I-171H

WE HAVE APPROVAL!!!!!!

  I got the mail on August 12th only 9 days after our fingerprint appointment.  Within my hands was the USICS letter.  My heart dropped, I just knew that we couldn't be approved that quickly.  That and I could see the pink slip of paper through the envelope.  I didn't dare open it, I walked home handed it to Sam and waited for his reaction.  He opened the letter, and sure enough, there was a pink slip in the back of the letter.  I just knew we would have a RFE (request for evidence).  I couldn't handle it any more and begged him to let me see the letter.  He handed  it over and it was our APPROVAL!  I jumped up and down, was SO EXCITED and just amazed at how quickly it arrived.  The pink slip in the back was a request for action slip, that we may use at a later date if we need to update our finger prints or the form.  It wasn't anything big at all.  I don't know about but in my opinion MAKE THE SLIP YELLOW!! Cause I saw pink and about died, as I's so many other adoptive families do.

  While working within the adoption process I've seen families wait the full 8 weeks for approval.  Every time I talk to families I always tell them to expect a 6-8 week waiting period.  Then this happens!  My family received our approval in only 4 weeks!  I received my approval BEFORE a family I was working with, and my finger prints were a week after theirs!  Needless to say I was blown away!

 We are feeling more and more like things are coming together the way they are supposed to.  With our approval coming so quickly, and things falling into place it just confirms that we are on the path that we are meant to be on.  It's exciting to think that maybe the reason our approval came so fast is because our daughter is already waiting, maybe she's just waiting for our end. :)  Can't help but smile.

  Without getting too sappy, I can honestly say our Heavenly Father has certainly put my family on a chosen path. It's amazing how when you put faith in yourself and Him how the world just seems fall in line.

YARD SALE #1

We held our first fundraiser for our adoption!  On August 10th we woke up super early and started setting everything up.  My little sister was sweet enough to let us hold it at her house, seeing how we now live in St. George and our HOA won't allow a yard sale.  She was nice enough to offer her house.  We had a lot of help setting everything, my sisters, mom, husband, brother in law, and niece and nephew were such a big help!  We were still getting things out when people started to arrive.

 Although I had many many compliments and people who were excited to learn of the reason we were having a yard sale I did encounter 1 woman who made a negative remark.  I let it roll off because she still spent $5 at my yard sale!  My goal was to make our authentication fees. And if we made anything more than that fantastic!  We succeeded and surpassed our goal with our sales and a generous donation.  I was absolutely thrilled!  We plan to hold another yard sale August 24th just to see if we can get rid of any other items, if not we plan on donating them.

I completely forgot to take more pictures! This is the only one I took!

Here's hoping our next yard sale is a success as well!

Finger Print Appointment!

 Well we received our fingerprint appointments for August 2nd!  We got the mail, on Friday July 26th and exactly 1 week later was our appointment!  We made arrangements with work, and with Riley to make sure we could make our 11am appointment.
 

 So after a 2 hour drive, and getting totally turned around in Vegas we arrived 15 minutes early for our appointment!  I don't know what I expected, but what I saw was definitely not it!  We filled out another form, once again showed our proof of identity, then was handed a number... 1 & 2 before I could sit down my number (1) was called!  Not exactly sure what to do I followed a gentleman back to his cubical he took my forms entered in my information, then I got electronically finger printed! not a word, he just wiped my fingers and completed each hand. With a quick "thanks" I was done! Sam's experience was very much the same. Not a lot of talking, just get in and get the job done.

  By the time we left the building it was only 11:05am we figured why pass up an opportunity to live it up in Vegas!?!  We did a little shopping, and hung out.  We went and had our photo taken in front of the Las Vegas Sign, it's the first time I've ever had a photo there. (If I remember I'll post it later)  It was a wonderful day!  I love spending time with my amazing husband.  

I-600A MAILED OUT!

Riley had the honor of putting our documents to USCIS in the mailbox!

We are so glad that everything is coming together!  Riley is playing an active part, and enjoying the steps we are taking. (She hasn't had to do the paperwork ) 

I-600A Application

July  10, 2013

  Well our family has hit the next big step, IMMIGRATION!!  In order to get our immigration approval we need to submit our completed HS, marriage/birth records.  They would then read our HS, make sure that we meet income requirements, see that we are in fact U.S. citizens.  Our next step is to have our fingerprint appointment scheduled.  The nearest USCIS office is responsible for our fingerprints.  For us, we will be headed to Las Vegas for our appointment!  At that time we wait to make sure that we meet all the requirements of USCIS for immigration of an orphaned child!

Documents to go to USCIS

Riley, adding her little bit of love 

Riley's 

Can't wait for for our fingerprint appointment! Wish us luck!

HOMESTUDY COMPLETE!!!

June 28, 2013

  Our homestudy provider called today!  She had report ready and done!  If we wanted she could mail us the original documents.  I just laughed and told her "Sam will be at your office today".
  After mountains  of paperwork for a 10 page document we finally have the finalized copy in our hands!  It was amazing to read,  and see how others see our family.  The report was very well written and I can not be more happy with the way it turned out.  It's very nice to see that our family does look good on paper as well as in person.

All that work, and all those document for the one document! But what a wonderful document!!!

Happy Birthday Riley

June 20, 0213

  Riley Turned 10 this year!  We are so blessed to have such an amazing daughter in our lives.  Riley truly is one of a kind.  We discussed the fact that we wouldn't be doing anything to "flashy" for her birthday this year, and she was perfectly okay with it.  She just wanted to have fun,  and enjoy her day.
  So what better way to have a GREAT day than to be watter bombed the moment she got home from school?!?  Yes we are just that much fun!  Sam and I had take time to fill over 200 water balloons, buckets of water, and squirt guns.  We then hid them around the front of the house, and waited for the perfect time!  She had to walk all the way to the front door, read the sign and then realize what was happening. By that time we had her cornered!  After a quick 10 minute water fight all three of us were soaking and laughing.  We had so much fun! And I don't care who you are, water fights are fun!

Happy Birthday Riley!

Yep, she got soaked

Welcome home Riley!

  Don't worry!  We still made sure that she had a blast!  She decided on a "Passport to Paris" theme with mustaches tied in somehow.  With that idea, she and I ran with it!  We made passports, that the girls would use during a scavenger hunt, had and eifel tower put up in our living room, decked the place out in pink, and mustaches, had games to play, planned a swimming time, and let the girls go wild!  As you can see they had a blast.  What a way to bring in 10 years old!

I "mustache" you a question

Before the party started

We brought in 10 with a bang!  Can't wait to watch as this beautiful little girl blossoms into a beautiful young woman!