital Statistics office.

This is located in the middle of a neighborhood.  Very odd, until we realized the building used to be  a school!  Ya see weeks ago I ordered a certified copy of his birth certificate.  I requested that it be “Pen in Hand” meaning a LIVE signature.  That’s what we had to get last time.  We did NOT get that.  So we called and they said send it back, and they’ll redo it.  Well weeks went by again and nothing.  David called, and they had no record of the second request.  SHEESH.  So we were to bring in our receipt from the first request and they’d do it again.  So we did just that.  Brought in the receipt and it took 15mins or so, and we had the Signed birth certificate.  Next stop.. Lennox Marta Station.

We parked, for free, then walked over to take MARTA into town.  Robyn LOVED being on the train!  We changed trains at Little 5 Points and only had to go one stop to the GA State stop.  Once out of the building it was time to head to the Fulton County office to get the notarized stuff verified.

It was only three blocks from the station, and we first went into the wrong building.  Thought it was in the Fulton County Services Building.. nope it’s in the Courthouse across the street.. someone was kind enough to let us know!  Once inside we were able to get our documents certified by the Fulton County Clerk and apply for Robyn’s passport!  Here’s her passport picture!  Awesome pic huh! 

After this .. we were hungry!  So as we were standing at the corner near the courthouse we could see an Italian place and some place with yellow awnings.  It was decided to see what the yellow awning place was up the street.  Turns out it was quick Japanese food.. and VERY good too!  Robyn and I shared a noodle dish and Daddy got something spicy!  Then as we were about to head to the Sec of State office, it started to pour.  We hung out at the restaurant until it let up.  After a radar check, we headed back towards the MARTA station.  Ok.. so we found 1 and 7 Martin Luther King Jr Dr.. but where was #2?  So we went into Building 1 and they directed us across the street.. yes in the very same building as the MARTA station was in!  How nice!

Last stop.  Once inside we had to check in with security as to the purpose of our visit, got some ID visitor badges and up to the 8^th floor. (those were some FAST elevators!).  Here we walked in, and it took no more than ten minutes to get them, now 7 with his birth certificate, authenticated by the state!  --At $10 a piece!  So, 7 documents ready to go to the Chinese Consulate for their Authentication, then they’ll be ready for the Dossier!

Yesterday I got my two back from the State of Florida with their authentication all set.  And then I got my birth certificate back from Nassau County in NY.  Turns out it DID NOT need to be authenticated by the county because it had some signature on it already. ARGH that was wasted postage!  BUT>the stamp on the Priority Mail Envelope with my FL docs had not been cancelled!!!  So I was able to reuse that sucker!

Today I mailed my NY birth certificate back out to NY, to Albany for the final state authentication!

So all we have left are…his Med form, Home Study and I-800.

His medical form; the doctor’s office keeps screwing his up!  They got mine correct, but they keep putting extraneous notes on his.  And you can’t have stuff on them like that!  So he is going to go by there tomorrow and try again.  ARGH.

Our Home Study is complete!  Just got it last night for us to review.  I had a few fixes to make.  Once that is complete, we can send that off to the USCIS office with our I-800A.  That is the form that grants us permission to bring a foreign orphan into the country.  Once we have the resulting I-800 form.  We’ll do those last documents like we did the 7 on Friday,and the dossier is complete!  We get logged in and the wait to match begins!

We are thinking/praying that we go sometime before Christmas next year.  It’ll be interesting to see how long we wait.  It will give us a chance to catch up on the adoption bills in the meantime!

Robyn on the train!

Have a great week!

ZaiJian

~Donna

Paperchase update

Well.. we've been cruising on the paperwork.  All but one doc in the books!  Just waiting on David's medical sheet!  His blood pressure was high at his visit, so his orders are to take his BP the next two weeks, and we'll put the average.  Should be lower, going to the Dr can raise it!  And I did a pretty good job on picking a Dr up here.  Big office and a lab right in it!  Love that you don't have to go somewhere else.  The NP was great too.  Seems we'll be served well there.  Next to find a dentist.

Last week I sent my Birth Certificate to the Nassau County Clerk.  There is an added step to certification for NY and GA documents.  weeee...  not happy about that.  Once they do their thing, then I'll send it to Albany where they'll do their thing, then it goes to the Chinese Consulate.. where.. as you guessed, they'll do their thing.  All this is to certify that our Dossier Docs are the real deal.  We did this last time, just not that county step that is required.

Today I sent our marriage license and my Employment Verification Letter to the FL Dept of State.  Don't need county thingy there.  They'll certify them, and then I'll send them to the Chinese Consulate for our region when I have the GA docs done.  Houston.. yes the Chinese Consulate for the SE is in Houston.. odd huh.  Atlanta just makes more sense.. you'd think.  That is the same as it was before, so nothing new there.

Let's see.. what else.  Oh.. biggie.  The social worker came out this past Saturday to meet us and get the Home Study going.  Her name is Heather, and she gave me an idea for rewarding good behavior.  We are now using star stickers.  For every 10 stars Robyn earns for doing good deeds.  Things like, doing something the first time I ask, being kind, doing things without us asking.  Stuff like that.  Anyway for every 10 she can pick an item from the treasure box.  It's mostly fun things from the dollar store.. stickers, little toys, rings.  Fun stuff.  After 5 trips, she gets something bigger.  Trip to Yogli Mogli (froz yogurt), Bouncy place stuff like that.  If she doesn't listen or like yesterday is extremely difficult at the store.. ARGH.  she can loose stars.  Seems to be working.

So.. there ya go.  We are moving along fairly well.  Feel like things are moving a bit faster than last time.  Not sure why, but it seems so.

Zaijian
~Donna

We are in the paper!!!

The Atlanta Journal Constitution is interested in people who move from another state.  Our real estate agent called me to see if we'd be interested to be interviewed.  Sure.. I said.  The author called me over a month ago and put together a story.  The photographer came out and took a few shots.. and here it is!

Got one back...

Not much to update.  Our agency is waiting on our references to send their documents in.  You have to have three folks fill out this form about us.  No biggie, we did it before.

We got one document back already, our FL Marriage License.  That was quick.  Still waiting on the other two.  It's been a rough week.  Robyn has a head cold, poor thing.  She does pretty good during the day it's at night when she can't breathe she wakes up all frustrated.  David is working very long days at the theater.  May is when all the local Dance studios rent the theater to do their end of year recitals.  I got a mild bout of food poisoning and sprained my ankle a bit.  ouch.  crazy.

here are some pics of Robyn.  She's growing like crazy!  and now can write her name!  you can make out her letters and every day she practices and keeps getting better...

She had fun painting a small bird house!

I got this bike at Goodwill for six bucks!  And the training wheels from a friend who didn't need them.  She's practicing.  Does better downhill.

This is Robyn and Mr Ken, with The General in the background.  Mr Ken does the Mommy and Me classes at the Southern Civil War & Locomotive Museum in Kennesaw.  We go every Thursday morning.  She really enjoys his class.  We will miss him come next school year.

Certificate mail sent

So I figured why not get a head start on some of the documentation.  Sent out the requests for new copies of his birth certif, mine and marriage license.  You have to have newly issued ones as part of your dossier.  not sure WHY we have to do those three again.. I mean none of those situations has changed!  Anyway. NY for me is $30, GA for him $25 and marriage license from FL.$5!  Then GA would not accept a personal check had to be a money order.  nuts.  I get states rights but.. nuts.  I included copies of the ones I got previously thinking that should expedite the process because they have the certif #s and all that all over them making it easier for the clerk to find and issue us new ones.  You'd think.

So there ya go.  Three documents in the works!  Off we go!

ZaiJian

~Donna

We are starting the process again!

So yes it’s true, we are starting the process to adopt another little girl.  Robyn is ready to be a big sister.  A role I believe she will be very good at!  Many things have changed since my last post.  David was offered a job at Mt Paran Christian School in January, and we were able to put an offer on a house the same day!  We moved in February 15^th, and we are loving it!  I have to say one of the most nifty things for me has been seeing Spring come in!  My first season change in the new house!  It’ll be exciting to watch as things progress through the year.

Again we are ready and so is Robyn.  She spent a few nights at Aunt Suzanne’s house while we did the initial moving in.  Once she showed up at the house and as I took her hand to walk her up to the front door her first questions where not.  “Where’s my room or Where are my toys”.. it was.  "When do we go get my sister?!"  She had heard us say for the last several months, as soon as we have our own house we’ll start the paperwork to go get your sister.  She did not forget.

We sent in the application to the same agency today.  CCAI.  They were wonderful before, and they also have an office here in GA only 35mins away!  Also with the capital of GA nearby that will save us some postage!  It’s funny my tummy is all mixed up and we are probably a year from travel.  We will be participating in the Waiting Child Program again and willing to accept a little girl with Cleft Lip/Palate.  We know what is to be expected, and the girls will be able to share their experiences as well. 

So off we go!  I’ll try to be better at posting more often and keep ya’ll updated on our comings and goings!

Here are some pictures from the last few months.

Snow!

We were able to scrape up some snow off her slide and make a barbie sized snowman!

can u see the snow falling?

Daddy-Daugther date!

 

Cute!  She did that pose!

Oh my she looks all grown up!

Spring!

Soo different from Winter!