Numbers Game

I want to be as up front as possible with our adoption fundraising. I think it is great when people want to help out an adoptive family financially, but I know sometimes people wonder where the money goes. At the same time, many people often wonder why adoption costs so much money. While I can't give you solid answers on the why, I can tell you where the money goes.

Home Study Application Fee  $350
Home Study  $2,050
Transportation costs for Social Worker  $66.70
Education  $200
Background Checks $27
Document Authentication $2 per document (tons of documents, too many to count)
FBI Fingerprints  $216.50
Passports  $220
Post Placement Reports (required to pre-pay for these)   $1,400
Agency Fee for Bulgaria Program#1  $4,625
Commitment Fee  $2250
Agency Fee for Bulgaria Program#2  $4,625  Due when we return from trip 1
Case Worker Fee #1  $1,750
Case Worker Fee #2  $1750
I800a  $890
Child's Visa $325
Child's Medical and TB test  around $250
Second Stage Fingerprints  $110
Hotel for trip 1  unsure, we think around $700
Hotel for trip 2  unsure, we think around $700
Food for trip 1   $300-$400
Food for trip 2    $300-$400
Airfare for trip 1 (2 adults)  $3,000
Airfare for trip 2 (2 adults round trip, and 1 child one way)

The cost seems so overwhelming at times. Honestly though, it is hard to believe that already at this point in the process, we have paid $15,805. The blue print is what we still have left to raise. It looks like it will end up being another $11,000 - $14,000. We won't know exactly the cost because air fare will vary in price depending on the time of year we travel.

I am still making magnets for $1 each. I know $1 doesn't sound like a lot, but every single one adds up to a bigger number. Once our girls are back in school for the year I will also be back working at our military commissary, where I bag groceries for customers and take them out to their vehicle. Rain, Shine, Sleet, or Snow I'm there working. We don't receive an hourly pay at all, only tips. Every penny I make there goes into a cup we have in our cupboard and once a week I deposit it into our savings account we have set up for the adoption.  If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to our adoption you can do that at our Reece's Rainbow link here. Donation Link

Thanks for all your prayer and support. We honestly couldn't get through this without all of you.

This is hard

I remember when I was pregnant with Natalie, and so many people seemed in awe by the fact that I wasn't freaking out with worry over her. We had found out that she was going to have some medical issues (most she did not have, for those of you who don't know the story) I just felt a calmness, and feeling of peace during my time I carried her. I'm not sure if it was because I was carrying her, and holding her, and just felt close and connected to her. What I do know, is that, both Nate and I already knew no matter what happened when she was born, we were going to love her, care for her, and protect her with a fierceness never before seen.  She is healthy, beautiful, and one of the best things that ever happened to us.  :) 

I think that is why being so far away from our little guy is so, so hard. I can't be there for him at night if he wakes up and cries, I can't hold him when he needs to be held. Does he even cry anymore for someone to hold him, or has he learned over the past 23 months, that most of the time no one is going to come. I pray every day he feels his fathers love and protection over him. I pray that the caretakers treat him with kindness and love, rather than with a sense of duty.

I so badly need trip one dates to come and be here so I can see for myself that he is okay. I can't wait to whisper in his ear, that he is loved, that he has a mommy and a daddy who will move heaven and earth to get to him, and that he has 3 big sisters that can't wait to love on him.   Getting on that plane to come home after trip one will be the hardest thing I've had to do yet in my entire life. The only thing that will get us on that plane, is knowing the sooner we get back home and finish up paperwork, that sooner we can get back to bring him home. That, and the fact that we will miss our three here at home like crazy! 

Movement in July with much more to come in August

I think most of you know about our LONG wait for home study approval from that state of Illinois.  The good news for families behind us in the process is that this step isn't needed anymore. The Gov. of IL signed the bill that was passed taking this step out of the process.

For us though, we finally received news over the phone on July 9th that ours had been approved. A few days later, we received a letter stating our approval.  Such a good feeling after so many months waiting.  Our agency then, had to notarize our home study and mail it to us.  The next step, was to submit I800a application to USCIS for approval. We sent that in on July 20th. We need to wait for them to send us an appointment notice for our biometric appointment.  Once we go for this appointment we should have about another 2 week wait for approval.     

This is the last and final piece of paperwork needed for our dossier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We've been lucky, in that, our agency has allowed us to send all the other paperwork we've completed already to Bulgaria. While we've been waiting for this other step, our dossier has been (hopefully) being translated so that it will be ready to be submitted to the MOJ.

From dossier submission, to travel, is usually about 2 months. We will be submitted to the MOJ, next verbal approval will be given, then written approval will be given. After that, our NGO in Bulgaria will be setting up our travel dates for trip one. It all seems like it's still so far away, but it really will come pretty fast. We won't have a lot of advanced notice, but that's fine with us. We already know Grandma will stay with the kids and pups while we are away.

So, soon you'll be seeing a post letting you all know we have I800a approval and our dossier has been submitted. Hopefully, soon after that, I'll be posting that we have trip 1 travel dates.

Update Time

I've been updating periodically on our Facebook Page, but haven't written here in a while. I wish there was more to say in this post today, but the truth is, not much has happened.

Our home study was sent to DCFS on May 14th, and we are still waiting for our approval. I have been talking with some other Illinois families who are going through the same struggle as us. On family who was submitted after May 22, got their state senator involved a little over a week ago and received their approval yesterday. I thought, well if this is what it takes, then this is what we will do as well. So, yesterday I made the call to Senator Bush's office and spoke with her chief of staff. He is having the person who handles situations like this contact me this morning to discuss in detail, our situation. We are praying with their help, we will see movement this week.

When you sign commitment paperwork for a waiting child in Bulgaria, they give you exactly 6 months to do your home study and dossier paperwork. If the 6 months comes up and your home study is done but not all the dossier paperwork is collected yet, then you can request an extension. We never dreamed we would come close to the 6 month mark. Our goal from day one was to move as quickly as possible through each step of the process.  We did too, we began this process on Feb 27, and our home study was completed May 1st. If  we were in any other state, we would probably be leaving on trip 1 to meet him, within the next month. However, since we live in IL currently, we have to have state approval on the home study. So, unfortunately for us, and our son, we have been stuck. There isn't any other way to describe it, we are S.T.U.C.K. 

Meanwhile to try to keep sane, I've been focusing on fundraising. We are making and selling magnets, and currently have an avon fundraiser going. The link for that is here:  https://adoption.avonrepresentative.com/  Any purchases made now until July 15th will help benefit our adoption fund. We would be so thankful for any help this way.

I am also planning a HUGE garage sale in Michigan and my parent's house next weekend.  We are really excited for this. I think it's going to be a great time and can't wait to see how we do. We are so thankful for everyone who has donated to the sale.

As soon as the home study is approved and in my hands, I can send in the I-800a application. I've already filled out the application and it is ready to go. This step basically is us asking the US government permission to adopt a child from Bulgaria. It will take about a month to receive our approval and this is the very last piece of our dossier that is needed. I think that's all for today. I'll post here as soon as we hear about our home study.

Matthew West Inspired Shirt

I LOVE the song, Do Something, by Matthew West.  I knew when we started out adoption that if we did a t-shirt fundraiser, I really wanted it to have something to do with that song. We will be taking orders through June 18th. I will place the big order and mail them out to each person who orders one. We hope to have the shirts in by July 1st.

Shirts are $20 + $5 for shipping for sizes S, M, L, XL  (2XL and 3XL are $22) and youth medium - XL  If you order more than one shirt only $5 is needed for the shipping for the whole order.

If you are a Great Lakes IL person, or a Saranac/Ionia/Lowell MI person you don't have to include shipping, I'll deliver them to you.

Payment can be made 3 ways:   (Great Lakes friends, I can come pick up the money from you)

1. Mail a Check to us. Just please remember to let us know sizes , how many you're ordering, and where we should send it.

3191A Meridian Ct
Great Lakes IL 60088

2. If you would rather use paypal that is fine also. The paypal email address to use is:

cmaescheid@gmail.com  Don't forget to include a note letting me know size, and where to send it.

3. You can also send the payment to our adoption fund account we have set up through Reece's Rainbow. That link is:

http://reecesrainbow.org/88194/sponsorscheid

Home Study Is Goin On A Roadtrip

Our home study is written, and our placing agency, and home study agency feel that it says what it needs to say. So, now it's off to Springfield, IL to be approved by DCFS.  This can take about a month, but I've been hearing recently that it's been taking about two weeks. I'm hoping, and praying our's is the second of the two. As soon as our home study is approved, I can submit our I800a application and once we get that approval our dossier can be processed in Bulgaria. Luckily, while I'm waiting, our agency has told us to go ahead and send our dossier paperwork early to be translated while we are waiting on the I800a approval. This will help speed things up for things in Bulgaria.

I'll post as soon as I know the home study has been approved.

Much Needed Update

I don't even know where to start with this one, so I'm just going to go in order of events.

Last Friday, May 1st, we had our last home study meeting with our social worker. She has been so great to work with. If we ever do another adoption, I doubt the home study could possibly go as smoothly as it did with her.  She was just great!  She had already sent the rough draft to Madison's headquarters to be reviewed and they returned it to her on May 6th.  The very same day, she sent it off to our placing agency to review. We love Shelley with our placing agency. She is so quick to get back to us with any questions or concerns we have. She didn't disappoint here either. Shelley had our home study back to our home study agency the very same day. If things keep going like they are, I'm hoping that Madison, sends our home study to the State of IL for final approval next Monday.  Sometimes this part can take a while.  :( Up to a month, but I'm praying for 2 weeks max!!!!!

While we've been doing all of the home study paperwork, I've also been getting together our dossier paperwork that will need to go to Bulgaria. I am just waiting on our FBI appistile copy of our fingerprints and I will have everything we need for that. I'll then send off the I800a application and we will wait for that approval to come in. The second we get that, our dossier paperwork will shoot off across the ocean to Bulgaria. We hope to travel on trip 1 about 8 weeks later. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Once you travel for trip 1 and come back home, it usually takes 4-5 months to be invited back for trip 2 which is pick up trip. We are hoping, praying, that this all goes as fast as possible because we are running against a time clock here.

We found out this week that we will pcs outta here, (yayyyyy for the end of recruiting duty) on Feb 1st 2016.  We really need to be done with trip 2 before Feb 1st. For so many reasons we need this to happen. Here are a few of those:

1. ticket prices from Hawaii to Bulgaria are over DOUBLE the price
2. Nate doesn't want to check into a new squadron just to have to ask for an extended amount of time off.
3. we will have to find a new home study agency and redo a bunch of paperwork and resend it to Bulgaria to have translated and processed if we have to move before Teddy comes home. What a MESS that will be. Not to even mention the added cost to the adoption.
4. It will be so much easier for Grandparents to come to Chicago, IL or the grandkids and grand-pups to go to Grandparents than it will be if we have to move to Hawaii before trip 2
5. PCS'ing in the middle of an adoption......ummmmm....no, thanks, but no
6. my Sanity, I think it'll be gone if this all plays out how we fear it may.

So, please, please, keep praying with us that things keep going smoothly like they are. We are so excited for him to come home!!!!! 

****As soon as our home study goes to Springfield, IL to be looked over and approved I'll post an updated blog post so you all can be praying with us.