Today I received Gingers first, middle, last name. I knew her real first name, but I needed this info for our last remaining documents. As I received this info, I heard the old song "It's a bright, bright, bright, sunshiney day, look all around there's nothing but blue sky..." I just happened to look out the window, and the clouds began to move on. I brought the kids to the Pediatrician to have their shot for travel. I showed the Dr Gingers pic, who will also be her Pediatrician, he's checking out the pic, and than he says, "oh, what a beauty, she is going to have such a great life now" I've been reading more of a book regarding internationally adopted children, and attempt to understand the book "Russian translation for dummies" We're coming Ginger!

Yesterday we went to Cape Cod, and spend the day at the beach. It was like summer yesterday. Frank and I were talking about how Ginger would like the beach or not. We hope she does, as we do. She could feel the warm sand in between her little toes, run back and forth into the edge of the tide, splash in the water, pick up shells, dig in the sand with her brother and sister. Her having freedom beyond the orphanage. Can't come soon enough.

The kids passports arrived in the mail today! Another step closer, thank you God.

The other day Matty had a Dr appt, and I dropped Ashley off at my moms I asked the ENT Dr if he was taking new pt's, he asked why, and I told him about Ginger, she will be one of his pt's. Matty saw his cardiologist, and started calling his name, and ran to him. I asked him if he would take Ginger as his pt, he said he would. He also stated about children being internationally adopted, and with DS the risk of undiagnosed cardiac defects, I told him we understood this risk, we want her. The Cardiologist, said great, this child will have a nice life He would like to see Ginger ASAP after getting home and situated. Back to my moms after the Dr appt. Since she is south of Boston, and we're north of Boston, rush hour can be a nightmare, so we stayed at her house for dinner. After we got situated at home, went to check my E mail. There was an e mail, with a new picture of Ginger! She's beautiful, dressed mainly in pink, cute light blue spring shoes, a little white head band with a small flower on it. Her pic had really changesd from the RR pic of last summer she looks like she grew also. A few of our friends have commented on how Matty and Ginger look so much alike, not just the DS characterisitics. They're only a few monthes apart as well. As far as our paperwork is concerned, our homestudy has been approved by our caseworker, and the social worker will mail us a few copies that will be notorized by her boss, and can send one copy to USCIS (Immigration), Frank is having his fingerprints redone on tues morning in Boston, 3 documents to be notarized, and a letter of request to the country she is in we will be requesting to travel in June or early July.. I did my first draft of that letter yesterday, and will get input from our caseworker. I looked at apartments on line in the city Ginger is in, can rent daily, some look really nice, 2 bdrms, and some near McD's and TGIF restaurant. A little taste of Americana.

Went through the dossier checklist, and realized another apostille is needed, too bad sicne I could have had that document done last week while I was having others done. That's ok, I'll go back to Boston next week when the kids are back to school. The homestudy will be sent to AAC, for their review probably in a few days. Than we will get the originals, send it to USCIS. Beside that, think we only have 3 more documents to be notorized too. Our friends 16yr old daughter wants to go with us, she asked her parents, and would help us with our kids. She has babysat for us numerous times, has a little brother with DS so she is very familiar with that. She is a good, smart, nice young lady, and would like her to come with us too We'll will sit down with her parents this friday I have been friends with her mom for years, and she said it's fine for her daughter to go with us and knows her daughter would be safe with us, her dad wants more info.. Last night, Frank and I went to the Boston Bruins playoff hockey game, and sat behind the penalty box. It was a tighe squeeze with the plexi glass right in front of us, for Frank , sicne he's so tall, he mentions that this would be like the plane trip to Eastern Europe, so that made us pine more for Ginger. I'm praying we'll be heading out in June, still waiting for the kids passports. Can't wait to bring you home beautiful Ginger, hang in there, we love you.

Just me with the our kind, awesome Town Assessor for a notary with his signature regarding the proof of property document. We're heading near completion of our dossier.
Katie

Our homestudy has been completed and approved, we're getting closer for the dossier to be complete. I'm going to Boston tomorrow to have more documents apostilled. Just waiting for our kids passports.

As we prepare for Easter, the religeous significance of this day, families getting together, our kids happy with their Easter baskets, I think of Ginger in the orphanage. To her, it's just another day hanging out. Our kids saying they wish she was here, they would share their candy with her. I would have bought her a pretty Easter dress, as my daughter just put hers on, only 5 hrs before families are planning to come over. We are going to have an Easter egg hunt late afternoon, as 6 ones will be for Ginger, as she is 6 yrs old. I will enjoy this day, but have prayers for her, as I do everyday, and think she will be in her Easter finery next year, taking pics with her big sis and big bro. When I hug my kids, there is spot for Ginger, that I long to have her there. Have a nice Easter everyone.
Katie

Today, Matty, my neice, and I took a trip to the Public Records division. Still wasn't a go for the wording on our notarys for our document to be apostilled. The woman at the desk was the same from tuesday, she just commented on the notary wording, nothing about the color of ink used for the notary stamp. she told me that "there is a bank, a 5 min walk away has a notary with the correct wording, go there and come right back" so off we went. the ntoary asked us where and why we were going, as 2 documents were for passports. I said where and why, and when it was done, asked him how myuch for the notarys, as I wasn't a member of the bank, "no charge, don't worry about it" Yippee! I thanked him alot, off we went back to the Public record division. A differant woman was behind the counter, who was very ncie. She must have heard my neice tell me she was thirsty, becasue she walked away from the counter. I thought something was wrong, but she came back with 3 glasses of water, nice. She than apostilled our needed documents, had a sigh of relief. My neice and Matty were quite well behaved so I took them out to lunch after. Matty wore his cool Boston Bruins hockey shirt, so it was a conversation starter, and between Matty and how the Bruins are playing right now, even cranky people we ran into today, just seemed to smile, also a warm beautiful spring day in Mass.
Katie

Just got the mail and received our state CORI (criminal offender record info) state clearance letters. Knew there isn't an issue with Frank or myself.

This made my day: We have to change one number on the proof of property form, and get that form with some town ID on it. I went over to the town assessor office, who have been wonderful. the Assessor said he will transfer all the info from our cover letter onto town paper, with his name, title, address, town seal, and go back to the notary for me, when it's CONVENIENT for me! We will E mail that to him. the woman at this office asked me how the notarys are going, and I told her about the blue-black ink scenario, and she said that every notary she has used or receiving papers with a notary have always been stamped in dark blue ink, they stand out a little more against black typed letters. Still waiting for the CORI (criminal offender records) state clearance letters, finshed up my Dr paperwork, and so have Frank. I'm psyched to head back into Boston, praying for monday, and it's a warm sunny day, and possibly take a stroll through Faniuel Hall, maybe have a sandwich by Boston Harbor, watching the planes fly overhead. got me thinking about the planes coming into Logan Airport, will love the day when we touch ground back to Boston from Eastern Europe, and ginger will legally be ours.
Thanks Meredith
Katie

I deceided to call the Boston office regarding apotilles/notarized documents. I read what our notary letters said to woman on the phone, twice, told her my ID was my license to the notary, and if very dark blue ink is acceptable, and she all was fine, and the document could be apostilled! Maybe the person was having a bad day yesterday, Going back in probably monday.

We had our USCIS (Immigration) fingerprints done yesterday in Boston. We had to be there at 8am. It kind of reminded me of a smaller version of the RMV. They really move people in and out of there quick, were only thee 30 mins. We left quite early sicne we know how Boston traffic can be in the morning. We made it in there in just a little over an hour, miracle. After that we walked over to the Public record division for apostilles on some documents. For those wondering, an apostille is a Mass state seal for required documentation, not just a small town seal, it's gold with a tiny barrett like ribbon that's blue, and threaded through the document. We were really happy becasue we had 6 documents, and a max of 3 per person, awesome. Not, hit a roadblock for the wording for the notary, and the ink that the notary used was very dark blue, but the woman said BLACK INK only, I alsmost started to cry. Our caseworker is changing the wording for us, and start again with that. At least we're only waiting for 2 documents, that is the harder part anyway. I'll go back to Boston ASAP with our new notary letters and get them apotilled, at least we were able to get 2 done. We were home from Boston by 10:30. After that, went to the bank for bank checks for the kids passports, another PITA, if anyone needs birthcertificates for passports, only the paper size ones are accepted, not the small index card size ones we sometimes get. We hustled from our post office, over to Billerica to get a peice of paper size birth certificate and back to the post office, both kids info is on the way. Phew. Did some more errands, after supper, getting the kids bathed, realxed on the couch and watched a Bruins game. Doing more today, have to head over to my Dr office to sign off on a paper for a required blood work for the adoption, and stop by the town assessor office for another form. when I'm stressing over the notary stuff, which I know can and will be resolved, picture Gingers sweet little face, and move on.
Katie

The beggining on the road to adoption

April1, 2009

We deceided to adopt a little girl from Eastern Europe, she is 6 yrs old, currently living in an orphanage. When we saw her picture, something about that photo said to us, "I'm beautiful, and you both want me to be your little girl". We also deceided to look in a domestic adoption, but we always went back to her photo to see if she had found a family yet. One day, we couldn't find find her photo on the adoption site, were getting anxious as to what happened, as children are transferred to instututions at an early age. We deceided that if not finding her photo, and the thought of her living alone, in a crib or bed, in an institution, possibly for the rest of her life, was not an option for us, we wanted her, we need her, to give her unconditional love, and everything that a child needs to have a great life. We finally found her photo, had a sign of relief, and thought this is a sign from God. I am currently taking a class, and there was a huge map on a stand, I asked for another sign from God that this is the right thing to do, I just happened to look up at the map, which was about 4 ft from me, and there was an enlarged part of Eastern Europe. We committed to adopting her that night. we are moving along fairly well paperwork wise, considering it's many, many, documents, many, many notarazations. when some frustration happens getting paperwork done, I look at her beautiful face, and move on. Our 2 kids are thrilled, to have her join the family too. It's hard with your child to be so far away, our hearts pine for her. I wish she was here yesterday.