Preparing for the big day

No not that one silly...

The elections! We have been given freedom and the incredible right to vote because of our founding fathers and many who have died on our behalf. November 4th is an important day for all of us - including our little Shania who is not even born yet.

It is our right and privileged to be heard on this day. Make sure to have your voice heard and your vote counted. Voting is the most basic form of involvement in our democratic system and one that we can all be a part of. American voters will determine who will lead us, make our laws and protect our liberties.

It is a a weighty responsibility and it is absolutely critical that we all understand where our candidates stand on the issues that matter to us personally. Do your homework so that you may choose the candidates that best line up with your beliefs, convictions and values.

Change is inevitable - and our hope is that the future for our family is one where democracy is strengthened, not weakened. Where freedom throughout the world is advanced, not set back. Where American's are encouraged to do their best and receive the rewards, not complacent to take handouts and look to the government for answers. Where everyone looks to his neighbor and says 'how can I help them?' not 'how can they help me.'

Eight days from now we will wake up and their will be a new president elect. Roughly half of the country will be disappointed. It will be vitally important that we all rally together around the president and vice-president (whomever he and she are) to boldly move this country forward. Please join me in putting aside politics (while still clinging to beliefs, morals and integrity) to make this great country even better for Shania.

USCIS is going in the mail tomorrow

We completed another extensive and complicated document today. The I800-A form that goes to the Department of Homeland Security. It is required by OUR government along with a healthy fee and from what I can tell is basically our request for official government fingerprinting.

Hmmm hope the incident coming home from Rocky Point earlier this year doesn't come up (: It was really nothing...instead of using our passports (the sensible thing) we tried to show our DL's when coming back into AZ and the border patrol agent told us he was going to flag us as non-compliant. Hope that's not too bad ):

Dave will be getting the required money order and copies tomorrow and is putting the I800A form in the mail! Yeah!!! Just one more detail that puts us closer to our little "Shania"

Goodnight for now...

Final Home Study Visit is Over!

We just now completed our final home study visit and I believe that we have passed. Our emergency numbers are posted, our evacuation plan is on display, guns are all locked up, and all of our toxic waste has been properly disposed.

Special thanks to our special neighbors Janet and Gregg who loaned us their vacuum cleaner when ours died out unexpectedly this morning. They live in Alaska part time so they don't even know it yet - thanks guys!

Now our social worker Tricia is going to put together the reports she generated during our three visits together and write the official Home Study Report. This report is submitted locally to the court and is translated into Mandarin and sent to China. It is the first of three major steps in the Shania Project. Home Study, Dossier, and I-800 USCIS. One down and two to go!

Thank you to everyone who has been thinking of us and praying for us today. Words can't fully express our gratitude.

Final Home Study on Saturday

This Saturday, October 18 is circled in red on our calendar. It marks the day of our final home study visit with our social worker. If you have been following the list along the right side of this blog you have seen all of those home study items move from the to-do list to the done list. (another example of my wonderful wife's persistence and multi-tasking skills, you amaze me Shmoopie).

Saturday's visit is one of the final hurdles in the home study process. Once the visit is completed our social worker Trish will write the home study report, which is then translated and sent to the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs).

Each day brings us closer to our little Shania.

Adoption Fundraising

Adoptive families describe adoption as a significant, amazing and life-changing experience. They also say that it is expensive. I am absolutely amazed at families that have adopted two, three or more kids over a short period of time. How do they pull that off financially? My guess is that it is resourcefulness and the following blog supports that. Touching Lives... One at a Time is a site dedicated to promoting fundraisers for adoptive families. Check out the creative ways people come up with to fund their own Shania Projects.

Sheri's amazing jewelry received a mention this week. Thanks Lady in Waiting!

To our little Shania: add one more to the list of people that love you and care about you. Come see us soon little peanut.

Fenced in...

or out, depending on how you look at. The pool fence is in. A little weird, 9 years without a pool fence and voila, the fence is in. I think I like it. I was concerned that it would bother me but I barely notice it. It looks nice! Not sure that Louie (Missy's dog) and Rock Star know what to think of it, especially because it has still been pretty warm here and we keep them out of the pool area most of time. They like to swim on demand. It's all for you little Shania (:

Etsy is up and running

I am so excited! I have been soldering for a week now, and with the help of my patient, smart and kind husband I now have some of my latest solder pieces on the web. So please go take a look. These are just a few of the latest designs. I will work on getting my initials and little girl designs up soon! Have fun (Oh, and buy something too!)

www.charmaddiction.etsy.com

Our Photo Page

Three photo pages are required for our dossier for China. The CCAA is very specific on what they want to see. Here are our photo pages, approved and ready to go to China!