|
Feb 23 |
Home again
Home again, Jiggety Jig!! |
|
Feb 13 |
|
|
Feb 9 |
Leave!! |
|
Feb 2 |
Got our
Itinerary! |
|
Jan 22 |
Made
our flight reservations! getting close now!! We leave in
16 days!! |
|
Jan 21 |
YAY!
YAY! ~
TA!
~ at 41 days! |
|
Jan 4 |
Applied for
Chinese Visa |
|
Dec 29 |
LOA logged
in (tho with the holidays, they didn't start on it til
Jan 3rd. |
|
Dec 14 |
YAY!
YAY! ~
LOA!
~ at 39 days! |
|
Dec 13 |
New Pictures
of Ellery! |
|
Dec 2 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Daddy's
Birthday! .:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
|
|
Nov 27 |
Spent this
week gathering MORE paperwork for homestudy
update...will it NEVER ENNNNNND?! |
|
Nov 26 |
Homestudy update
Visit...all went well...one more step to Ellery! |
|
Nov 24 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Nov 9 |
Second
LOI sent to China...apply for homestudy update |
|
Nov 9 |
Happy Anniversary to us.....10 years!!
what a way to celebrate!! |
|
Nov 5 |
Y
Y
Ellery Clare Ru Cotter is beautiful!!
Y
Y |
|
Oct 31 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Happy Halloween!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Oct 30 |
We've been
adopting for two years today. |
|
Oct 24 |
It's our
"Logged-In-iversary" 15 Months Logged
In
|
|
Oct 15 |
| M |
MAUREEN'S BIRTHDAY!!
| M |
|
|
Sept 27 |
We find out
that we must wait for a WC list....more waiting. |
|
Sept 25 |
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
CONNOR'S BIRTHDAY!!
π
π
π
π
π |
|
Sept 24 |
It's our
"Logged-In-iversary" 14 Months Logged
In
|
|
Sept 24 |
We find out
that we are Approved!
Ok.....NOW,
on to the
Matching Room! |
|
Aug 24 |
It's our
"Logged-In-iversary" 13 Months Logged
In
|
|
Aug 17 |
We find out
that we are 9/10 of the way thru the Review Process!
On to the
Matching Room! |
|
July 31 |
School
Starts! |
|
July 24 |
It's our
"Logged-In-iversary" 12 Months Logged
In
|
|
July 4 |
λλλλ
Independence Day!!
λλλλ |
|
June 30 |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
ME!! |
|
June 24 |
It's our
"Logged-In-iversary" 11 Months Logged
In
|
|
June 22 |
Kids get
last round of shots |
|
May 28 |
School's
Out!!
Connor is promoted to 9th Grade - Maureen is promoted to
3rd Grade! |
|
Apr 4 |
Update
Fingerprints |
|
Mar 17 |
HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!!!
|
|
Feb 14 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Happy
Valentine's Day!! .:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Jan 1 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Happy New Year!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Dec 25 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Merry Christmas!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Dec 2 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Daddy's
Birthday! .:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
|
|
Oct 31 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Happy Halloween!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Oct 30 |
We've been
adopting for one year today. |
|
Oct 26 |
Final Round of Shots
for us!! YAY~~ |
|
Oct 15 |
MAUREEN'S BIRTHDAY!!!! |
|
Oct 2 |
We leave for FLORIDA!! |
|
Sept 25 |
* * * * * * * * * *
CONNOR'S BIRTHDAY!~~
* * * * * * * * *
* |
|
Aug 3 |
We got our "Brown Envelope" from the US
Consulate in Guangzhou |
|
July 24 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:..:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Our
log in
date !!!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:..:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
July 6 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
We are T
!!!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
July 4 |
λλλλ
Independence Day!!
λλλλ |
|
June 30 |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
ME!! |
|
June 24 |
Decided on baby's name....again
ELLERY CLARE (CHINESE NAME)
COTTER |
|
June 22 |
I-171h authenticated and sent to
Gladney...OMG are we close to DTC?!?! |
|
June 21 |
Surgery day, everything went fine. |
|
May 12 |
I-171h arrives in the mail, and is
promptly mailed out to Gladney with all other dossier
documents. |
|
Apr 13 |
Second round of Shots...ouch! |
|
Apr 12 |
INS finally has all of our documents,
they say they need 45 days to process before the I-171h. |
|
Mar 31 |
Talk with INS, they don't have all of our
documents.
|
|
Mar 22 |
All our stuff came back from the
Embassy!!!!! |
|
Mar 17 |
HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!!!
|
|
Mar 16 |
YAY!! The US
Consulate sent our paperwork to the Chinese
Embassy...another step closer!!! |
|
Mar 13 |
First Round of Shots.....Hep A, B,
Measles & Tetanus |
|
Mar. 2 |
All stuff on its way to the US Consulate
and Chinese Embassy!
|
|
Mar. 1 |
All documents have the blue backing paper
now from the Secretary of State. |
|
Feb. 22 |
We get fingerprinted by the FBI |
|
Feb. 16 |
Joe and finally agree that we are going
to accept a special needs child. |
|
Feb. 15 |
Home study FINALLY
comes to me & Gladney for review. |
|
Feb. 14 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
Happy
Valentine's Day!! .:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Jan. 28 |
Fourth and final home study visit. |
|
Jan. 25 |
Apply for our passports. |
|
Jan. 23 |
My second copy of my birth cert arrives,
after pulling teeth! |
|
Jan. 21 |
Our third homestudy meeting, paid the
second half. |
|
Jan. 14 |
Our second homestudy meeting |
|
Dec. 31 |
Our first homestudy meeting, paid half
the amount. |
|
|
 |
|
Dec. 28 |
My birth certificate arrives from Chinese
Consulate in Houston (crunched in the mail) |
|
Dec. 27 |
INS sends us our fingerprinting
invitation (needs to have completed homestudy first) |
|
Dec. 17 |
INS sets the timetable for us
we won't have our approval til May. |
|
Dec. 15 |
Gladney gets our main application and
first payment |
|
Dec. 13 |
Sent big application packet to Gina at
Gladney. Sent my birth cert to Chinese Consulate in
Houston. |
|
Dec. 12 |
Made MORE copies of stuff, got our
application packet ready to go. Dropped off the medical
stuff to get it signed and notarized by our doc. Woohoo!
Our birth certs arrived
from the Secretaries of State in KY and TX...though
mine from TX looks a little lame, Joe's from KY is all
gold sealy and fancy. |
|
Dec. 10 |
Filled out much of Gladney's application
paperwork, get stuff notarized. |
|
Dec. 5 |
Sent back INS packet with new info. |
|
Dec. 2 |
Receive the INS packet back in the mail.
Get our taxes and info about that.
Daddy's
Birthday! |
|
Dec. 1 |
Begin work with Gladney Center for
Adoption to get us approved in China and The Adoption
Place for our Home Study.
Police Reports come back with no records.
Daddy gets physical and we get HIV tests for our medical
reports.
Sent off Birth Certificates for State Certification. |
|
Nov. 28 |
Find out from CHI that we need to change
countries. |
|
Nov. 26 |
Sent off INS form and had passport photos
made. |
|
Nov. 24 |
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
.:*¨¨*:.*.:*¨¨*:. |
|
Nov. 22 |
Start
filling out forms for homestudy, contact references,
went to pick up police record form. |
|
Nov. 19 |
Another packet from CHI with dossier
info.
J's birth certificate arrives. We go to our 1st homestudy class. |
|
Nov. 15 |
Went to see Kim today and ask her to write me a
referral.
I buy a small silver ring shaped pendant with an
inscription....PATIENCE.
We go to our info meeting, meet Brenda and Amanda and
hand in our application and fee. |
|
Nov. 12 |
I finish my autobiography.
Marriage certificate arrives. |
|
Nov. 8 |
Our
8th wedding anniversary. I fill out the INS papers and
we agree to go to a class on the 15th. |
|
Nov. 5 |
We talk with C & M about adopting a
child. They are excited! |
|
Nov. 4 |
Information packet arrives from CHI. |
|
Nov. 3 |
Send off for R & J marriage
certificates and birth certificates.
|
|
Nov. 2 |
We choose Children's Hope International as our adoption
agency. |
|
Oct 30 |
We decide to adopt a little girl from
China. |
Soooo, what does it COST???
Here's *our* Spendline
from the very first moment....YMMV
(your
mileage may vary)
Keep in mind that
I have spent 1.5 million dollars on clothing,
bottles, toys and other items that were way too cute
to pass up! Some necessities, some not so much!
Birth &
Marriage Certificates
for all of us |
81 |
PACRIM
(mailing to, translation, legal
fees for dossier in China) |
915 |
|
Postage |
26 |
Passports
for kids |
200 |
|
Police record
check |
10 |
FEDEX of Documents |
100 |
|
Gladney App
Fee |
300 |
Update Fingerprints |
140 |
|
CIS
application fee |
685 |
Update
Homestudy app fee |
200 |
|
Homestudy fee |
1500 |
Update
Homestudy |
500 |
|
Gladney 1/2
Fee |
3000 |
TBI fingerprint fee (Me & Joe) |
96 |
|
Gladney HS
review |
250 |
Police record
check |
10 |
|
Copies |
64 |
Plane fares - To/From China |
4853 |
|
Passport photos |
50 |
Chinese Visa x4 +courier |
520 |
|
Passport submission |
194 |
Plane fares/Hotels -
In China |
6047 |
|
Chinese
consulate TX |
25 |
Gladney Final Fee |
1300 |
|
KY
Secretary of State |
10 |
Orphanage Donation
|
3000 |
|
Wilson
County Certs |
27 |
Food |
200 |
|
Davidson
County Certs |
8 |
Visa Medical Exam
|
100 |
|
TN
Secretary of State |
24 |
US Immigration Visa |
335 |
|
US consulate
KY TN |
78 |
Processing Expenses
|
1500 |
|
Chinese
consulate |
265 |
Presents & Souvenirs |
1500 |
|
What's the
Grand Total so
far?
Why in the world are you telling everyone about
your finances??
Good question. If you'll notice, nothing above is
unique to "our" family. All of these items are
things that any family in a similar situation would
have to pay in this given timeline, in this given
year. I would have pulled teeth for this info two
years ago, just to give me an idea for my own
planning. If it helps one family get a handle on their
spending future, then I'm helping someone by keeping
these records.
|
