I've heard from USCIS and I have to submit more paperwork. We have a bit of bump in the road but nothing that we can't handle. A case that was suppose to be dismissed over 20years ago is just kinda "hanging" out there with no final resolution. I'm working with an attorney to request the case be dismissed as it was suppose to be. This is my drama right now but I have been given 6 weeks to resolve this. It does not appear that it will affect our adoption in anyway but it's still a BUMP that I wish would go away.
I feel helpless sometimes because if correct paperwork is not filed....then we pay the price...
Friday, March 6, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
USCIS and Stuff
I was hoping my next blog would be about our I-171H approval. Unfortunatly the only communication we have had with USCIS is that it took them 4 weeks to send a letter that states our Homestudy is incomplete because our SW did not sign it. Nevermind that it was notorized and signed by the agency director..apparently they want the same stuff they use for the I-800a. It's frustrating to say the least.
The other stuff I have going on is that I could just cry. Dh has been working for the same company for almost 2 years and TODAY after his boss said "We'll see what we can do regarding a raise" told us today that it's a "NO GO" I'm so frustrated because not only did his boss just buy a brand new truck with cash...is building a house and taking his second of two cruises in a month along with a hunting trip..says that he doesn't know where this economy is leading us. To me it sounds as if he is GREEDY! It angers me because he knows that Dh needs the job and isn't likely to leave because the hiring prospects are slim around here. I'm so sad because we have to make it on the 33 cent raise I got this year and with me taking 4 months off for the baby things are going to be exceptionally hard for us. Please pray that this works out.
On top of that I received an email that we were NOT chosen for a grant we applied for. Just more salt in the wound. I really have been so optomistic up until this point and now I am just so sad. It's a sad reality that we live in. I don't see things getting better.
Guess I better look at the classifieds and see if I can get a second job, along with school and my full-time job this should be real fun. But our family will survive this and in the end we won't even remember the heartache along the way.
The other stuff I have going on is that I could just cry. Dh has been working for the same company for almost 2 years and TODAY after his boss said "We'll see what we can do regarding a raise" told us today that it's a "NO GO" I'm so frustrated because not only did his boss just buy a brand new truck with cash...is building a house and taking his second of two cruises in a month along with a hunting trip..says that he doesn't know where this economy is leading us. To me it sounds as if he is GREEDY! It angers me because he knows that Dh needs the job and isn't likely to leave because the hiring prospects are slim around here. I'm so sad because we have to make it on the 33 cent raise I got this year and with me taking 4 months off for the baby things are going to be exceptionally hard for us. Please pray that this works out.
On top of that I received an email that we were NOT chosen for a grant we applied for. Just more salt in the wound. I really have been so optomistic up until this point and now I am just so sad. It's a sad reality that we live in. I don't see things getting better.
Guess I better look at the classifieds and see if I can get a second job, along with school and my full-time job this should be real fun. But our family will survive this and in the end we won't even remember the heartache along the way.
Monday, January 26, 2009
New Beginnings
I thought it would be amazing to add this video! I hope to someday be just like the Fawcett's to raise money and help unite families. The high cost of adoption should never be a barrier to nurturing and loving another human being. When the dust settles, this will become my mission, my goal and my dream. Please check out this video
Click here
Click here
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Happy New Year and Blessings in 2009!
This is the year!!! In 1999 I gave birth to my son and in 2009 my second child will arrive! I couldn't be more thrilled. We did our fingerprinting at the USCIS office on 12/23 and now we wait for the clearance to come through. This is the big FBI crimminal background check. Once that is all taken care of we are just waiting for the referral. So we filed the I-600A and now we wait for the USCIS to say we are fit to be parents of an orphan. The long dreaded wait for the I-171H or 797C approval is what we are waiting for. Below are a few pictures of the nursery we are doing. The wall color is Vanilla Creme and the theme is "Dragonflies" With Sage and Buttercup. Dh and I laughed because I ordered this bedding that I fell in love with and it was made by "Jo Jo" designs and dh's pet name for me is Jo Jo it was kinda funny!
Upate: So I figured I would add to this post and not start a new one as we still have not receive our I-171H. I emailed the USCIS office and they sent me a generic inquire only when it has been over 60 days. Well our application is dated 12/04 and we were fingerprinted on 12/23. I did find a typo in my homestudy which was the date of my marriage..it said 8/01 instead of 7/29. I am freaking that this will cause a hold up even though you have to send an I-600 drop the A again to USCIS when you receive your referral.
Upate: So I figured I would add to this post and not start a new one as we still have not receive our I-171H. I emailed the USCIS office and they sent me a generic inquire only when it has been over 60 days. Well our application is dated 12/04 and we were fingerprinted on 12/23. I did find a typo in my homestudy which was the date of my marriage..it said 8/01 instead of 7/29. I am freaking that this will cause a hold up even though you have to send an I-600 drop the A again to USCIS when you receive your referral.
Monday, December 15, 2008
The date has been set!
December 23rd we are to be at the USCIS office in Grand Rapids to get our fingerprints done. This is the final piece of the puzzle before we wait. Lots of families that are waiting are being told they will have an extended time frame. Dh and I are fine with that.
If anyone wants to donate to our adoption, please know that even a $1 is appreciated. You just have to click on the donate field on my blog or you could even mail a check to our family. We need to raise $3,000 for final expenses that won't be covered by our home equity loan. You can mail checks to:
Care of Jackie Abeyta
2200 Dendrinos Dr. Suite 101
Traverse City, MI 49643
If anyone wants to donate to our adoption, please know that even a $1 is appreciated. You just have to click on the donate field on my blog or you could even mail a check to our family. We need to raise $3,000 for final expenses that won't be covered by our home equity loan. You can mail checks to:
Care of Jackie Abeyta
2200 Dendrinos Dr. Suite 101
Traverse City, MI 49643
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
USCIS--Here we go!
Well, I sent my paperwork to USCIS and the next step is waiting for confirmation and a date/time to be fingerprinted. Woo Hoo! I'll be sending the Agency fee next week and then we wait...wait some more...and then we wait :) I'll be focusing on Christmas, the New Year and the remainder of my classes! I keep freaking that I am actually graduating...I filled my audit card out last week and it felt amazing. I am so proud of myself for actually sticking with this and getting through it.
As I leave 2008 behind, I have so much to reflect on. The last three years have been so full of sorrow, pain and unbelievable joy. I've watched my friends become families of four. when just three years ago they were a family of two. I've seen my precious nephew turn 3, born 5 days before my due date would have been. But I also see hope, several "virtual" friends have gotten pregnant after many years of failed treatments and it proves miracles happen everyday. L and I are still holding on to the idea that someday, maybe we will get to experience that again. We just aren't going to force it. I have so much excitement as I realize how special our family is to be chosen to build our family through adoption. God has meant this for us and we are joyfully waiting with anticipation for the child that he has chosen for us.
A family is being united December 9th, they are being escorted by other adopting fathers..super cool! With this trip the rumor has it that they will be bringing along referrals..and who knows our referral could be in there..That would put us at the 4mth mark as they probably wouldn't refer until February...I'm not holding my breath but I can always dream!
As things develop, I will be writing more and posting pictures. I'd like to begin giving a background of South Korea, culture and why birth parents make the most unselfsh decision a human can make, the decision to give their child a better life. We must always respect the birth parents and remember them with kindness as they are the reason our children are here.
Merry Christmas,
As I leave 2008 behind, I have so much to reflect on. The last three years have been so full of sorrow, pain and unbelievable joy. I've watched my friends become families of four. when just three years ago they were a family of two. I've seen my precious nephew turn 3, born 5 days before my due date would have been. But I also see hope, several "virtual" friends have gotten pregnant after many years of failed treatments and it proves miracles happen everyday. L and I are still holding on to the idea that someday, maybe we will get to experience that again. We just aren't going to force it. I have so much excitement as I realize how special our family is to be chosen to build our family through adoption. God has meant this for us and we are joyfully waiting with anticipation for the child that he has chosen for us.
A family is being united December 9th, they are being escorted by other adopting fathers..super cool! With this trip the rumor has it that they will be bringing along referrals..and who knows our referral could be in there..That would put us at the 4mth mark as they probably wouldn't refer until February...I'm not holding my breath but I can always dream!
As things develop, I will be writing more and posting pictures. I'd like to begin giving a background of South Korea, culture and why birth parents make the most unselfsh decision a human can make, the decision to give their child a better life. We must always respect the birth parents and remember them with kindness as they are the reason our children are here.
Merry Christmas,
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Brother can you spare a dollar?
I got my agency bill yesterday and I quickly closed the email. Took a deep breath and realized that I knew I would be getting it, I just didn't know I would be getting it before Christmas. Merry Christmas! I should be getting my home study so I can file the I-600A paperwork. The filing fee has gone up since my application..thanks to the Federal Government. I have to pay $830.00 for the Immigration office to fingerprint us to file a one page application. I know it is one step closer to my baby, but it is also one step closer to being completely insanely "tapped" out. Many adoptive parents don't discuss the cost associated with adoption but I feel that people should be made aware of how much of a financial commitment this really is. I'm already setting myself up to work weekends nights while I am on FMLA, I'll be exhausting my vacation time and praying that co-workers have hours they would be willing to donate. Things are beginning to feel very real tight now and I am not gonna lie, I'm going to borrow funds with the intent of paying them back during our "wait."
I go to bed at night and pray that my friends will step it up, help me in a time of need. L and I have planned so many benefits for our friends and donated so much time to other causes, I hope and pray that God will lend us some light. I spent a day at the homeless shelter talking to families that truly know what it feels to be down and out and I have nothing to complain about compared to their situations. My husband asked me today "if we were getting in over our heads." I handle all the financial aspects of our family and I actually had to think, is my vision so focused on the end result that I will do anything possible to acheive it and by doing so am I skewing my reality? Can I really afford this?
My mind is telling me YOU CAN DO THIS, I have never been one to accept NO as the final answer and being unable to give birth to another child was no enough that I'm not willing to let something as material as $ stop me. Although, I still have to find it. Maybe I have a long lost rich relative that is willing to help me, if your out there...I'm right here.
So enough of the sad story stuff, it is coming to be Thanksgiving and I do have much to be thankful for, I have a job, dh has a job, we are officially waiting for a referral, ds made the honor roll and I know if my heart this will all work out. The agency has gone through our finances and they approved us so it can't just be me that believes. But next week I will be writing the check...the second bigger one....the one for over 7K to the agency and trying to find the $830, I am short for our fingerprints. Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated!
I go to bed at night and pray that my friends will step it up, help me in a time of need. L and I have planned so many benefits for our friends and donated so much time to other causes, I hope and pray that God will lend us some light. I spent a day at the homeless shelter talking to families that truly know what it feels to be down and out and I have nothing to complain about compared to their situations. My husband asked me today "if we were getting in over our heads." I handle all the financial aspects of our family and I actually had to think, is my vision so focused on the end result that I will do anything possible to acheive it and by doing so am I skewing my reality? Can I really afford this?
My mind is telling me YOU CAN DO THIS, I have never been one to accept NO as the final answer and being unable to give birth to another child was no enough that I'm not willing to let something as material as $ stop me. Although, I still have to find it. Maybe I have a long lost rich relative that is willing to help me, if your out there...I'm right here.
So enough of the sad story stuff, it is coming to be Thanksgiving and I do have much to be thankful for, I have a job, dh has a job, we are officially waiting for a referral, ds made the honor roll and I know if my heart this will all work out. The agency has gone through our finances and they approved us so it can't just be me that believes. But next week I will be writing the check...the second bigger one....the one for over 7K to the agency and trying to find the $830, I am short for our fingerprints. Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated!
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