OUR TIMELINE

Well, I thought it might be interesting for you all to see a timeline of our journey so far. So, here goes...
Fall '05--started throwing around the idea of adopting
Dec '05--shared with our friends Aaron & Kelli Couch we were exploring the idea of adopting and they told us they were too!!!
Jan '06-March '06--We began praying a lot and doing research on foster adoption & international adoption. Although we thought foster adoption seemed more practical for financial reasons we kept getting tugged towards international adoption and had gotten referred to an agency called Small World by several people we talked to.
March '06--went out to dinner with Aaron & Kelli for Scott's birthday and shared we had an appointment to meet with Small World. They shared with us that they and some other friends we knew had just applied with the same agency to adopt from China!!!
March 20, '06--We met with Kathy & Janell at Small World and knew immediately that God had led us directly to them and applied that day to adopt a baby girl from China!!
March 20-July '06-The "Paper Chase"!!! Here's a few of the the things we had to do:
-ordering birth & marriage certificates
-medical physicals to show we're in good health
-Homestudy paperwork & interviews to show "worthiness" :)
-required reading and study on adoption
-applying for advance permission to adopt an "orphan" (I-600A)
-fingerprints done, mine rejected!, mine redone and accepted! :)
July 26, '06-delivered our completed dossier (all required paperwork & documents) to Small World!!!!!
End of July-started feeling God tug on my heart to consider the "waiting child" program & asked Janell to start e-mailing them to us whenever they come out
August 4, '06-our dossier "certified" in Olympia, WA and then sent to San Francisco to be "authenticated"
August 11, '06-Kelli called me and said they had found their baby on the August waiting child list!!!
August 18, '06-Small World received our dossier back from San Francisco!
August 21, '06-Small World sent our dossier to China!!!!
September 20, '06-Exactly 6 months after we began, our dossier was officially approved in China and this was our "log-in date"!!!
January '07-applied for the "waiting child" program
April 5, '07-received a call from Janell while we were in Boise for our referral!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 6-8th, '07-preparing acceptance of our referral paperwork
April 9, '07-delivered our paperwork to Small World
April 10, '07-Small World sent our acceptance paperwork off to China!!!!!!!!!!!
April 10, '07-attended a travel info meeting at Small World!!! We have so much to do to get ready for our trip!!!!!!
Waiting for our letter of acceptance to adopt Gracie and for permission to travel from China!


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