We are getting closer!!!

We went today to apply for Ricky and Lizzy's passports. You should see Ricky's picture. It looks much like "Ross'" picture :-) His mouth is open and his tongue quite visible. Very cute!

I called the Adoption Agency who did our homestudy and they are expecting to receive it in the mail tomorrow from the person who "signs off on it." Yeah! Then they will send a copy to USCIS (Immigation) and we wait for approval. They also will send us a copy that we can copy and send to our facilitator to have her start translating. This will be a huge help. I would be great if most everything was translated before we even got approval. Isn't the internet awesome that way. We can send her documents via email and she can translate and then check it over when she gets our actual dossier. The nice thing is that we can email documents to her, she looks them over and tells us if they are okay or need corrections.

For those of you that don't know, a dossier is a packet of your completed paperwork that has everything in it necessary to give to the government from which you are adopting your child. Ours will go to the SDA (State Dept. of Adoption) in Ukraine after translation. The adoptions are in their hands. After the dossier is submitted, it usually takes ABOUT 2 weeks before you hear back from them. At that time they will give you a date to travel to Ukraine for your SDA appointment. Once we go to Ukraine, we can expect to be there, perhaps 2-3 weeks...it could be longer. Let's hope not!

Boy, June sure would be a good month for us to travel. July has all sorts of events that would be difficult to disrupt. Oh well. Some things are more important, aren't they?

Waiting on:
-Marriage certificate to come in the mail
-redo employment letter to move the 6 month earnings to November until April just to be safe
-Letter from the county assessor with proof of home ownership and living quarters.
-homestudy to be sent out to USCIS and to us.
-USCIS approval!!!!!!!!!!!! Pray for a quick turn around--I sent a note to Sen. Klobuchar's office to ask for assistance.
-Ricky and Lizzy's passports (we have 5 jealous kids!!!)
-License of Agency and SW will be sent out to us with the Homestudy
-finish up medical paperwork on Monday when doctor is back from vacation

Then all of this goes to get Apostilled at the Secretary of States Office (this is basically a notary of a notary--saying to the Ukraine that they are authentic notaries.)

It is not really that much work left on our part. The waiting will be the most painful...I'm not known to be patient :-)

Please pray for everyone who touches our paperwork--that they are efficient and feel the need to hurry. And please pray for "Ross."

Blessings and thanks a ton!
Gretchen