It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We had a wonderful time with our family over Thanksgiving and Bethany is feeling better! Haven't heard from the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor yet but I will probably call today to try and set up an appointment.

While my family was here, we put up the Christmas tree. I love that in our new house you can look from the outside and see the tree through the front window. I may or may not have driven around our neighborhood circle just to see it because it looked so pretty. But I DEFINITELY didn't drive around the circle twice just to look at the tree. Who would do something so silly?!?!

Our official letter from US Customs and Immigrations came on Saturday while we were watching FSU devour the Gators. So, it's for real- the US says we can adopt from China!

Like I've said before, the next step, is getting our paperwork to China. Tom and I got up bright an early (like we have a choice with our early riser) and went to the police department to try and get that last letter we need. Hopefully they'll do it right. There are many rules for documents we have to get and often times, we have to have them done again because of mistakes.

Then we'll send everything to our adoption agency. What is everything you might be wondering?
  • Application Letter-This is a letter to the China officials introducing ourselves
  • Birth Certificates – (certified copy)
  • Marital Status Certificate (certified copy)
  • Verification of Employment Letters
  • Non-Employment Letter- I had to do this since I stay at home
  • Financial Statement
  • Certificates of Health of Applicants-this is the report form our Dr. including lots of lab results 
  • Police Clearance Letters
  • Adoptive Family Home Study- that's the novel we worked on for two months at the start of this
  • Copy of Your USCIS Form and affidavit- the approval from the US and a form that says that we swear we didn't alter the paper
  • Signed Passport Copies
  • Recent Photographs- several of us smiling and happy and of different parts of our house
  • One Passport Photo for Each Applicant
  • Doctor’s Letters of Support (if applicable)- Basically any surgery we've had or medicines we're on have to be backed up by a letter from dr. saying that we are still fit to be a parent.
The agency will review it. We may have to correct some things. Then it goes to Tallahassee where it gets the Great Seal of Florida (basically says that our notary is legit). Then it goes to the US Chinese Consulate. Then it goes to China.

We also still have steps to do in regards to our agency transfer process. Hopefully, though, we can have our dossier (the list above) to China in December. That would be a nice Christmas present.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

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