Almost there...

So less than a month before the big move and I am soooooooooo excited. Did I say "So excited"?

We've gotten the house down to the bare bones and are selling a few pieces of furniture to friends for use in their apt-home transition while we home-apt transition.

I'm afraid we will have way too much to fit in our 1,000 sf.

I've just finished 2 of my 4 classes to graduate in December.

Hopefully it will work out that we will have a referral by then. Good timing I would say.

The girls are going to be busy this summer as well. We've found several church camps as well as gymnastics to keep them busy when they're not swimming or at the library next door.

We're 25 months-in on the 15th of the month. We've been told referrals have been coming for our same age/sex/health features at around 26-28 months. Let's hope so.

Approval letter received!!!

So we received our approval letter in the mail today and have scanned it on to BG. Our expiration is early April, but they've told us as long as they have the scanned document they will not pass us for a referral if try haven't received the physical paperwork yet.
So you may have noticed my last entry was mid-February. That's how long the government part works. Slow, slow, slow. They have no clue what the word "expedite" means.
Tomorrow we will take the approval letter and home study to be notarized at the bank, then notarized downtown at the county clerks office, then send it via FedEx to Nashville where they will apostil the documents and send them on to our agency who will send them on to BG. Get it? Nay, me either.
Man, I pray this is the last time we have to do this!
I know there will be tons more paperwork to come but at least we will have knowledge of who he is and the hope of getting closer.

Update Done

So, we've completed our end of the update, just waiting for our HS agency to submit it to USCIS. Please pray that things will move quickly and that our dossier will not expire before we can get everything to BG. Our expiration is 4/4/13. Knowing the US govt and their tendency to lethargically poke along, please pray our update is seen by someone who understands what asap means. To explain to those who don't know what happens now:

1. HS agency submits forms to USCIS
2. USCIS reviews forms and gives us the ok to get fingerprinted. They send an appt notice telling you when your appt is for step 3. (usually 2-3 weeks)
3. We have to get fingerprinted at the local immigration office. You don't have to wait until your appt date, if you don't mind sitting at the immigration office for awhile (like hours) until they can fit you in.
4. Immigration submits fingerprint results to USCIS. Immediate.
5. USCIS checks fingerprint results and give approval. They send officially approval letter. (2-3 weeks)
6. Once letter is in hand you take approval letter, home study, and letters of original document to be notarized.
7. Then if you live in TN, you take them to the county clerks office to be notarized A SECOND TIME for a fee.
8. Then you FEDEX all those documents to the State Capitol to the federal clerks office to be apostilled for a fee.
9. Then they FEDEX the documents back to you or on to your placing agency (whichever you prefer) for a fee.
10. Your PA then reviews and copies all documents and FEDEXs them on to BG. (2-3 weeks)
11. BG receives the documents and then has to translate them into Bulgarian. (1-3 weeks)
12. After translation they are reviewed and the update is approved.
13. You are officially registered for another 15 months in country.

However, if all of this is not done by your expiration date and your family comes up for a referral then you could possibly lose that referral.

We're told that BG doesn't understand why it takes us so long to get our paperwork done. They apparently go to the Dr the same day they want to, whereas we have to wait 1-2 weeks for an appt.

22 months registered

USCIS Update 2013

So it's update time! We've had our home visit and turned in most of the required forms for our update. Hopefully all will go well and the update will be admitted and approved before our expiration date in April.

We've been waiting for 21 months this month.

Christmas is here again

Well just a few more weeks of school for the girls before Christmas break. Mia has this week at MDO and Lily has until the 18th. They've written their letters to Santa and gotten replies (God bless our mail-lady). The tree is up and the decorations are done. I'm actually thankful we wont be putting them back in the attic this year but donating them. We're busy trying to thin out what won't fit into 1100 sq feet in DC, which is alot. So if anyone needs a couch or chair or elliptical or ...well just message me what you need and I'll tell you if we have it to give away. Ha.

No word from BG. I am sure every pre-adoptive parent dreads this time of year. You can't help but think a child should be home with their family for Christmas. Not stuck in some orphanage wishing for a family for Christmas. I guess Santa can't deliver everything. 

Pray for those children who wish for families and don't get them. I can imagine after awhile hope seems meaningless for them. Particularly the older ones. They remember it more. 

Christmas is a double-edged sword for me. It's supposedly the "most wonderful time of the year,"... according to Andy Williams. But without those people you love it always hurts just as much as it pleases. The colors aren't quite as bright. The music isn't quite as heartwarming. The food isn't nearly as  good. The weather isn't quite as cold. OK, that last one is a joke. It's never cold here. 

But I think anyone who's lost someone important to them feels the same way. It's just not quite Christmas ever again. 

But still we go through the motions and little by little begin to regain a tiny bit, albeit minuscule, of that Christmas spirit. 

My Christmas wish is that those who still have the ones you love stop and consider what life would be like without that person. I don't care if you don't get on well or you fight every time you're in the same room. Just remember they're there. Never forget that and be appreciative of what you have. Life is never that same after they're gone. God Bless and Happy Christmas. 

Futbal...in pictures

"I don't want to pway soccur"- Mia

After the meltdown...

Daddy makes it better

"This is awesome mom, I love it!" - Lily

I am not moving from my daddy

Sissy got me on the field

But I refused to let go of her hand

Don't make me go back in there

Yes, Yes, I believe soccer is a spectator sport. The view is much better from up here.

San Francisco

We had a great trip to San Francisco! Fabulous weather and good friends makes a trip worthwhile, even if Delta is an absolute pain to fly with.

Don't 
Expect
Luggage 
To
Arrive 

So the story goes, they made me check my carry-on luggage in Memphis when I got to the gate because of "lack of overhead space". I asked if they were storing it beneath the plane and handing it back at the gate. Nope. Of course not. They were sending it on to my final destination...SFO. I explained to them that I had a 5 hour layover in Atlanta, to no avail. The poor guy after me had an 11 hour layover on his way to Germany. Nope, they didn't let him keep his either. Poor guy. I'm not sure who gave them more of an ear full. It's a toss-up between us. Luckily J was able to keep her carry-on so I could borrow something if need be. 
I did get my luggage when I got to SF. I was exceedingly surprised since the last 3 trips I've taken with D.E.L.T.A they've lost my luggage.

Golden Gate Bridge. So the GGB Story goes like this. Never Ever Ever try to bike from the Presidio all the way to Sausalito with the expectation that A) A beginner can do it, B) that you will be able to bike back, and C) that you will not be terrified while doing A and B. 

P and S took us to Sonoma Valley for the beautiful scenery and the wonderful wine. Mainly the wine.  

Sausalito. Cute little town. Wouldn't want to live here in an earthquake, but cute little town. Drive here, don't bike. Replace brake pads before going.

Magners: The Irish Cider of the Gods ;) J and I have started a tradition. Every time we go on a trip we have to make at least 1 stop at an Irish pub. It's never an inconvenience I can tell you that.

Cutest little house. P and S did a great job fixing it up. Apparently it was just a shell when they bought it.  

The view of Alcatraz and the Wharf from Coit Tower. 

O'Reilly's Irish Pub. Notice we're not the only ones at a pub at 2 in the afternoon.  

"Erin Go Bragh"

J and Me at O'Reilly's Irish Pub

Coit Tower. It is unfortunate that the only way to the top is by elevator. It was built in the early 1900s and it smells like it. 

The Presidio grounds. I fell bad for those men that got stationed in Biloxi, MS when they could have gone here. 

P and Little T at lunch. The best baby ever. I told G if I could be guaranteed to have one just like him I would have another.

Vegan Mexican. Yes Yes, I know what you're thinking about the black beans. It was actually delicious. 

St. Paul's: Where the movie "Sister Act" was filmed.
A bit of movie trivia: The church is actually in a very nice part of town. They made it look like it was in a bad part of town for the movie. 

Breakfast at "Toast" with J. This is the first joint I've been to that gets the whole "must drink coffee in huge cups" thing. 

Xander and T watching us leave the last day :( This is both precious and terribly sad. 

Giant Roses. Not sure what they put in their soil but the flowers and produce are huge. 

Garden in Sonoma. You learn something new everyday. Roses are planted around grape vines to act as a warning signal when bugs or disease strike. Both plights will affect the roses first and show signs which give the owner time to save the grape vine. 

Sonoma Valley 

Gorgeous 

View from Alcatraz. 

Old Washer

Me at Alcatraz

Alcatraz from our Ferry from Sausalito to Ferry Marketplace

Biking from Presidio to Sausalito. Our little baskets were lifesavers.

The Warden's House on Alcatraz, or what's left of it. There were only 3 or 4 wardens the whole time Alcatraz was open.  

"Stairs to Nowhere" Alcatraz. No one knew what it was for. I asked.

My momma's favorite color. The yellow roses were huge and gorgeous.