Update on homestudy

It's still at state as far as anyone knows. It was officially mailed to state on May 4. Argh. That makes 4 weeks Thursday (for mailing date), so state probably got it Friday or the following Monday.

I feel like the 171H form is never going to come at this rate. Oh...maybe by December. LOL Then I'll be redoing the fingerprints before I'm logged in. Now isn't that a riot. Can fingerprints expire 2 times before the 171H actually does? LOL Hmmm...was fingerprinted Feb 10, 15 months later is May 15 07 plus 15 more months is August 15 08. 18 months from Dec 06 would be June 08...nope, but if it took a full YEAR to get that 171H form they would. Wow...wonder if anyone else has run into that? If so...boy am I sorry for them.

But more than likely, the 171H will arrive one day in the next 6 weeks or so, so I won't even come close to having to renew fingerprints 2 times before the 171H expires.

Wanna place a bet?

So, my homestudy has been at state level now for 3 weeks and 5 days. On all literature from the homestudy agency AND from state DHR it states 2-4 weeks for processing and approval. Once approved the homestudy will be forwarded to USCIS office and a letter sent to my homestudy agency. Then, the homestudy agency will mail me a letter.

My question is, WHEN do you think my homestudy will be sent to USCIS?

1. 4 weeks is Tuesday AFTER Memorial Day, so my thought was it was approved and sent out Friday before Memorial Day weekend. It was that "let's get through this last little bit" so we're starting at a good spot on Tuesday. Agency will get notification Tuesday and I'll get notification Thursday, June 1.

2. It was approved Friday, but will be mailed Tuesday after Memorial Day. Agency will get notification Thursday, I'll find out the following Monday.

3. It's already been sent, but notification was not mailed out. I'll call on Tuesday or Wednesday to the homestudy agency and they'll call and find out it was sent 2 weeks ago. LOL

4. It's going to be at least another week or two to get approval as they had a question, but the agency never got notification.

5. My homestudy is LOST, and no one knows where it is.

6. Homestudy was approved 2 weeks ago, but it never got mailed.

7. Homestudy was approved 2 weeks ago, agency doesn't know it was mailed, and I'll get 171H form in the mail Tuesday. LOL How's THAT for optimistic thinking?

So...which do you think is likely? Me? well...I'm thinking any of the 1st 6 is likely.

Why China?

I get this question all the time. Why China? Why that country? Why not Russia, or Guatemala, or Columbia, or Haiti, or Ethiopia, or Korea, or even the US?

Well, it's complicated but not.

1. We want a daughter. After 2 boys, we really want a girl. Ah...PINK!
2. We did not want to be away from the boys for a long period of time.
3. Korea we had to go special needs for our country.
4. The other international countries just didn't "feel right" to us for different reasons.
5. The US, we are not 100% comfortable with the way domestic adoption works currently. I guess the media has scared us off from domestic adoptions. Plus you can not specify a girl.
6. We did not feel like we could handle the Foster to Adopt scenario.
7. We really like the Chinese culture, so integrating that into our lives will not be a huge problem.

So...that's mostly why. Now, aren't you glad you asked?

the banner just keeps changing

and another

Oh me, oh my...by jove I think I got it!

Phew! It only took 3 hours, but I think I got this blog customized. I am using Gymboree's ladybug until I can make one of my own. Shouldn't be too hard, but honestly, after getting this far I do NOT want to sit and create a ladybug in photoshop.

Okay.

Knew you'd understand! LOL

So, next up on the list is creating a blog roll, creating links for good information, and perhaps sometime I'll get back to my "job" of editing photos for my clients. Nah...this is too much fun.

We're waiting. Waiting on that 171H form now, and it should be sometime in the next month that we get it. Baby, we're getting close!!!

Our complete timeline!

For those who want to know ALL the details, down to the teeny tinest detail.

11/18/2005 - We applied to agency, it is supposed to be a 7-10 review of application to approval.
11/28/2005 - Call from agency that I need to provide more information on a medical issue.
12/28/2005 - Finally get the Doctor letter from doctor, and get it notarized.
1/03/2006 - Get letter to agency
1/04/2006 - Approved by agency
1/05/2006 - apply to homestudy agency

1/21/2006 - Send I600-A form to USCIS office to start the process for the 171-H form

2/1/2006 - Intake to start Homestudy
2/2/2006 - Ink Fingerprints for STATE homestudy background clearance checks (goes through FBI though)
2/10/2006 - fingerprints for USCIS (livescan at Immigration office)

sometime in here - DH got his state homestudy suitability letter.
Homestudy visits in here as well

2/27/2006 - My physical
2/28/2006 - DH's physical

3/3/2006 - Homestudy complete

3/14/2006 - got word finally that my fingerprints were rejected by FBI for the homestudy
3/15/2006 - refingerprint

4/17/2006 - Fingerprints APPROVED
4/20/2006 - 1st suitability letter sent (got lost in mail)
5/3/2006 - Homestudy agency got 2nd suitability letter in the mail, and homestudy sent to state

5/24/2006 - Homestudy approved and sent to USCIS office!

5/26/2006 - 12 documents back from Consulate
5/26/2006 - 2 documents sent to US Dept of State
6/14/2006 - 2 documents back from Chinese Embassy

8/1/2006 - USCIS approved us!!!
8/7/2006 - got our Magic Golden Ticket!!! Our 171-h arrived.

8/18/2006 - DTC!
9/14/2006 - LID (guess we'll be here for awhile)

10/28/2006 - bunkbeds arrived and we moved the boys into a room together (might as well start now getting them adjusted)

and another...LOL

yet ANOTHER photo for blog

Testing email posts

Just testing to see how this email posting thing will work.  Wonder if it will or not. 

 

So, what is in store for my family this Holiday weekend?  We’re doing housework, lots and lots of housework.

 

I also got my dossier documents back from the consulate today 12 down, 3 to go for final authentications.  Yippee!!!!

I need a picture.

Which photo should I use for my profile picture?

Okay, this could get interesting!

I see that I have a TON to learn here. Not sure how much I can get done tonight (or even in the near future).

But, I would like to totally personalize this blog with links to my online friends, links to my photographer friends, links to my Mommy friends, and links to adoption related news. Since NO ONE knows about this site yet, let's just say...I'm talking to myself right now. Oh my...isn't that a sign I'm going insane? Oh wait...paperchasing does drive you insane a little bit.

Hello World!

ah...that brings back memories from college computer science classes. Hmmm...wonder how many languages (computer that is) I could write that in now?

In case you haven't gathered, this is a test. In the event this was a true entry, lots of blab would be inserted here. ;)