Dossier Approved by Agency

August 12, 2013

  We officially turned in our Dossier paperwork to West Sands on August 13,2013  I'd had been working on getting everything together for months.  You would be surprised how much effort obtaining documents can take!   If you've ever heard someone talk about the paperwork you probably just shrug.  Unless you've done it yourself or been involved in helping someone you don't realize that it is one form/document after another.

 I'll tell you what, I've been blessed by being able to work in the adoption field.  I've talked with families and helped many families through the paperwork process.  But I never completely understood.  But BOY can I now!  I have so much more of an appreciation for the papers I deal with on a daily basis.  Our bank letter (which most families have no problems getting, gave me the biggest issue!   MACU employees are super sweet and friendly, but I swear the 3  employees I dealt with, couldn't have built a Lego house even if all 3 worked together on it!) so needless to say it took over a week to obtain a document that is less than 3 sentences.  -ugh

 Anyway I got off track.  All of our documents have been turned in to WSA and have been approved!  which means everything I submitted was what they needed!  No need to re-do anything, or have further clarification.  It was a HUGE relief when heard that "everything looks good, time to authenticate!" I couldn't believe it, its still rather strange to know that my paperwork is done!

  So my family graduated from a manila envelope to a blue file folder!  Which is the sign that we are now officially in the Ethiopia program process!  Our family will stay in the blue folder until our daughter is home for 12 months and we complete her 1 year post adoptive report (I'm sure I'll talk about those later).  Then we will be moved from there to a sealed file!  Where because of UT law our records will be kept safe and sealed for 99 years!  I'ts kind of strange that our paperwork is done for now.  If we end up waiting until June for a referral than we will need to so more of it again to keep everything updated.  But I'll deal with that bridge later if it comes.
 

Hooray for the blue folder!

  Well friends and family, as our paperwork continues to the State and then to the Department of State and Ethiopian Embassy, we will be keeping everyone updated.  We are so excited to be on this journey, our hearts are full of love and appreciation for all those who have helped us, who continue to help us, and offer encouragement.  Thank you!