Round 5...yep, more paperwork. I live for it! (updated with a video clip)

Well, as promised, we received another round of paperwork. This group of documents included paperwork required by the United States Homeland Security including the I-800, a copy of the signed Letter of Acceptance form that we received from China and a few other forms including our signed Letter of Intent. As well as a U.S. Government document which will help Zoe become a U.S. Citizen as soon as she arrives in the United States.  All of this paperwork had to be completed and received no later than February 2nd. So we beat the deadline...I am hoping that submitting early pushes our time lines up just a bit... 

The few things I have learned throughout this process regarding paperwork is as follows:

1. Get as organized as possible and understand what is needed and whom it needs to go to.

2. Plan to spend several hours reviewing the paperwork. 
3. Try to do all the paperwork at once if possible. or it will drive you crazy.
4. Get it done early as possible...don't put it off.
5. Check and double check to make sure you have completed everything they are asking for.
6. Make copies of everything you do.
7. Mail it off using a mailing service that can track your documents until it reached it's desired destination.
8. Make sure you have plenty of cold beers on hand.

So, I had two packets of information to mail out on Thursday and Friday. I have become great friends several of the United States Postal Workers...they have seen me there so often they call me by my name when I come in...and I get first class service.  One packet went to Holt International, our adoption agency who will hold them until they need to be submitted. We sent them one of the most important documents, the original signed Letter of Acceptance (LOA).  This document not only indicates that the People's Republic of China have accepted us as adoptive parents but we (Sonja & I) accept Zoe as our child. This was a huge milestone.  So what does that mean...  well I am guessing that we are probably 8-12 weeks away from traveling to China and picking up Zoe. So, once we signed the Letter of Acceptance there is not turning back.  However, we never have second guessed our decision. Very exciting...I even think Nathaniel is getting excited...that is when he has time to think about it at all.  As long as it doesn't get in the way of his schedule he should be fine.

So, the next step his to secure our I-800 tentative approval from Homeland Security, cross our fingers we provided them everything they needed. Knock on wood, we will hear back from them within 2-3 weeks. Once we secure this approval we can begin working on our visa's to travel to China. 

Finally...here is a video clip we received from China of Zoe Ann (Wen Jia Si Ruo).  From my understanding parents going through the adoptive process do not get a lot of pictures of their child and rarely get video's. Bonnie who works for Holt International indicated that a video was a "gift"! So we thought we would share one of our "gifts" with you....



 Well, that's the latest for now.  Thanks for spending some time with us....