While we were still in Santander, there was a protest of cigarettes by one of the nearby schools. Lots of noise, signs, and folks dressed up as cigarettes….
Why, yes, that is a lizard in my room…..
The day we got here we went to lunch with some friends of ours who are adopting a girl about Vicky’s age. They met over Christmas and have become fast friends!
August 2009 Decide to explore older child adoption
December 2009 Finished with home study, told it cannot be finalized due to a conflict of interest (employment related)
December 2009 Switch agencies
February 2009 Paperwork completed with new agency
May 2010 Home study finally finalized
May 2011 Home study update completed
July 2011 Participate in Kidsave Summer Miracles as a visiting family
8/1/2011 Officially switch from Domestic Older Child Adoption program to the Colombia program.
8/29/11 Officially decide to participate in KidSave's Winter Hosting Program
9/9/11 Fax request for marriage certificate
9/19/11 Texas says fax for marriage certificate not received
9/19/11 Re-send fax for marriage certificate
9/19/11 Send request for notarized bank letter
9/22/11 Have homestudy international update visit with SW
9/23/11 Mail Birth Certificate & Marriage Certificate to Texas to be apostilled
9/25/11 Notarized Bank letter arrives
9/26/11 Mail request for bank letter Apostille to Pennsylvania
9/26/11 Notified that we need updated medicals
9/28/11 Do psychological evaluation; psychologist realizes we need to do an additional test which he does not have. Scheduled follow-up appointment.
9/28/11 Mail Texas CPS form
9/29/11 Have medical appt schedule for physical, bloodwork and TB test; arrive and they are out of TB tests. Schedule follow-up appts for 10/7 and 10/10.
9/30/11 Texas CPS form received
9/30/11 Get fingerprints taken for FBI clearances
10/3/11 FBI Fingerprints arrive in WV
10/4/11 Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate arrive apostilled!
10/4/11 Meet with Psychologist for MMPI test
10/5/11 FBI Fingerprints mailed back to us!
10/23/11 Officially matched (via Kidsave) with Vicky
10/26/11 Home Study Complete, being reviewed
10/31/11 Homestudy given to us for final review
11/7/11 Receive USCIS I800A receipt
11/25/11 Receive USCIS Fingerprint date (of 12/9/11)
12/7/11 Complete DC Apostilles
12/7/11 Completed Dossier (sans FBI apostille) Sent via email to
agency
12/8/11 Apostille FBI Prints at the Department of State
12/8/11 Completed Dossier brought to agency
12/8/11 Go in for USCIS fingerprints (a day early)
12/16/11 Children supposed to arrive
12/15/11 (11:46pm) Find out children are delayed indefinitely
12/21/11 Find out children will be arriving on 12/23
12/23/11 Vicky arrives!
12/27/11 Agency says dossier was mailed for translation
1/12/12 Receive USCIS I800A (I-797) Approval!
1/13/12 Vicky returns to Colombia :(
1/18/12 Told translation will be completed by the time ICBF is willing to
accept dossier
1/27/12 ICBF says Agency can submit dossier
1/30/12 First day we can submit letter of intent to adopt to ICBF (and we do)
2/16/12 Dossier submitted to ICBF
2/24/12 ICBF official states that they need clarification on our dossier before it can be approved
2/28/12 Agency provides clarification so that information can be provided to ICBF in person on 2/29/12
3/3/12 Dossier approved by ICBF
3/9/12 Dossier received by Region
3/22/12 Officially Matched in Region
4/3/12 Agency Receives Referral
4/5/12 Referral Translated! Article 16 FedExed to us. One item needs to be revised by ICBF.
4/20/12 I800 Packet in the mail, overnighted... finally.
4/23/12 I800 Delivered By USPS
4/30/12 USCIS Acceptance E-Confirmation
5/8/12 I800 Approved!
5/9/12 I800 Approval Mailed
5/11/12 Approval Entered in Computer at National Visa Center
5/12/12 NVC Approval Cabled to US Embassy in Bogota
5/16/12 Told by agency Vicky's photographs need to be revised for visa before Article 5 can be issued
5/18/12 Vicky takes new photographs
5/25/12 DS-230 dropped off to US Embassy in Colombia & Vicky told by ICBF that we are adopting her
6/1/12 Article 5 Issued (with warning from Embassy to expect travel to take at least 6 weeks; to hope for less would be "unduly optimistic")
6/22/12 Urged by agency to contact US Embassy in Colombia due to delay, warned that families are currently stranded in region for 3 months
7/3/12 Leave for Colombia!
7/4/12 9am -- Entrega :)
7/10/12 - Sign power of attorney and other documents at notary
7/11/12- Integracion meeting
7/12/12 - Return to notary to sign more paperwork
7/13/12 - Joe returns to US :(
7/18/12 - Post-integracion meeting with ICBF
7/18/12 - Judge orders administrative review of our case
8/3/12 - I sign Sentencia
8/7/12- Travel to Bogota (Colombian Holiday)
8/8/12- Sentencia Received, TB Test done
8/9/12- Travel to get new birth certificate & ID card
8/10/12- TB Test results received (Negative), Colombian passport acquired, US Embassy medical certificate received
Once Upon a December