Announcing Our Next Fundraiser

Less than a week left!  Donate now and help us bring our son home from China!  We are getting so close to traeveling to get him now!  And to all who have already donated THANK YOU!



***UPDATE: We now have enough donations to buy the iPod - all donations from here on go straight toward adoption expenses***

We are giving away an Apple iPod touch 8GB 4th Generation - your choice of black or white - click here for more information about the iPod.

For chances to win:

1 chance to win - $10 donation
3 chances to win - $25 donation (the 1st ten people to donate $25 will each receive 5 chances to win!)
6 chances for $50, 9 chances for $75, and so on.

Just click the Donate button to the right to donate online via PayPal.  If you prefer not to donate online, PM me on facebook or leave your email address in a post so I can send you my mailing address.  All donations must be received no later than 5:00pm on May 21, 2012.

For 1 free chance to win the iPod, post or share this on your facebook wall or post on your blog (maximum of 2 free chances per person).  Just post your blog address to the comments on this blog your posting can verified.  Friend me on facebook (if you haven't already) so that your share or wall posting may be verified.

The iPod will ship directly to the winner's home from the retailer.  We'll announce the winner right here on the blog.

Sorry, this giveaway is only open to United States residents!

Thanks for supporting our adoption fundraiser!

If I'd Only Checked My 'Trash' Folder on Friday...

I would have seen that our I-797 had been approved (permission from Homeland Security/USCIS to bring a child into this country)!  So - more documents off to the Secretary of State to be certified...  We're getting close, very close!  Next stop is the Chinese Consulate in Chicago - then the dossier goes to CCCWA!

Moving Right Along

Yesterday we went to USCIS and got our fingerprints done.  The experience this time was much better than it was four years ago when we did it.  This time the people working there actually talked to us like we were... well, people - instead of suspicious someones not to be trusted.  The guards who ran us throught the metal detector and our stuff through the X-ray machine actually engaged us in conversation - asking us where we were adopting from and then saying 'Ni hao ma!' (I believe this is 'Hello Mom!' - I really need to work on that basic Chinese) to me.  The technician who took our biometrics (electronic fingerprinting) actually engaged me in conversation instead of just grunting orders to me.  And then the guards wished us well with our adoption as we were leaving the building.  Totally.Different.Experience.

Today I took documents for our dossier to the post office (sent priority flat rate with a paid return priority envelope enclosed) to send to the Secretary of State offices of Kansas and Missouri.  Tim's employment letter went to Kansas to be certified/ authenticated and all the rest of our documents went to Missouri to be certified/ authenticated.  For my Colombian adoption friends, this is the exact same process as an apostille.  For some reason China doesn't require an apostille even though it's a Hague country just like Colombia.  Whatever, I just do what the adoption agency tells me at this point...

Our dossier consultant at our main agency called USCIS yesterday and left a message - and again today and spoke with the officer for our case asking him to expedite us due to the fact that our son is aging out soon.  We'll see what happens since he made her no promises...  Just know that I'm not ruling out calling my Senator to make our case move up on the officer's list of priorites if I have to.  This is a different USCIS office than the fingerprinting office, maybe they moved the old staff over there (they are in the same metropolitan area)?  I'm just sayin'...

Below is the latest picture we have of Zane/SongSong (thank you Sanders! - that's Stacey with her 4-year-old Jayden also in the picture).  I hope he looks this happy to see us when we come for him :).

Bringing Out the Good

There's just something about adoption that brings out the best in good people.  We have had everyone from family, to good friends, to complete strangers donate to our adoption fund, or host an adoption fundraiser, or support whatever our current fundraiser is.  It's been very humbling and encouraging to witness.

Our kids are even getting into the act.  We are gathering things from around our house (and taking donations too if you live in the KC metro area) to sell in a garage sale fundraiser next weekend.  The kids have even handed over items that they want us to sell to help bring their new brother home.  Not just junk, but things that should bring a fair amount of money.  So sweet!

Our daughter Diana even gave us the money that was in her coin bank (about $10) to help bring Zane home.  Claudia gives me her loose change too.  It's all very sweet and greatly appreciated :).

Thank You

Just so everyone knows where the funds raised are going;  Fundraiser #1 (Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast) paid for the remainder of our home study with a little over $300 left over.  The money our church donated to us paid for our post adoption deposit (which was due when our home study report was finished).

Our next fee is the second agency fee to our main adoption agency ($700).  I expect we will be getting the invoice for that any day now since our home study is completed.

Okay, done with the boring financial/paperwork stuff for today...

Fundraiser #2: Lia Sophia Online Jewelry Party

A special thanks to Jennifer Padgett for hosting this fundraiser for us!

DIRECTIONS OF PLACING AN ONLINE ORDER:
1. http://sites.liasophia.com/sites/lisariportella/catalog-intro
2. Type the hostess name: Jenni Padgett.
3. Have fun shopping and place the order.

Home Study Approved!

Our home study agency has completed our home study report and our main agency has approved it!  Now we need to send a copy of the home study to USCIS (Homeland Security) and get our fingerprints done.  This also means we can start applying for grants!  It's been an exciting day!  But there's still more work to do - we'll keep you posted...