(Snapshot of a just a few of the documents we are required to submit)
Everyone wants to know what is happening and when do the boys get here!? Sorry we have been slow getting the latest info up, but here it goes...
It's Hammer TIME..."Break It Down"!
February 14th: Ukraine Government reviews our Dossier (AKA: huge package detailing every aspect of our lives past, present and future)
March 15th (approx): Ukraine is done with our file and grants us approval and a travel date!
April 15th (approx): We go to Ukraine for our first required visit (2-4 weeks...we know how long once we are there!)
May 6th (approx) Home to the USA for the 10-day "cooling off period", required by Ukraine
May 15th (approx) Back to the Ukraine to complete final paperwork and get the boys! (2 weeks)
May 29th (approx) Home to the USA with the boys, we will finally be together with all 5 of our children!
It has been a bit of a mad house over here as we are collecting documents that need to be in Ukraine before our review date of Feb. 14th. The huge pile of documents is our "Dossier" and includes 22 items that the Ukraine government will be reviewing from State Police Clearance Letters to Homeland Security Fingerprints. It also will include our 2011 taxes, proof of how big our house (photos required), blood test, psychological test, our marriage license and about 15 more items!
Everything must be gathered, notarized and then apostilled (stamped at the State Capitol as official) so if I haven't called, texted, FB or answered my door it is because we are doing all this along with running our little household with Suzy (5), Pearl (4) and Charlotte (1).
A special thanks to Lisa Snarr for teaching me how to wear my hair cute for three straight days without washing it...it has been a life saver!
Once the Dossier is finished it will be translated and hopefully on our caseworkers desk ready for review on February 14th. It will take her 4 weeks to read through and check everything. Once that is done, hopefully around March 15th we will receive our travel date! (YAHOOO!) This will probably be another 4 weeks so we are tentatively planning to go to Ukraine for our first visit around April 15th.
We get so sad thinking about the boys being so far from us. Some days it really is emotionally overwhelming having my children so far away and not with family. I look through the cards so many of you have sent, read your names from our paypal account and read the notes on my facebook account asking, cheering, praying and loving us on this journey. You keep us going, you keep me happy and positive and you are making this miracle happen, thank you.
