CONFERENCE CALL

This past thursday our agency had a informative conference call with over 128 people (all adopting from Kazakhstan). It felt good that most of the info and the questions asked I already knew the answers to :-). It could be due to us waiting for over 9 months and reading every blog we've could. The call lasted for an hour and a half and a big NA NA NA NA NA NA :-p to everybody that hung up after the call. Sandy and I noticed that Julie Woods was still on the line and we had the pleasure of talking with her for about 10 minutes. For those who don't know Julie and her husband are currently in Almaty and have just adopted a cute little boy they named Benjamin. We've been reading their blog EVERY day so it was quite the treat to finally talk with them. I'll be looking into HSBC bank after hearing they're also in Kaz, you never know when you might need emergency money. I'll also be looking up common Russian /Kazakh medical terms to help us understand our child's medical records.

Just a few quick tips we've learned along the way:
Getting paperwork notarized, if you belong to a CREDIT UNION they'll notarize your paperwork for FREE this will save you lots of $$$

Here's a link to a great website we've found with lots of great info on Kazakhstan, blogs, travel info and more http://www.kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/

Someone asked about wait times during the conference call and we found out the family who've been waiting the longest had their dossier reach the MOE in May, ours has been at the MOE since July 4th. Sounds like we might getting close to getting that Call!!!
Sandy and I wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2008 The year I'll finally become a father.

CHRISTMAS AND MORE PAPERWORK

Here's our two kids checking the Christmas gifts, could this one be for them?
Sandy and I are sitting here watching "A Home for the Holidays 9" This is a great show we 1st came across last year. The show has lots of great Adoption stories and music from many great artist I believe the Dave Thomas Foundation puts on this special every year (yes the founder of Wendy's was Adopted). Watching this show and hearing the stories makes us even more anxious for the day well finally meet our child. Next year Christmas will have a whole new meaning with a child in our lives.
Well this time last year we were doing paperwork paperwork and more paperwork and guess what were doing this year? Yep more paperwork! Nothing major just a form stating we will keep the childs American/Kazakh citizenship until 18 years of age.
Only took a few hours to type and get notarized and now it's off the the Sec. of State to be apostilled. With the holidays I hope it wil be back shortly after new years.
Well this is all the updates I have for now.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!!!

ONE YEAR !!!

Well its been a while since I've blogged and I need to update. I can't believe This time one year ago we had just finished our homestudy and were waiting for our passports and for our I-600A. Our passports only took 3-4 weeks to arrive but our I-600A was returned to us :-( the reason why, I paid by check! I don't know if the fellow working there was in a foul mood working the Christmas holiday but the enclosed note stated they only accept moneyorders. Humm after reading the instructions It clearly states check or money orders, oh well the Adoption journey if full of bumps in the road and this was just a minor hold-up.
The 600A finally arrived in early Jan. and on the 17th we made the trip to Buffalo New York for our fingerprinting. It was a quick easy process and we were done in 10 minutes. We had beautiful weather for Jan and figured to drive home and head to the local police station to have our FBI fingerprints done.
FOR EVERYONE ADOPTING REMEMBER BE NICE AND SMILE FOR IT WILL OPEN MANY DOORS!!
When we walked into the police station it was total chaos!! There were people everywhere, a lady crying a guy swearing at one of the officers. When it was our turn to approach the window I was given that "what the heck do you want look" and was told fingerprinting was only done on certain days and today is not the day. I told her thanks very much we just need to have them done for our ADOPTION, boy did her attitude change. It was "Adoption why didn't you say so" she made a quick call and within minutes an officer took us back and did the fingerprinting for us. The officer was great, made us extra prints and told us just come back if there is any problems and he would take care of us. SO IT PAYS TO BE NICE!!
We recieved our FBI clearance and 171H around the middle of FEB. and our Dossier was submitted-translated-completed and at the Kazakhstan Embassy on March 19th. We are currently in the MFA and hope to recieve the call to travel in early 2008.

The Beginning

Adoption!?!?!? how did we decide to adopt and why Kazakhstan.

After 3 miscarriages and a tubal pregnancy that came close to bursting (really close), we looked into other methods of having children. After much research and looking into invitro and finding out it was over $15,000 with it not being a sure thing, We kind of put the hope of having a child out of mind. It was over the summer when a few of our friends were having babies I started thinking about becoming a father and maybe Adoption was the right choice. It was at my 20th high school reunion seeing old friends and seeing pictures of their children that it really hit me. I'm not getting any younger and although I really don't know how I can afford to adopt (almost $40,000 by the time were done) that if we wait we'll never do it.

I started research online and looked into several agencies AIG and Bethany were the 1st but neither gave Sandy and I much hope. Then I found Children's Hope International, We talked, cried and laughed with Kellie in the Cleveland office for over an hour on the phone and just knew that yes this is to be our agency.

After choosing CHI we found Adoption By Choice here in Erie and only 1 block away from where I work to do our homestudy. I spent the next 2 months cleaning, painting, working on our biographies telling our whole life story and started the paperchase.
Lisa (our caseworker for the homestudy) came for the 1st of 2 visits in early December, Sandy and I were all nerves wondering if we missed any dust will the house be clean enough, when Lisa arrived it was a quick walk through of the house then about an hour of questions about us, our marriage and families and going over our biographies. Lisa told us we did great and set up visit #2 very quickly for us, just 3 days later so we could keep the adoption process moving quickly. Visit #2 started out a little rough for Lisa, 6 o'clock came and went and no Lisa finally we recieved a call from her, the babysitter was a NO SHOW!!! :-0 Lisa being the PRO that she is found someone to watch her children and made it for visit #2 After the initial problems with the sitter everything else went wonderful and we passed our homestudy with flying colors.
Sandy and I just want to say how GREAT LISA IS!!! She is one of the hardest working women we have ever met and an absolute PLEASURE, she made us glad we choose Adoption By Choice. We're looking forward to her visits after our adoption is complete so she can meet our Child.
YEA!!! the Homestudy is done and so is all the paperwork or so we thought!!!

Quote of the Day

You Are Your Commitments
"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882 Poet and Essayist

Dossier Picture

Well after starting this Adoption process in Aug. of 2006 our dossier is finished and now with the Kazakhstan embassy here in the U.S.A. If i did this right here's 1 of the pictures of sandy and I we used in our Dossier.