Referral – Girls Girls Girls!!!!

Our time has come – we survived the great wait !!!  We have received our referral!!! The call came in December 4^th, Kay, our coordinator, gave us the wonderful news – the only information at first was - we had a referral.  In the following weeks, details of our referral trickled in – TWIN GIRLS!!!!! Once we laid eyes on them December 14^th -  Yes, they are our girls and we are blessed – they are who we prayed for all these years.  We have our travel dates – can’t wait to meet them– so excited!!!               

We can’t stop thinkin’ about Girls! Girls!

Summertime!

We had a wonderful summer vacation.  Our family vacation just gets better each year! 

The Beach Club

It’s a smile, it’s a kiss - It’s a sip of wine, It’s summertime -Sweet summertime!

 

Double Red Flag Cautions were flying high most of the week!!!

 

Vince and Zach just hangin’ out

Loving their Aunt Pam!!!!!   

I’ll work on catching up on what’s been going on. Hope you enjoy a few pictures. This is a start!

Whole Lotta Celebrating Goin' On

We have been busy this month with so many celebrations.  Vince celebrated his birthday with a day of relaxation and dinner at Carrabba’s Italian Grill – Vince ordered spaghetti with Italian sausage and my favorite was the signature dish of Pasta Weesie.

Nurse’s Week

We celebrated all the magnificent Nurses at Baptist!

We also had lots of fun in the HotShots Photo Booth!!!

Lauren and Chris Winchell’s Wedding

My Best Friend Melinda

My Sweetheart

Hub City Fitness Quest

Dustin took 1^st place in his division as well as Overall Winner for Men’s Physique !  We're so proud of him!!

As you can see, we’ve been super busy and having blast.  I would like to say there was lots going on with our adoption but I can’t.  As the old adage says: no news is good news – NOT – hopefully soon!!

On a Jet Plane

YEAH!!!! We have received our USCIS extension last Thursday.  We immediately got busy getting our documents notarized, certified and apostilled.  USCIS was notarized Friday – then all notaries were certified – off to our capital in Nashville for the official seal of approval.  Tuesday we received all apostilled documents – Thanks FedEx for a speedy delivery!!!!  Made my copies of all the documents then – off they went – back to FedEx – On a Jet Plane – to Bulgaria!!!!  I wish I could say we were on that jet plane ---- VESTA should have them in their hands Friday!!! YEAH!!!

Praying for our Referrals!!!  As we continue to wait…

Putting on a Happy Face

This week we received our USCIS letter for our fingerprinting appointments– scheduled for April 24^th – YIKES!!!  Our USCIS approval will expire April 7^th – we hoped we could have gotten our extension completed prior to the expiration.  Our agency continues to tell us our referral in coming soon.  They have also informed us that we can’t receive a referral without a valid USCIS approval!!! OMG!!!  No happy faces here!!!

The only way to help speed this up is for us to get our fingerprints ASAP!!! So, Thursday we went to our immigration office to see if this was possible to actually get our fingerprinting taken early. This seemed like a small endeavor although presenting with many adversities, we had a spring storm producing hail – we still headed out to test our luck.  We pleaded our case for early fingerprints which they were so nice and accommodating of our request – I quickly completed my fingerprints -then it was Vince’s turn- he started and right in the middle of his fingerprints there was a power outage…….................. Thank goodness for battery backup!!! Even with the power outage we were in and out of there in a flash – needless to say – We’re smiling. 

Today we received the dread pink letter from the USCIS requesting additional information as well as clarity of the children we are approved to adopt.  I'm happy that their request seems like it should be handled with a quick amendment to our home study- I’m hoping Carla is available Monday to pull this request together.  I really want to have it back to the USCIS office no later than Wednesday.   All goes well we will have our extension approval in approximately a week.  Finger crossed. 

Putting on a Happy Face!

Looking forward to our Easter Celebration!

Rockin' to Simulation

Last week was tough and very busy at the hospital although very exciting to show off all of our work and dedication to patient safety.  Baptist Memphis and Laerdal Medical hosted a Simulation User Network (SUN) conference showcasing how simulation integrates quality, safety, and patient satisfaction.  We opened the conference with a video that lead into a simulation on the main floor.  I am so proud of our team and especially proud of my ER Nurses and the Memphis Fire Department Paramedics as they played key roles in the simulation. 

It was perfect!!!



Our boss, Judy, may call us her Rock Stars as she pushes us to be our best however we think she is the BOOM – our Bon Jovi - the best boss ever – as we are ROCKIN the house with outcomes!!!!   

Improving Patient Care



Zoom Zoom Zoom!!



Go FedEx!!!! Our home study is updated, sealed and delivered.  Everything has sent to the USCIS for another extension of our approval to adopt from Bulgaria.  Hopefully there will be no request for additional information and we can push forward with dates for fingerprints!!!  Fingers crossed for a speedy extension. 

Whistle While You Work

We had a good meeting with our new home study worker, Carla.  To complete an updated home study with a new person and company we will be starting from square one.  I was surprised with lots  of paperwork to complete – I don’t remember so much to do the first time or were we much more excited since we were just getting started therefore not feeling so daunting.  We have our one on one meeting next week – Vince is so not looking forward to this – especially since I tend to be the big talker.  We will have our 3 meetings down in no time.  Next week is filled with MD appointments, fingerprinting, criminal record checks and obtaining employment verifications and reference letters as well as physician statements of health.   I’m tired just thinking about it. This too will end – it’s a test of endurance – not for the weak – otherwise we would have just thrown our hands up…..No Way …. We continue to follow that dream.   Still waiting – no news. 

Home Study Update

We have contracted with the Jewish Family Services for our home study update, our first appointment is Monday – so I guess I’ll be getting the house in order this weekend while trying to get through the stack of forms that must be completed also.  I’m excited about meeting our new social worker since she seemed very nice over the phone.  Fingers crossed that she will also be prompt, efficient, and timely when constructing our home study.  It is truly amazing the time that goes into the home study updates, renewals of USCIS approvals and fingerprints and more fingerprints!!  REALLY!!!! We just keep doing the same things over and over again just waiting on our referrals.  The carrot is just dangling there while we are being diligent in our quest.  In December our agency said that we should be getting our referrals REAL SOON!!!! What’s soon???? Hopefully next week or even this month would be fabulous!!!

Puppet On a String

Have you ever felt like a puppet on a string?  We are feeling like that as we start to work on our I-800A extension – yes 2^nd extension!!!!  We have to say….where are our children……in the meantime….  More hoops to jump through – fingerprints, medical updates, inspections and paperwork as another call goes out to our Social worker, Ann, to update our home study once again.  Boy, did I get a surprise when I called  -- what do you mean – not doing home studies any more – a heads up would have been nice.!  I contact 2 Social Workers today and hopefully will hear back from them Monday– just wondering if this means that we have to start all over with multiple visits and long conversations about our childhood as well as with many many other things…omg.  Our home study process has had its ups and downs with many frustration and delays in completing our documents – so this may be a blessing in disguise.  I’m just feeling nervous about embarking on the whole home study process again with a new person.  This update will keep me busy making appointments and gathering documents as we rush to meet our deadline focusing on the end result.   All Smiles.   

IAC Session 204

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 204 which was held on 12/09/11:

1) Spanish dossier from February 2009 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months

2) Italian dossier from February 2009 referred a female child aged 4 years and 10 months

3) German dossier from February 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years and 10 months with features in health status and a family history

4) French dossier from April 2009 referred sisters aged 4 years and 8 months and 3 years and 1 month

5) French dossier from June 2009 referred a male child aged 5 years and 2 months with a family history

6) Swedish dossier from August 2009 referred a female child aged 1 year and 8 months with features in health status and a family history

7) Canadian dossier from September 2009 referred a female child aged 2 years 11 months with a family history

8) German dossier from December 2009 referred a male child aged 2 years with features in health status and a family history

9) U.S. dossier from May 2010 referred a brother and sister aged 2 years and 3 years and 4 months with features in health status

10) U.S. dossier from October 2010 referred a female child aged 8 years and 4 months

11) Italian dossier from April 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years and 8 months with features in health status

12) Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a male child aged 7 years and 8 months with features in health status and a family history

Posted by Viviane

Somewhere Out There… wishing on the same bright star

As we know, adoption wait times are unpredictable as well as preparatory.  At the time we began our journey, I believe the wait times were estimated to be 12 – 18 months.  We applied requesting 2 children (girl and boy) unrelated or sibling group up to the age of 4.  November 2010 we renewed our I-800A and the wait continued.  May 26, 2011 (18 months) came and went.  It’s hard not to feel defeat as well as become restless and weary.  Kay does a good job lifting spirits and showing me my strength while putting things into perspective.   No matter where we are in the gamete of emotions - we continue to smile and enjoy life. J.  We know our children are out there waiting for us, so we continue to pray for them as well as their care givers.  We would like to think that we are all wishing on that same bright star and we will be together soon to make our dreams come true.  2011 is closed out as we have had wonderful holidays with friends and families – some of the best memories yet – we look forward to 2012. 

Once Upon a Dream

Our dream of adoption began in 2008, for months we talked about adoption and explored the options of domestic and international ventures. That was the easy decision. We explored agency and agency and country after country laying out the pros and cons of each. Guatemala, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria were the regions that were mulled over. Bulgaria drew us in, hook line and sinker. Once the country was decided on, then the search for an agency- which seemed to come easy.  November 2008 we received our contract information from Tree of Life Adoption Center.  Our dossier process started in full force, January 2009.  We passed the home study process with Catholic Charities of West Tennessee which included conversations, education, inspections, medical clearances as well as background checks.  I-800A, finger prints, notaries, certifications, and everything apostilled formulated our dossier sent to Bulgaria.  Our dossier was received in Bulgaria in September 2009, translated then registered November 26, 2009 and at that moment the wait began.