Friday, February 10, 2012

Progress and "are we there yet??"

I get a lot of calls
and emails and other types of messages
from people asking...
"how much longer?!?"

Some waiting parents get annoyed
with these questions... I think it's kinda cute.
Like: 
"awww... you think you'd miss my big announcement
 that we are leaving in a week to go get our kids? How cute...!"

So, here's an update!!
We passed court on January 11th -
becoming the legal parents to 5 more gorgeous kiddos!
(Blessed...)

On January 25th, we got word that the official court decree was in-hand...
meaning they could start the paperwork to get us ready to return.

YESTERDAY, February 9, 
we heard that we have birth certificates printed for each of our kiddos!

This is good because it's the start of all this paperwork we need to get 
submitted to the US Embassy.

It's also good because it's the first official document 
listing their name with our last name!
(warm fuzzies..!)

So... what does that MEAN?

Well... it's a step in the right direction. 
NOW, they have to submit to some office to get a letter written,
wait for that...
submit for passports...
wait for those...
submit for a doctor's exam at the Embassy...
wait for that appointment...
DO the appointment...
wait for the official letter from the doctor...
THEN take all these things they've been collecting 
and go get them translated (there is ONE translating office. ONE.)...
wait for that to get done... (anyone see a theme developing here?)
THEN they take the whole stack of stuff over to submit it to the Embassy.

At this point, one of two things happens. 
1. They accept it.
2. They hand it back asking for revisions.

Let's all pray for #1, okay?

When they accept the file,
we wait for an email that they have it
and then another email that they have decided what to do with it.
They almost always schedule another interview with whoever found or relinquished the child/ren.
This will be about a month out...
and then, in MOST CASES...
the family is cleared to return and get their child/ren
days after that interview.

SO.
At whatever point they schedule an interview for our kids' family member,
we can take that appointment and add about a week-10 days to determine when
we will be flying back! 

Here's my non-scientific, super hopeful, mostly dreaming timeline of these events:
Jan.11 - court
Jan. 25 - court decree
Feb. 9 - Birth Certificates
Feb. 22 - Passports
March 7 - Embassy submission
March 28 - Interview
March 30 - Clearance and appointment scheduled!
April 5 - fly out of here...
April 7 - take custody!!

See how optimistic I am?!?
It's ALMOST the March timeline my sweet oldest boy told me he wanted...
He was convinced when I was leaving and saying goodbye
that we would be coming back for them in March.
I wish that were looking possible...
and miracles CERTAINLY happen - I've witnessed a few in the past 6 months!

But for now...
that's where we are in the process!
Thank you to everyone who is following along!
Your comments and prayers bless me!








10 comments:

  1. And I'm going to hope that it goes even FASTER! You never know.... :)
    We passed court on January 24. Who knows? We might be in Addis at the same time!

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    Replies
    1. That would be SO awesome! I'd love it to speed up (under threat of investigation by the Dept of St@te maybe?)! ;)

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  2. Oh the joys of waiting... and waiting... and waiting some more. I feel the need to say something, but you and I both know that nothing makes it easier. Hugs.

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    Replies
    1. True story. Waiting and waiting and waiting... and no matter HOW hard I try... I'm just unable to shake the control-freak tendencies and just CHILL. ;)

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  3. Praying your timeline goes straight to God's eyes :) Lets get those sweet kids home! Praying we will be in ET for our first court date at the same time!

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    1. Thank you, Andrea!! That court trip is amazing!! You will love it! Take too many pictures and videos! Don't put the camera down! That's my best advice (sorry it's not better!). :)

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  4. I've been following you for a little while and haven't commented, but I've really enjoyed reading about your precious kids! We are waiting for our birth parent interview which will hopefully be done on Monday so we can go get our little guy (we passed court Dec. 5th). I had to laugh when you said some people act like they may have missed the announcement. I had a lady in Sunday School ask me how the adjustment was going with our new son. We haven't missed a single Sunday since the last time we were in ET. I wanted to say,"do you see a 3-year-old African child on my hip? And when exactly do you think we snuck off to go get him?" Too funny.

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    Replies
    1. LOL - exactly! Like anyone within the reaches of the internet won't know when we are leaving to go get them?!? Really?? Ha! "Do you see a 3-year-old African child on my hip?" Hilarious! ;) Hang in there...

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  5. Did you know that my Lily told me on a Thursday night that she knew her family was coming to get her on the following Tuesday. I knew it was impossible, but told her she could pray. Her papers weren't even submitted and by all calculations she was still months away from going home. I tucked her in bed and went to check my email. There was one from her mom that said, "We just bought our tickets. We'll be there on Tuesday!" Lily flew home to America one month later.

    SO...I'm praying for MARCH!!!

    mj

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    Replies
    1. PLEASE pray for March. I mean, I will totally give my ticket to C4C to the most deserving mommy I can find and get on that plane to bring my babies home in March!! That sweet boy... he KNOWS the months... he named them for me many times. He even did his finger "Januarrrry.... Fevruarrry.... Marrrrch!!" So I know he knows what he's expecting. Thanks, friend!!

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