Fun with immigration

Whew, 1 more thing done! We drove 2 hours to get to Birmingham to get fingerprinted at Immigration and were finished in like 10 minutes! It was totally worth it though. While we were in town we decided to go "sight-see", if you can call it that. See, there is this HUGE iron statue called the Vulcan (I tried to post pictures and couldn't, you'll have to google him, his butt is bare from behind, lol)and they have made this cool park there anyway....You can go up in this glass elevator to the top and look at the observatory and it has a breathtaking view. After that we decided to make it a day and go out to eat. After careful consideration we decided to try Landry's Seafood. All I have to say is yummmmmy. If you ever go there have the Red Beans and Rice and add a skewer of grilled shrimp. Jeremy has been home all week since his truck is in the shop and I have to say, I'm spoiled. While he is gone I don't eat near as much, it's going to take me a month to lose the weight I've gained! Well, sleep calls!

The suspension is lifted!!!!!!

The suspension is lifted!!!!!! I think those are the best words I've heard all week.
This is what was posted today re: Kaz adoptions....

----------
March 25, 2008

On Monday, March 24th, Joint Council met with Kazakhstan Ambassador to the United States Erlan Idrissov and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Michelle Bond. The meeting addressed the Ambassador’s concerns regarding adoptions between the United States and Kazakhstan and confirmed the ongoing review of all adoptions cases currently at the Kazakhstan Embassy in Washington D.C. The Ambassador kindly detailed Kazakhstan’s efforts to ensure that intercountry adoptions are in the best interest of each child and conducted within an ethical and legal framework. He also expressed Kazakhstan’s efforts to utilize the tenets of the Hague Convention in both current and future laws.

Joint Council is pleased to report that at the conclusion of the meeting, the Ambassador confirmed that the temporary suspension of dossier processing by the Embassy is lifted and dossier’s meeting all necessary criteria will be processed. Dossiers not meeting the criteria will be held at the Embassy until all issues and concerns are successfully resolved. The Ambassador also confirmed that a review of all adoption service providers and family dossiers is ongoing and will remain in effect until further notice. During this review period, adoption service providers and potential adoptive parents should expect ongoing delays in processing times. No specific time line for the processing of dossiers is currently available.

It remains Joint Council’s understanding that in adoption cases where the dossier has already been processed by the Kazakhstan Embassy and forward to Astana are not affected by the review process noted above.

The Kazakhstan Embassy, U.S. Department of State and Joint Council have agreed to work collaboratively over the coming weeks to ensure that the goal of ethical, legal adoptions under the tenets of the Hague Convention are met in a timely fashion and in the best interest of each child. Joint Council hopes to meet with Consular Chief Almat Aidarbekov in the coming days to discuss specific issues related to child welfare in the U.S. and Kazakhstan.

Joint Council extends our sincere thanks and appreciation to Ambassador Idrissov and Deputy Assistant Secretary Bond for their efforts on behalf of the children we serve. We also applaud Ambassador Idrissov’s commitment to ethical child welfare and to ensuring a safe, loving and permanent family for every child.

----------

I guess that means business as usual. We had talked to Maeven yesterday about the situation and decided that we were headed in a positive direction and she seemed like the situation was no big deal so...... Anyway we go to Birmingham on Friday to be fingerprinted for our I-171. Progress, I guess!

Looking back

I think alot about where I was exactly one year ago today. I try to remember if I saw my Daddy or not. I can't remember the last time I saw him exactly. I know that really sounds strange. I can remember the exact last words he told me and the tone of his voice, but I can't remember the last time I saw his face. One year ago tomorrow he will have been gone for one year and it seems like an eternity. I miss him so very much and I was really trying to hold it together and be strong but, when I saw his picture staring back at me earlier today I just kept trying to remember and I can't. I have moments when I'm mad and hurt that he took himself away from us and I know it sounds selfish. He wanted me to adopt so bad and now here we are, knee deep and I just really wish he was here to share all the ups and downs with us. I will teach Garrett all about his "Pawdad" (that's what my nieces call him) and tell him all the stories I can about him. It's still just really hard though.

More questions than answers

I wasn't real sure what to think about all the rumors going around this week about the Kaz program being suspended until I went to www.jcicis.org/Kazakhstan, and this is what I found.



March 17, 2008 -

Joint Council confirms the suspension of dossier processing by the Kazakhstan Embassy and Consulates pending the finalization of a review of adoption cases by the Kazakhstan government. The following represents our understanding of the suspension:

The suspension of dossier processing by the Kazakhstan Embassy/Consulate is effective immediately.
Dossiers which have been processed and fowarded to Almaty will be permitted to continue through to finalization.
Dossiers which have not yet been processed by the Embassy/Consulate will not be forwarded to Almaty and will remain at the Kazakhstan Embassy/Consulate pending the completion of the review noted above.
Kazakhstan Embassy/Consulate will not accept new dossiers pending the completion of the review noted above.

Joint Council hopes to meet with Kazakhstan officials soon and will continue to provide updates and information.
------------------------------------


So, now what do we do? Do we submit a dossier to sit and collect dust? Do we change countries? Do we wait it out until we're old and gray and hope for the best? I'm very frustrated. We are supposed to go in the 28th and be fingerprinted for our I600-A and I'm not sure how this will all go down..........

Haircuts and completed homestudies

Well, first of all the most important thing..... Congrats Suz and Matt !!!!!!! Have a save trip and bring back your babies!!!!!! I am so very happy for you after all your patience and prayers. ( P words, lol) Tears of joy were flowin' for you in Alabama today. Matt, I hope you finished "laundering" all that money! Okay, now the second most important thing, check out my fierce new haircut. I got up the other day and decided the long hair had to go so I went to see my friend Jana, who I went to cosmetology school with, and I said just have fun with it! I trust her more than anyone when it comes to my hair! Turned out pretty cute, huh?



We also got back our completed homestudy this week. It was very interesting to read what they had to say about us. Its kinda funny how you have to trust these complete strangers who meet you a total of two to three times and pay all this money to make such a judgement about your life. I mean, no offense, people who can have children of there own really don't appreciate the gift that they have been given. I guess it guess back to my earlier post where I ranted and raved when Muriel was having problems at the beginning of her pregnancy. Its like this week when the woman in Houston threw her two little boys off the overpass during lunch traffic. Where is her homestudy?




This is my favorite of Letter of Favorable Recommendation, lol. I had better shut up before they change their minds. I am totally excited to have it back and be working on our dossier again. I am ready to travel like tomorrow if we could but in reality I know it will more than likely be the end of the year or first of next year, so I better just be patient.

Anyway. Papaw Frank is back in the hospital today. He went in for his first cancer treatment and his platelets were supposed to be over 100 and they were only 1, so his cancer doc sent him straight over. So, everyone sent good vibes and prayers his way, he has a BIG mountain to climb. Good night and God Bless! Kisses!

911!!!!!

Okay, first of all, THANKS SBP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got home on Monday and got a huge surprise. My SBP, from Wouldn't I like to know, sent me lots of fun goodies which I luv so very much! I had to play with all of it, lol! Then I went to my MaMaws house to spend the night..........
Thats when it all went downhill, see, my cell phone needed to be charged so I plugged in my charger and when I did....I set the house on fire. Yes, I shocked myself with 22o volts and set the living room on fire. It wasn't really my fault (no pun intended) it was a "faulty" plug. My Papaw knew the plug was bad and had a chair in front of it which has since been moved. Anyway..... Thanks to some quick thinking on the part of my sister-in-law Jenny who probably saved my life by throwing me to the floor and called 911, and my brother who started tearing out the wall and putting out the fire, all ended well.

Except for the wall and my poor phone charger of course! I had to charge my phone last night at home and really thought twice before I plugged it into the wall!

Fun Stuff!!!

Okay like FOREVER ago I promise pics of our "nursery-in-progress" and SBP pics and never really got around to it soooooo here they are!!!! (finally) Some of the pics I wanted to put on here were to dark for some reason but we have a beautiful chest and bookcase/dresser that match the bed. Anyway have a great day and God bless everyone and I luv, luv, luv you all!!!! I seriously want to sleep with this every night myself. It is so soft and cuddly. It plays "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" when you mash his tummy! I am in love with him and Jeremy make fun of me! Tigger is my new man......

I know these are seriously over due! I have no concept of time here lately! This was soooo adorable from my last SBP Dori! Thanks again!

Like I said in the earlier post, Gabby LOVES Nathans Dog Treats!!!! She goes nuts when I come in with a bag and when I got these from Dori it was so funny!

This is the cutest mobile. It has big trucks hanging from it!!!!! I know that Garrett is gonna be older but I believe ever baby should have a mobile.

(This one got a lil off center, haha)

This is a really good shot of the blanket that carries our theme. BIG TRUCKS!!! The bumper pad has the big trucks going around it and the fitted sheets are a red and off white gingham which I would like to have more of but can't seem to find anywhere. I love it so much, I hope Garrett will too.

Long days.....

I'm so sorry it's took so long to get back to everyone. It's been a really long and difficult couple of weeks. My Papaw passed away on the 18th and his funeral was on the 20th. During all that I got a pneumonia-like illness and had a really hig fever at the viewing and funeral. (I didn't go to the doctor because I was afraid they would put me in the hospital) My Mamaw was too sick to be there and has been in the hospital and went to the nursing home for therapy a few days ago. At the same time Jeremy's Papaw Frank got really sick and his lungs started filling up with fluid and they've already drained it twice. The doctor believes that it may be cancer but won't be able to be able to tell for sure until they can get the fluid to keep coming back, so they're going to be putting in a tube to keep it drained so that can do some more tests. There's just so much been going on between going from work, to the hospital, to the nursing home. I just have to keep focused and keep praying, because we our Mamaw and Papaw Frank to come home soon and get better so that they will be able to get to know our little G-man!!!!!!