adoption #2 update

So I've been meaning to update y'all on where we are in the "baby sisser" adoption process...we were fingerprinted last week for USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration) and we have begun to gather dossier documents.

Damon and I - post fingerprinting

The adoption "rules" (for lack of a better word) will be changing in Moldova effective February 1, 2011.  The two biggest changes for us as adoptive parents is that the children will need to be on a national registry for a longer period of time (from 6 months to 12-24 months) and a longer stay in country (from 2-one week trips to 30 consecutive days). There are other changes, but they wouldn't affect us like the above two.

Now as parents who are "in the process" (I LOVE to be able to type that), it is unclear right now whether we will proceed under the old or the new rules. We have sent in enough dossier documents to be registered with the Ministry of Labor, but we could be under the new rules because we haven't accepted a referral. There could also be delays in the processing of adoptions as the new rules are implemented.

As always with international adoption, so much is in flux right now, but just like with Ukraine, God's timing will be perfect :) Ukraine stopped adoptions for about 5 months after we had sent in our dossier in 2007, and I just remember thinking that everything (aka my thoughts on how the adoption should progress) was messed up then. Of course it wasn't because Wesley wasn't available until the day we had our second appointment. I really thought that I knew when it would be best for us to travel to Ukraine, but I was SO wrong!! Besides Wesley not being available, we would have been in Ukraine in the winter - no thanks!!

Please pray for us (mainly Staci) as we (again, mainly Staci) work on the dossier. We have to find a notary who is able to travel to our dotcor's office to notarize our medical papers, and I am not feeling all that motivated to get things done. I think the weather has gotten me down. It has been downright dreary here in Ohio with no sun and inches upon inches of snow. Lately it always seems to be snowing which I enjoy when I am home in my pajamas, but not so much when I have to run errands or drive to work.

I am not going to end on a depressed note, so I do have some good news to share...Damon has been offered a new job!! I have been praying for him to get a new job since we started dating (seriously), which was over 10 years ago. He will still be working in government, but in a job much more suited to his talents and abilities. We are so thankful for this opportunity  for him, and I pray he likes it as much as he thinks he will :)

By the way...I FINALLY had time to make a new background!

it's been three weeks?

I cannot believe it has been three weeks since I last posted. And I was doing so well...guess its time to get back on the blogging bandwagon. I write blog posts in my head all the time, but then I don't ever have the chance right then to post, then I forget (or get lazy).

Our home study is done!! I asked them to make a few grammatical changes, but it is good to go otherwise. We have seriously been waiting six months to say it's done. Now the dossier collection begins. I typed up all the documents for that already, so I don't think it will take long to get things together. Waiting for our fingerprint appointment and approval from US Citizenship and Immigration will take the most time, but I'm praying they are working overtime this Christmas season :) Who am I kidding? Its government...they'll probably be closed most of the month of December.

We had a good Halloween. Wesley dressed up as Cat in the Hat and he LOVED trick-or-treating. (Funny in my opinion because the kid doesn't like candy)

Cat in the Hat's fish in the bowl where Wes collected candy (I made it myself and my mom painting the water)

a family picture (I would like to point out that Duke, our wild dog, is lying on the floor and Damon isn't even holding him). Why are Damon and I the only ones who look happy? Maybe because we are the only ones not wearing costumes...

the family outside (notice Duke in the window though)

Wesley with his Grandma and Grandpa

(aka Doda and Pawpaw)

the dogs checking out the trick-or-treaters

I am sure I have more to say, but I am heading to bed. Damon and I got to spend the day together just hanging out while Wesley was at school, so we did a bit of Christmas shopping, ate lunch and just enjoyed each other's company. We haven't just hung out like that in a long time, so it was nice.