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.

Next Step

Exciting news to share!  We got an email from our case worker that our home study is done. We have to wait for the main office at Madison Adoption Associates to review the home study to make sure everything is right, and then it will go to IL DCFS for final approval.

This is such great news!!!!!

As soon as we have the final draft of the home study we can move on to the next step in the process. 
Our next step is applying for I800a and this can take 2 whole months.  :(  Those 2 months will be so hard to get through. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to start that part of the process by the middle of May.

So Just How Much Will This Cost????

Trust me, just like you guys are wondering, so were we.  In many ways we still are wondering how much it will all end up costing. There are so many different things that play a factor in the cost of adoption. So what could be involved that makes it add up so quickly?

Application fees, home study, education training, passports, fingerprints, in country fees, travel, child's visa, agency fees, certification, apostilling, translation, authentication, court. See why it can get overwhelming to think about all we have to do?                  One.   Step.   At.   A.   Time.

We are fundraising to help with the costs of the adoption. I know some people feel strangely about fundraising, and if you aren't okay with it, that's fine, just pray for us. We can use your prayers just as much!  We try to think of fun, different types of fundraisers where to person donating has a chance to win something, or is actually purchasing something with their donation. We just want everyone to know that we appreciate the help that has been given and are so thankful. We'll get him home no matter what. We would do anything for any of our kids and this includes him. He not only needs a family, he needs medical treatment and we can provide that for him.

Here is a breakdown of some of the fees just to give you an idea:
Application Fee - $350  (paid)
Home Study - $3,450  (paid)
FBI Fingerprints - $210  (paid)
Passports - $220 + $50 processing fee  (paid)
Placement Agency Fees:
At Commitment to child - $4,000  (paid)
I-800A - $720
Dossier Submission - $5,750
After Trip 1 - $4,000

Additional expenses for us will be his medical appointment and TB test that he needs for his embassy appointment before coming home trip 2, his visa $230, our airfare for trip 1 and trip 2, hotel and food for trip 1 and trip 2

Our in country travel is paid for in the agency fee's above so we don't have to stress about that in country. It is one of the countries that is less expensive to adopt from, but by the time we have finished we will have spent between $24,000 and $28,000 depending on what time of year we travel, if there are hold ups with paperwork, if we have to move due to the military before he comes home.
If he isn't home yet when we have to pcs with the military, this will cause a hold up and increase in our fees. We will have to apply with a new home study agency that is licensed in the state we move to, and get an amendment done to our home study and send new paperwork off to Bulgaria.

I know it's a lot, but hopefully this gives you an idea of what we are working on. I'll be updating this post as we pay the different amounts so stay tuned.  :)  Thanks again for following along with us.

Drawing for the winner in one week!!!!!!!

Need a vacation????  Please consider entering our Chicago Vacation Giveaway. It is just $5 to enter and you can enter your name as many times as you wish.  The trip is for May 30th and 31st and is valued at just under $1,000. This is in their 2 bedroom Presidential Suite. There is so much to do around this area and it would be such a fun getaway.

Please donate here and comment below to let me know that you donated and how many times so I can enter your name into the drawing:

http://reecesrainbow.org/88194/sponsorscheid