I feel like I need to at least tell you all that we are still adopting, and obviously, still waiting. It's been 2 years since our family decided to adopt (so hard to believe), and 16 months since we sent our Dossier (a bunch of paperwork that took us 9 months to put together) to Ethiopia. We've updated our home study once (because IL makes you update it yearly), and I'm guessing we'll start that process again in March (for the 3rd time). Life has been extremely busy, so our minds have been busy, too. I check lists and blogs and waiting children's lists daily. We're still #5 on the unofficial list, approved for siblings, ages birth to 9 years. I suppose we'll have to talk and pray about whether or not we're going to increase our age range again.
Things are really slow in Ethiopia right now, but it's for good reason. I know that the ET govt is working hard to make sure that every adoption is ethical, and we appreciate that so much. (It's still hard to think about the fact that there are kids living in orphanages when there are families ready to welcome them into their homes.) We just have to keep believing that everyone is acting in their best interest.
If you have questions, don't feel bad asking. It's hard to wait, but it's so not about us. We've been blessed with three boys who keep us very busy, and we're excited to welcome two more kiddos into our family, but we're waiting patiently for the right time!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Monday, August 27, 2012
Yes, We Are Still Adopting...
We never dreamed that it would take this long for a referral when we decided to adopt. Lately we've been getting the questions, "What's taking so long?" and "Are you still adopting?" Yes, we are still adopting, and the reason it's taking so long is out of our hands. We are trying to wait patiently. It's been 10 months since we sent our paperwork to ET, and 18 months since we decided to adopt. Yikes!
We did recently update our home study, because it's been a year since our first home study was written. We changed our age range (from birth to 6 years) to birth to 9 years, 10 at the time of placement. We're hoping this will move things along. Of course the State of IL has to approve this change. Our home study should be sitting on an important desk right now, waiting for approval. We hope to hear back in the next week or two.
Thank you all for asking about things. I wish we had more to tell. Someday we will, but for now, this is all I've got. :)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Another Mother's Day
I'm so thankful for my three boys. They are all three such amazing individuals.
I love Noah for his incredible ability to always have all of his ducks in a row. :) I don't know where he gets that....ahem. He is smart, smart, smart. He has a heart of gold, and would do anything, for anybody, anytime. He has to parent me more than I have to parent him. Noah will do some amazing things in this world, he is truly a gift.
Colin, oh Colin. He makes me smile just thinking about him. He has a heart big enough to love everyone in his path, and he does. He is joy in flesh, and brings light and life to every room he enters. He is mister go-with-the-flow, and his one-liners kill me. Colin will do great things, and make an amazing husband someday...the boy can cook!
Jeron...this kid is hilarious. I think he came into the world with the intention of being a goofball. He peed all over the nurses as they were weighing him in the delivery room. Jeron is the kind of guy who will make the most inappropriate comment, and then give all of his money away to someone begging on the street. He's the perfect mix of compassion and entertainment. He has a love for the broken that blows my mind. He is without a doubt, the most generous human I know.
The fact that these three boys have Jeremy as their dad is a huge part of why they are the way they are. When I watch Jerm with our boys, and with other people's kids, I can't believe how much he loves them. Something happens to him when there are little kids around...he has a knack for winning over every kid who comes his way. What I love the most about him is that his heart turns into a big 'ole pile of mush when he feels like there is injustice in a child's world. I am blessed.
This was a great Mother's Day. All three of my guys spoiled me, and treated me like a queen. I shouldn't ask for more, but I can't help thinking about the two little loves who are missing from our family. This is the second Mother's Day since we decided to adopt. It's been a little bit of an emotional day for me. I'm hoping that next year we'll be a family of 7, but there are no guarantees.
There isn't much to say about our adoption at this point. I posted awhile back that we were #8 on the waiting list, but we've been moved back down to #9. It's discouraging to say the least, but we will just have to continue to wait. God knows what He's doing! We did recently receive an email from our agency stating that the Ethiopian Ministry of Women's, Children's and Youth Affairs is still committed to advocating for ET orphans. This is a good thing! It sounds like things are changing constantly in Ethiopia as far as adoption goes, but they are good changes.
We're thankful to all of you who ask about how things are going. We just wish we had more to tell you! Someday we'll look back, and it will seem like time has flown by. In the meantime, we'll continue to pray for all 5 of our kids, that they'll be safe, healthy, and strong, and that they'll follow Jesus all the days of their lives!
Happy Mother's Day!
I love Noah for his incredible ability to always have all of his ducks in a row. :) I don't know where he gets that....ahem. He is smart, smart, smart. He has a heart of gold, and would do anything, for anybody, anytime. He has to parent me more than I have to parent him. Noah will do some amazing things in this world, he is truly a gift.
Colin, oh Colin. He makes me smile just thinking about him. He has a heart big enough to love everyone in his path, and he does. He is joy in flesh, and brings light and life to every room he enters. He is mister go-with-the-flow, and his one-liners kill me. Colin will do great things, and make an amazing husband someday...the boy can cook!
Jeron...this kid is hilarious. I think he came into the world with the intention of being a goofball. He peed all over the nurses as they were weighing him in the delivery room. Jeron is the kind of guy who will make the most inappropriate comment, and then give all of his money away to someone begging on the street. He's the perfect mix of compassion and entertainment. He has a love for the broken that blows my mind. He is without a doubt, the most generous human I know.
The fact that these three boys have Jeremy as their dad is a huge part of why they are the way they are. When I watch Jerm with our boys, and with other people's kids, I can't believe how much he loves them. Something happens to him when there are little kids around...he has a knack for winning over every kid who comes his way. What I love the most about him is that his heart turns into a big 'ole pile of mush when he feels like there is injustice in a child's world. I am blessed.
This was a great Mother's Day. All three of my guys spoiled me, and treated me like a queen. I shouldn't ask for more, but I can't help thinking about the two little loves who are missing from our family. This is the second Mother's Day since we decided to adopt. It's been a little bit of an emotional day for me. I'm hoping that next year we'll be a family of 7, but there are no guarantees.
There isn't much to say about our adoption at this point. I posted awhile back that we were #8 on the waiting list, but we've been moved back down to #9. It's discouraging to say the least, but we will just have to continue to wait. God knows what He's doing! We did recently receive an email from our agency stating that the Ethiopian Ministry of Women's, Children's and Youth Affairs is still committed to advocating for ET orphans. This is a good thing! It sounds like things are changing constantly in Ethiopia as far as adoption goes, but they are good changes.
We're thankful to all of you who ask about how things are going. We just wish we had more to tell you! Someday we'll look back, and it will seem like time has flown by. In the meantime, we'll continue to pray for all 5 of our kids, that they'll be safe, healthy, and strong, and that they'll follow Jesus all the days of their lives!
Happy Mother's Day!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Quick Update
We don't have much to tell you at this point, just a couple of things.
First, we are very excited to have received the Show Hope Grant! It took forever to fill out the application, but it was worth it! They will send $4500 to our agency! Woo hoo!
The only other bit of news is that our agency sent out an email last week explaining that they were extending the wait times. So, we continue to wait. We know that some day we'll look back and see that the timing was perfect!
Thanks for asking about our progress. We wish we had more to report, but for now, this is all we've got!
First, we are very excited to have received the Show Hope Grant! It took forever to fill out the application, but it was worth it! They will send $4500 to our agency! Woo hoo!
The only other bit of news is that our agency sent out an email last week explaining that they were extending the wait times. So, we continue to wait. We know that some day we'll look back and see that the timing was perfect!
Thanks for asking about our progress. We wish we had more to report, but for now, this is all we've got!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Just a Quick Update
A lot of people have asked where we stand in the process, so I thought I'd write a quick note to tell you what we know. It's so hard to wait, but Jerm keeps reminding me that it's not about us. Well, maybe it's not about him, but it's definitely about me. I'm TOTALLY kidding!! We've talked a lot lately about a mom's heart, and how men can never fully understand what a mom feels for her children. I truly feel like it's just something God placed in women.
As I've mentioned before, I know that the best thing for our adopted children would be to remain with their biological family, but sometimes that just can't happen. So, knowing that there are two sweet babies in Africa who need a mommy, hurts my heart. I can't wait to have them in our home so that we can love them, and give them a chance to have a life outside of growing up in an orphanage, or living on the streets in Addis Ababa. (Cue Jerm: "It's not about us, be patient.")
I've never really been the kind of person who needs a plan. I usually just go with the flow. Though I feel like with this adoption, I've kind of felt like I needed to know the plan. So, a week or so ago, I emailed our Family Coordinator at America World (our agency). It went a little something like this:
"Hi Jennifer,
Is there any way you can give us an idea of how long you think we'll wait for a referral? The listed wait times are for infants only, right?
We just noticed that there were a few that changed their requests, and moved over to the siblings list (based on the Yahoo group list). We wondered if there was a ballpark estimate of how long it could take.
Thank you!
Jeremy and Kami"
"Jeremy and Kami,
Thank you for checking in about this. The wait times are based on infant referrals, yes, but because of the changes in the process in Ethiopia this year, we are encouraging families to set their expectations for the same timeframe as infants, which is currently 10-16 months for males and 11-18 months for females.
Because we don't have a good trend on which to estimate a timeframe for siblings, it is difficult to give a ballpark estimate for your wait time. I would encourage you to set your heart's expectation to be closer to 18 months, but to plan financially for a referral as soon as ten months.
If we see that the wait times are changing, I will be sure to let you know.
Have a great evening!
Jennifer Allen | Family Coordinator
America World Adoption"
So, 10-18 months from October 21, 2011, we should have a referral for the two children who will join our family. That seems like an eternity, but I know God has it all worked out, and after all, it's not about us. ;) I'm hoping we have a referral by Christmas. I'll just keep crossing the months off of the calendar. Two down, sixteen to go!
In the meantime, we're enjoying every second with the three beautiful boys God has entrusted to us already. They are such great kids, and they're growing so fast. We are beyond blessed, and thankful for all of you who have shown us so much support.
God is so good...He's so good to me!
As I've mentioned before, I know that the best thing for our adopted children would be to remain with their biological family, but sometimes that just can't happen. So, knowing that there are two sweet babies in Africa who need a mommy, hurts my heart. I can't wait to have them in our home so that we can love them, and give them a chance to have a life outside of growing up in an orphanage, or living on the streets in Addis Ababa. (Cue Jerm: "It's not about us, be patient.")
I've never really been the kind of person who needs a plan. I usually just go with the flow. Though I feel like with this adoption, I've kind of felt like I needed to know the plan. So, a week or so ago, I emailed our Family Coordinator at America World (our agency). It went a little something like this:
"Hi Jennifer,
Is there any way you can give us an idea of how long you think we'll wait for a referral? The listed wait times are for infants only, right?
We just noticed that there were a few that changed their requests, and moved over to the siblings list (based on the Yahoo group list). We wondered if there was a ballpark estimate of how long it could take.
Thank you!
Jeremy and Kami"
"Jeremy and Kami,
Thank you for checking in about this. The wait times are based on infant referrals, yes, but because of the changes in the process in Ethiopia this year, we are encouraging families to set their expectations for the same timeframe as infants, which is currently 10-16 months for males and 11-18 months for females.
Because we don't have a good trend on which to estimate a timeframe for siblings, it is difficult to give a ballpark estimate for your wait time. I would encourage you to set your heart's expectation to be closer to 18 months, but to plan financially for a referral as soon as ten months.
If we see that the wait times are changing, I will be sure to let you know.
Have a great evening!
Jennifer Allen | Family Coordinator
America World Adoption"
So, 10-18 months from October 21, 2011, we should have a referral for the two children who will join our family. That seems like an eternity, but I know God has it all worked out, and after all, it's not about us. ;) I'm hoping we have a referral by Christmas. I'll just keep crossing the months off of the calendar. Two down, sixteen to go!
In the meantime, we're enjoying every second with the three beautiful boys God has entrusted to us already. They are such great kids, and they're growing so fast. We are beyond blessed, and thankful for all of you who have shown us so much support.
God is so good...He's so good to me!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Now We Wait
All of our paperwork is complete, and our dossier is in Ethiopia. All we have to do now is wait. I'm not gonna lie, I check the waiting list 100 times a day to see if we've moved from position #11 to #10...even though I know that the list is only updated about once a month. I'm guessing I'll stop checking it as often as time passes.
So why does it take so long to receive a referral if there are SO many orphans? This is one of the two questions I receive on a daily basis. I'm so thankful that our friends care, and ask about the process. Please don't ever hesitate to ask questions. Another question we often hear is, "Why does it cost SO much to adopt?" I want to try to answer both of those questions, but please remember, I'm not an adoption expert by any stretch of the imagination.
One of the reasons it takes so long to receive a referral (at least from our agency) is because our agency does their homework. They believe, and so do we, that the best place for a child to be is with their biological family. Our agency is committed to researching every child's background to ensure that there isn't anyone else in their family who would be willing to care for them. This process takes time. Once our agency is sure that the child/children can't be cared for by any other family members in Ethiopia, they will prepare them for referral. This process includes visits with the Dr., Psychiatrist, and some blood tests. Our agency will make sure that all of the paperwork is consistent with police reports from when the child was orphaned or relinquished.
The other reason it takes so long is because we have to operate on Africa time. Our agency has orphanages and a transition home that they fully support. The orphanages take in children who have been orphaned or relinquished. Then, when a child's history has been completely reviewed, and they are ready to be referred to an adoptive family, they can be moved to the transition home. Once a child/children are adopted, and moved out of the transition home, other children from the orphanages can move in. The transition home can only house so many children at one time, so this can sometimes slow down the process. Once a family receives their referral, they must receive a favorable letter from the Ministry of Women's, Youth, and Children's Affairs. Families are at the mercy of MOYCA's schedule to receive this letter. Then, a family must appear in court. Receiving a court date can take a lot of time. After receiving a favorable ruling from the judge, the Embassy must also approve the case. When things slow down at the Embassy or in the courts, the entire process slows down, and there's really nothing that can be done...so we wait. We are daily thankful for our agency, and the care and attention to detail that they give to every aspect of the process.
The second question, "Why does it cost so much?" I've copied and pasted the expenses below. Most of the agency fees are more for us since we're adopting two children. I think it's nice to see it all so that the big number we have to end up with makes more sense.
We are paying MANY people (homestudy agency, AWAA (placing agency), US government, etc.) to do their job in our adoption process. The international fee goes to support the transition home and orphanages affiliated with AWAA - to pay the staff, run medicals, provide for needs of the kids. The program fee pays for AWAA staff, paperwork, etc.
If you ever have any questions, please ask. We're glad to answer anything. :)
So why does it take so long to receive a referral if there are SO many orphans? This is one of the two questions I receive on a daily basis. I'm so thankful that our friends care, and ask about the process. Please don't ever hesitate to ask questions. Another question we often hear is, "Why does it cost SO much to adopt?" I want to try to answer both of those questions, but please remember, I'm not an adoption expert by any stretch of the imagination.
One of the reasons it takes so long to receive a referral (at least from our agency) is because our agency does their homework. They believe, and so do we, that the best place for a child to be is with their biological family. Our agency is committed to researching every child's background to ensure that there isn't anyone else in their family who would be willing to care for them. This process takes time. Once our agency is sure that the child/children can't be cared for by any other family members in Ethiopia, they will prepare them for referral. This process includes visits with the Dr., Psychiatrist, and some blood tests. Our agency will make sure that all of the paperwork is consistent with police reports from when the child was orphaned or relinquished.
The other reason it takes so long is because we have to operate on Africa time. Our agency has orphanages and a transition home that they fully support. The orphanages take in children who have been orphaned or relinquished. Then, when a child's history has been completely reviewed, and they are ready to be referred to an adoptive family, they can be moved to the transition home. Once a child/children are adopted, and moved out of the transition home, other children from the orphanages can move in. The transition home can only house so many children at one time, so this can sometimes slow down the process. Once a family receives their referral, they must receive a favorable letter from the Ministry of Women's, Youth, and Children's Affairs. Families are at the mercy of MOYCA's schedule to receive this letter. Then, a family must appear in court. Receiving a court date can take a lot of time. After receiving a favorable ruling from the judge, the Embassy must also approve the case. When things slow down at the Embassy or in the courts, the entire process slows down, and there's really nothing that can be done...so we wait. We are daily thankful for our agency, and the care and attention to detail that they give to every aspect of the process.
The second question, "Why does it cost so much?" I've copied and pasted the expenses below. Most of the agency fees are more for us since we're adopting two children. I think it's nice to see it all so that the big number we have to end up with makes more sense.
We are paying MANY people (homestudy agency, AWAA (placing agency), US government, etc.) to do their job in our adoption process. The international fee goes to support the transition home and orphanages affiliated with AWAA - to pay the staff, run medicals, provide for needs of the kids. The program fee pays for AWAA staff, paperwork, etc.
If you ever have any questions, please ask. We're glad to answer anything. :)
Adoption Expenses:
APPLICATION & PAPERCHASE
Application Fee $250
1st Installment of Program Fee $1,500
Home Study $1,200 - $2,800
Additional Home Study Documentation Prep. Fee $0 - $100
Home Study Visit Travel Fees (could include mileage, hotel, and food costs) $0 - $300
Adoptive Parent Training (2 adults) $175
Documents/Background Checks/Passports $100 - $500
USCIS Fee & Update Fee + Fingerprinting $830
Notarization, Certification & Authentication $400
DOSSIER SUBMISSION & WAITING
Courier Service $150
2nd Installment of Program Fee $2,000
Post-Adoption Report Deposit (fully refundable if all post-adoption reports are returned on time) $1,000
Dossier Service & Translation $800
1/2 International Program Fee (1 child) ••• $3,750
REFERRAL & TRAVEL
International Specialist Consultation $100 - $400
3rd Installment of Program Fee $1,500
1/2 International Program Fee (1 child) ••• $3,750
Trip 1 - Airfare (2 adults) $2,400 - $4,000
Trip 1 - In-Country Travel Package (2 adults) •••• $1,400 - $2,500
Trip 1 - Visas (2 adults) $40
Trip 2 - Airfare (2 adults) $2,400 - $4,000
Trip 2 - Airfare (1 child) $250 - $1,000
Trip 2 - In-Country Travel Package (2 adults) •••• $1,000 - $2,000
Trip 2 - Visas (2 adults) $40
Visa/Embassy Fee (1 child) •••••• $400
POST-ADOPTION
Post-Adoption Visits •• $300 - $1,500
Post-Adoption Visit Travel Fees $0 - $1,050
Post-Adoption Administrative Fee $385
Re-Adoption $300 - $1,000
Post-Adoption Report Refund (refunded in installments as, and only if, each report is returned on time) ($1,000)
Other Costs (include doctor visit and related co-pays, social security card, passport cost, postage, long distance phone calls) $100 - $1,000
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sooooo, just how exactly are we going to pay for this?
We've made some great strides over the past month. We received our biometrics fingerprint appointment. We'll go September 21, and then we can tie up some loose ends and send our dossier in! I can't believe it's almost time! Here's the scary/exciting part... We are #6 on the unofficial list to receive a referral. Yikes!! I kind of thought we'd be waiting for about six months after we sent in our dossier. That could still be the case, but it's looking like things could move quickly once we get our dossier to Ethiopia.
We couldn't be more excited to get our kids home, but we've been hit with the question this week, "So, how are we going to pay for this?" We thought we'd have a little more time to save and maybe have some kind of a fundraiser, but if things move quickly, we'll have to come up with a better plan! We know God will provide. He's provided perfectly so far. We feel like we've been obedient to His leading in this, so we know that if it is what we're supposed to do, the funds will come.
We'll keep you posted on our progress. I don't know how long it takes to get the I-171H, but the day we get it in the mail will be a very exciting day! We started this process on February 24th, 2011 and it's very possible that we could see our sweet babies' faces by next February 24th, 2012!
Thank you all for reading my boring little blog. As I've mentioned before, this isn't really my thing, but I want our kids to know that they were very much wanted. We look forward to the day when we get to hold them!!
We couldn't be more excited to get our kids home, but we've been hit with the question this week, "So, how are we going to pay for this?" We thought we'd have a little more time to save and maybe have some kind of a fundraiser, but if things move quickly, we'll have to come up with a better plan! We know God will provide. He's provided perfectly so far. We feel like we've been obedient to His leading in this, so we know that if it is what we're supposed to do, the funds will come.
We'll keep you posted on our progress. I don't know how long it takes to get the I-171H, but the day we get it in the mail will be a very exciting day! We started this process on February 24th, 2011 and it's very possible that we could see our sweet babies' faces by next February 24th, 2012!
Thank you all for reading my boring little blog. As I've mentioned before, this isn't really my thing, but I want our kids to know that they were very much wanted. We look forward to the day when we get to hold them!!
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