Article 5 DROP OFF

My Article 5 has been dropped off in Guangzhou!  Whooohooo!  It has a scheduled pick up date of November 13th.  The last step is being issued Travel Approval!  I'm praying that is issued on or before November 17th.  It is looking VERY POSITIVE for Christmas travel!  Possibly even earlier (I have to see about how much time I can take off). 

Not much longer and I'll get to meet my son!!!

Thanks for checking in!

i800 APPROVAL

On October 19th my i800 was approved!  Whooohooo!  I called the NVC earlier today and they said my i800 was loaded into the computer today.  Kendra has told me to email and call daily to get GUZ number.

NVC – National Visa Center:  Where my i800 approval was sent.  From here my info will be loaded into the system and will be sent to the US Embassy in Guangzhou.  The NVC will assign me a GUZ number which goes on immigration paperwork for Bryson and then I’ll be emailed a copy of a pdf file that gets forwarded to Hand in Hand (my agency).  I’m hoping all of this happens fast.  

Article 5:  A courier will pick up the Article 5 (final approval) from the US Embassy and deliver it to China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) .  The Article 5 lets CCCWA know that I am approved by the US government to adopt Bryson and have done every little thing they have asked me to do (both China and US).  After this step CCCWA issues TA.

TA – Travel Approval:  I am welcome to enter China to complete Bryson’s adoption sometime over the next 90 days, but first I need to request a Consulate Appointment.

CA – Consulate Appointment:  I will request 5 dates for my Consulate Appointment at the US Embassy where I’ll ask for Bryson’s US Visa and swear an oath.  Hopefully I'll get my first pick ... and I'm praying I will travel to get him over Christmas break!  

For now, I wait.  And pray.  And get everything I need to in order.  Mom is flying in November 20th.  So I'll get to spend Thanksgiving with her!  Cotton is going to be SUPER excited to have Gigi staying with us!  

Thanks for checking in and following my journey!

~Jen

Fast and Furious

Things are starting to happen FAST!  My LOSC was approved in China possibly September 29th.  It showed up in the system Saturday October 1st and my agency received the hard copy on Tuesday October 3rd.

Idiot me ... I was trying to get things prepared for my i800 and sending it out ... I messed up on signing the date.  That format through me for a loop and I put the year twice, ahhh.  I pray it doesn't mess up anything!  That was actually the copy, so the real one has the correct date.  This is the one that went to USCIS.

My i800 "Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative" was sent out October 5th.  It hit lockbox on October 6th.  Since today is Columbus Day I hope it gets in the system and approved fast!

Mom and I are in the process of applying for our Chinese Visas.  I sent all of my stuff to her and she needs to add her application and passport and send to a courier in Chicago.  Since we are going together we are supposed to apply together.  

There is a possibility we could travel over Thanksgiving.  It all depends on each step and how long it takes to get the i800 back.  PRAY!!!

Thanks for following my journey!

~Jen

Waiting ... and more waiting

I just wanted to post a quick update since the last time I posted was the end of JULY.  Wow!  Not all that much to tell ... but here ya go :)

My dossier was logged in on August 9th.  On August 16th I got notice it was in translation (every.single.word.had.to.be.translated.).  I am currently in review.  Waiting ... waiting ... hopefully in the next week I'll get my Letter of Action from China.  

So not much happening (other than waiting and practicing my patience) is happening in my adoption world.  

We started school on August 16th and I have a great group of kids!  Then Hurricane Harvey came ... thankfully my house was not affected.  It's super hard to see how many people lost their homes.  The cleanup and rebuilding phase are in progress.  

I'm trying to keep myself super busy with work to keep my mind off of the waiting game.  So far, so good.  

Not much else to report (yet).  Stay tuned!

Thanks for checking in!

Jen

DTC!!!

I am DTC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have exciting news!!! Friday I was DTC!!! What that means is my dossier has been sent to China. This is a milestone step! Other families have traveled anywhere between 3 to 4 1/2 months from DTC. Please pray that each step towards me and Mom traveling to bring Bryson home is smooth and timely.  I was on cloud 9 all weekend!  What awesome news!!!

Currently I have a Tupperware Fundraiser going of which I profit 40%.  If you are interested you are able to shop from August 1st - 16th by following this link:

http://www.tupperware.com/?fundraiser=597e886c93bf3ff82d565ffd 

I still have two shirts available for purchase:

https://www.bonfire.com/jennifers-campaign-715/

https://www.bonfire.com/jennifers-campaign-856/

Steps left to be completed:

LID - Log in Date - the date when my dossier is logged into China's system

LOA/LOSC - This is a Letter of Action (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) sent by China to confirm that I am approved to adopt Bryson and seeking confirmation that I wish to proceed with the adoption.  UMMMM YA!  At this point I owe my next payment to the agency. 

i800 - This is the second immigration document I will file.  The i800 approval grants me permission to adopt Bryson. 

GUZ # - Applications for immigration visas are assigned a number.  This will be issued from the US Consulate in Guangzhou (GUZ).  I have been told this is a small step in the process. 

PDF/RTF - This is the email version of my National Visa Center approval letter.  The NVC processes the visa Bryson will be issued to enter the US after his adoption is completed in China.  Bryson will fly home on a Chinese passport.  The visa will verify that he will become a US citizen once his paperwork in processed by immigration wherever we first land in the US. 

Art 5 Pick-up - Article 5 is a document issued by the US consulate in Guangzhou which verifies to China that my paperwork is in order.  It takes 10 business days for the document to be prepared by the US consulate.  Once this document has been sent to the Chinese Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption my travel approval will be issued!

TA - Travel Approval issued by China inviting me to enter the country to finalize the adoption.  I have 90 days after the TA is issued to complete Bryson's adoption. 

Waiting ..........

As I wait for the next steps to be completed I am tearing apart my house in an effort to organize.  Bryson's room is looking good.  I just need to empty out his closet as I was using it for overflow.  I'm hoping to make several donation runs in the coming months.  

His bedroom has a dresser and a full sized bed.  I purchased a sheet / comforter set that I'll put on when the waterproof mattress liner arrives from Amazon ;)  In the area in front of his bed I would like to do a reading / play nook and am searching for a piece of furniture that won't dominate the space, but provide book and toy storage.  Possibly a beanbag to hang out in.  I have some time to put together a cool room :)

That's all for now!  Thank you for following my journey to Bringing Bryson Home!

~Jennifer

i800a APPROVED!

Wow, it's been a month since I last posted!  I got back from Iowa on Thursday ... just in time to head to Austin on Sunday.

I got my i800a approval!!!  I was approved on June 30th and my agency got the hard copy last Thursday.  Now it's going through all of it's authentications.  I used a courier service to hopefully expedite the process.  Normally I'd have to get it notarized ... then send to Austin to get it Secretary of State authenticated ... then to Houston to go through the Chinese Consulate.  I decided to use a courier in DC ... and she will have all three steps done July 20th.  She will then mail to Hand in Hand (agency)!!!

I'm headed to Austin tomorrow for a workshop at Texas School for the Deaf.  I'm there through Thursday the 13th.  I thought about doing the SOS authentication while I was there in person ... but I wouldn't be able to do that until Friday the 14th.  Then I'd have to do the Chinese Consulate portion on my own ... which probably isn't a big deal ... but would mean two trips into Houston and I wouldn't have back until the following week anyways.  Going through Kelly (courier) has eased a lot of stress for me knowing it will be done right and sent straight to agency.

My plan is to mail all of my dossier (minus the i800a Kelly is taking care of) off to Hand in Hand on Monday July 17th.  I need to talk to Kendra (agency BFF) to make sure I have all of the pieces in order before I mail off.  I needed Visa pics, family pics, etc ... I think I have all the pieces ... but I don't want to mail off until I am 100% sure!  So that means I am meeting my goal to send my dossier to China by 7/31!!!

I am anxious to start decorating Bryson's room.  I need to clear out some old furniture (futon!) from his room and shift a few things to the guest bedroom.  I purchased a bed from a friend and have a dresser I purchased awhile back.  Once I'm back from Austin I'll start his room!

I'm still working on fundraising and grants.  I have applied for several grants.  I got an email from Gift of Adoption saying I have a tentative review date of August 8th.  I am tweaking my personal statement and will be submitting an application to Help us Adopt and CMomA in the next week or two.  The other grants I have applied for ... I have heard ... nada.

This patience thing is difficult.  Hopefully he will be here before I know it!

Thanks for following my journey!

Waiting for i800a

I haven't posted in awhile!  Nothing really to report.  I had my fingerprints done for USCIS on May 23rd.  I called USCIS today to see where I was in the system ... and I haven't been assigned an officer yet.  She suggested calling back in a week to see if anything has changed.  That I will do!

Here are the next steps I will be going through.  I think I got them all.  This is such a learning process!

DTC - Dossier to China.  I am hoping and praying I am able to send my dossier by July 31st!!!  Right now I'm waiting for my i800A, the first immigration document I filed for permission to adopt from a convention country.  So hopefully it is complete SOOOOON!  PRAYYYYY!!!

** The Westerkamp family here in The Woodlands sent their dossier to China in February.  They should fly out June 20th.  I am hoping to be on the same timeline (if not faster!)**

LID - Log in Date - the date when my dossier is logged into China's system

LOA/LOSC - This is a Letter of Action (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) sent by China to confirm that I am approved to adopt Bryson and seeking confirmation that I wish to proceed with the adoption.  UMMMM YA!  At this point I owe my next payment to the agency.

i800 - This is the second immigration document I will file (I have already filed and am waiting for the i800A).  The i800 approval grants me permission to adopt Bryson.

GUZ # - Applications for immigration visas are assigned a number.  This will be issued from the US Consulate in Guangzhou (GUZ).  I have been told this is a small step in the process.

PDF/RTF - This is the email version of my National Visa Center approval letter.  The NVC processes the visa Bryson will be issued to enter the US after his adoption is completed in China.  Bryson will fly home on a Chinese passport.  The visa will verify that he will become a US citizen once his paperwork in processed by immigration wherever we first land in the US.

Art 5 Pick-up - Article 5 is a document issued by the US consulate in Guangzhou which verifies to China that my paperwork is in order.  It takes 10 business days for the document to be prepared by the US consulate.  Once this document has been sent to the Chinese Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption my travel approval will be issued!

TA - Travel Approval issued by China inviting me to enter the country to finalize the adoption.  I have 90 days after the TA is issued to complete Bryson's adoption.

I am headed to Playa del Carmen for four days, three nights on Friday.  When I get back Cotton and I are headed to Iowa for a short (for us) trip.  In Iowa I will be researching more grant options and trying to figure out the financial side.  I will be talking to Both Hands to get my next fundraiser rolling!

Thanks for checking in and following my journey!

Have a great day!

~Jen

Bryson Update!

I woke up this morning to an UPDATE from Bryson's orphanage!  What a great way to start a Monday!  I've been on a Bryson high all day!

I received several pictures and three 10 second videos.  I am absolutely in love with him!

Bryson is 44.4 inches tall and 46.29 pounds.  That puts him right with Ryan in height and weight.  

I'm going to buy him A FEW clothing items for now.  Currently he's in a size 6, but I will buy size 7.  I looked at all of the conversion charts for clothes and a size 6 is for 110-116 cm and size 6x-7 is for 116-122 cm.  He is almost 113 cm right now.  The last measurements I have are from March 2015.  Since then he's grown 12 cm. He's currently in a size 10 shoe.  I'm not going to buy shoes until I get to China.  I'm sure once he's home he'll grow like crazy. 

They said "he can not speak and always babbles to himself.  He doesn't know the gesture language.  He loves toys with bright colors such as red toys.  He can walk, run and jump freely.  He can feed himself and go to the bathroom alone."  

I cannot wait to bring him HOME!!!

Thanks for following my journey!  

Have a great week!!!

~Jen

Update

Hi all!  It's been a few weeks since I posted so I wanted to update you all.

First things first ... my dossier!  I mailed my dossier (minus i800) off to Austin to get State authenticated on May 10th.  I received everything back on May 18th with all of their pretty little authentication cover sheets.  Basically they were checking to make sure the notaries were legit and provided documentation they are!  Today I mailed off my dossier with State Authentications to My China Docs which is a courier service in Houston for the Chinese Consulate.  They will deliver the documents, pick them up ... and then mail back to me.

I get fingerprinted by Homeland Security next week!  Hopefully soon after that I will get my i800 back.  Once I get it back ... it goes through the State Authentication process ... then Chinese Consulate.  Then ... then ... THEN ... to my agency for review before it's sent to ... CHINA!!!  There are several other steps ... but honestly ... I can't rattle them off at the moment.  Basically all paperwork.  I'm learning as I go!

So now that the real waiting game has started I need to focus on the financial aspect.

I am waiting on several grant applications I sent in ... pray I am able to get funding through these grants.

Yesterday I received an email saying I was approved for fundraising support through Both Hands!

Both Hands help families fundraise for their adoptions. A family gathers a team of volunteers and Both Hands coaches them to coordinate a service project fixing up a widow's home. Similar to a 5k race, the family and their team raise sponsorship for their day of service and the funds raised help an orphan be adopted into a forever family!  The average family raises about $12,000 for their adoption expenses and in the process forms a relationship with a local widow helping her with her home!  What an awesome project!

I have an account open with Both Hands and I am able to receive donations (which are tax deductible, ask for a receipt!)

Mail checks payable to:
Both Hands
PO Box 2713
Brentwood, TN 37024
Attach a piece of paper indicating your giving preference is “Ruppert #368 adoption” 

And if you've made it all the way through this post ...
Kendra, my BFF with agency has been awesome bugging her people to bug Bryson's orphanage.  This morning they told us that they would get me an update on MONDAY.  So pray that they follow through.  I'm hoping that I get pictures, video and all of my questions answered!!!

Thanks for following my journey!  Have an amazing weekend!!!
Jen

May 27th Fundraiser

Happy Monday!  I am excited to announce my next Fundraiser for Bryson!  Below is the flyer!  Please tell your family and friends to come by 3-6 and shop the bake sale, LuLaRoe and Arbonne!  Then at 7:00 come back to play BUNCO!  If you would like to donate something to use as a prize, let me know!  I will update the link above (look in the teal bar above "Fundraiser Donations") as I get more donations (I already have FOUR awesome donations!).  I will also need donations for the bake sale!  If you would like to bake, you can bring your goodies by at 2:00 Saturday or let me know and I can get with you before!  Please let me know if you have any questions!  jenruppert3@gmail.com

Thank you!  Have a great week!

Next Steps

Yesterday I received an email from my home study agency saying they were done reviewing my home study report and approved it and were sending it to Cathie (social worker) to sign and then it is MINE!

This is a big step!  Now that the home study report is done a lot can happen.  I have already filled out the i800A (Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country) and as soon as the notarized copy of my home study is in my hands ... it will be put in an envelope and MAILED with the i800A!

I will get several notarized copies of my home study report.  One will go with my i800A.  Another will go with my dossier documents to Austin to be authenticated and then to Houston to the Chinese Consulate.  I will then have to do the same when my i800A comes back (Austin then Houston) ... but doing this in two separate steps is recommended in case something is rejected.  If it is rejected, I will have time to fix it.  Pray nothing is rejected!

THEN my dossier will be sent to China to be approved.

On one of my China Adoption FB groups they are keeping a spreadsheet of how long each families process from the time they received pre-approval until their Consulate appointment in China.  It looks like the average of those documented in the spreadsheet is 7-9 months.  My goal is to have him home by Christmas.

This Saturday my friend Amy is hosting a "Rollin' for Bryson" BUNCO night at her house.  It is primarily my subdivision attending and some Vogel friends.  I am looking forward to a good time!  I will share pictures after!

I am putting the finishing touches on a flyer I will share for another Bringing Bryson Home fundraiser that will be Saturday May 27th.  Stay tuned!

Here are some more pictures of people supporting my journey to Bringing Bryson Home!  You are all amazing!!!

Thanks all for checking in!  Have a great day!

Home Study DONE!!!

I have been recommended AND APPROVED through my Social Worker in my home study report! 

My home study report is working it's way through editing.  I got the rough draft to make any corrections needed.  It's sixteen pages long, so naturally there will be a few typos.  I added in a few pieces of info (she didn't know my eye color) ... and sent it back.  Now Hand in Hand (my placing agency) will go through it to make sure it contains everything China needs.

Thank you to everyone who sent in references!  Several were noted in the report and it made my heart happy to hear you all think so highly of me.  I will try my best to live up to your expectations!

So what's next?  Once the report makes it's way through all the editing, Little Miracles International (home study preparer) will get my social worker to sign, they will sign (in Amarillo), it will be notarized ... and then will be in my hand.  THEN I can apply for i800A and submit everything (minus i800A) to Austin to be authenticated.  Then everything will go to the Chinese Consulate in Houston to be authenticated.  At some point I'll get a fingerprint appointment at The Department of Homeland Security ... that is after my i800A is sent in.

After I have my FINAL notarized copy of the home study report I will be filling out grants.  I'm hoping to get a large portion funded through grants.

I'm doing a happy dance!  One step closer.

Thanks for following my journey!

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Third Times a Charm!

A few people were bummed they missed the deadline on the second shirt campaign.  Three is my lucky number, so I relaunched for a third time.  This one will be open 14 days to make sure anyone who wants a shirt is able to get one this round.

https://www.bonfire.com/help-bring-bryson-home/

Thanks everyone!

Jen

Home Study Visits COMPLETE!

This past Saturday I had my fourth and FINAL meeting with Cathie, my Social Worker.  I went to an all day simulcast at her church for "Empowered to Connect".  It was amazing!  Lots of great information not only as an adoptive Mom ... but also as a teacher.  Anyone who works with kids or has kids should attend.  April 28 and 29 they are rebroadcasting it.  If you are in the Woodlands area you can go to The Church Project to participate.

http://lovefostershope.org/events/empowered-to-connect-conference/

Thankfully every document I fill out or have filled out ... and then notarized is checked by Kendra who is assisting with my dossier at Hand in Hand (my agency).  She noticed that my medical was not signed by an MD.  There was drama in getting the MD who supervises to sign off on it ... but it all worked out.  I went in after school today and ... IT'S DONE!  Thankfully I went to the car and texted Kendra pictures because on two of the letters I was missing the jurat statement.  So I went back in and they added for me!  PHEW!  That is DONE!  

Today I got my birth certificate and it's state authentication back from my courier with the Chinese Consulate's authentication.  I actually freaked out because I sent in two pages and when I opened the mailing envelope the same two documents were there, nothing more ... thankfully I noticed a sticker on the back of the Secretary of State letter that the Chinese Consulate used to show they authenticated.  

I blurred out the writing ... I translated it with my Google translate app (just says it was certified and such with ID numbers) ... but I don't know how sensitive this sticker is.  

So now ... where am I in the process?

I am currently waiting for Cathie to write my home study report.  She indicated it is a lengthy process and takes between 10-12 hours to write.  I almost said ... I'll buy you a Red Bull ... but I refrained.  

I have been told it can take 2-3 weeks after your last visit for the report to be done.  Once the report is done I get a copy, as does my agency.  We look over it to make sure all of the information is correct and the agency makes sure all the necessary pieces are there.  Once it's verified it is notarized and DONE.  

Once my home study report is DONE that almost completes my dossier.  The only thing left is to fill out the i800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country.  I will fill out the i800A and submit it.  While I am waiting for it to be approved I will send the rest of my dossier to Austin to be State Authenticated then to Houston to the Chinese Consulate.  I'm hoping there are no problems ... but if there are, I will have a little wiggle room while I'm waiting for the i800A.

I don't quite understand all the ins and outs of the i800A.  From reading my FB pages it sounds like you submit it, and then after a few weeks you get an appointment to be fingerprinted in Houston at Homeland Security.  Then after the i800A is approved, you then have to get it notarized, State Authenticated and Chinese Consulate approved.  I'm learning as I go.  

Once the i800A and the rest of the dossier has been approved by the Chinese Consulate ... then it is time to SUBMIT my dossier to CHINA.  Then ... wait.  They will give me the green light to travel.  

Every night I go through my Chinese adoption FB groups and read other's experiences with the dossier aspect.  A handful are hung up on the home study, different forms ... so I'm hoping and praying all goes smooth with mine!

I keep looking at the different grants that are available ... but I have to wait until I have the home study report in my hands.  So that's another reason I want to get it back ASAP.  Patience.  

Here is Lori, one of Bryson's biggest fans!  

If you ordered a Bring Bryson Home shirt, please take a selfie and send me!  

Thank you for following my journey!

Have a great week!

Shirt campaign relaunched!

I am relaunching Bryson's shirt campaign. The first shipment arrived and they are super soft and cute! Someone (no names mentioned) forgot to click submit and is super sad they missed out (ok, it was ME 😫) Who knows what I did ... but I didn't get one 😞 If I can sell at least 13 the second order will ship in about a week. The styles I have seen are super cute! 

https://www.bonfire.com/help-bring-bryson-home

 Bryson's biggest fans!

 

Mrs. Mann supporting Bryson!

Please send me pictures of YOU wearing YOUR shirt so I can add to Bryson's memory book!

So I hit a minor snafu.  Not a biggie, but super annoying.  So the medical forms I had signed ... well ... she's not an MD or DO, she's a PA.  I'm glad this isn't Kendra's first rodeo and she caught it.  I am working to get the supervising MD to fill out the paperwork and sign.  I'm hoping it won't be another co-pay and physical, but since the MD supervises the PA they just sign off.  Otherwise, I'm back to the doctor next Tuesday.  

I got my psychologist report back today.  There's good news ... and bad news.  The good news, "Ms. Ruppert presented as a psychologically healthy individual ... There was no evidence of any psychopathology or maladaptive personality traits which would contraindicate that Ms. Ruppert would be a healthy parent of an adopted child."  The bad news ... there are two minor errors (in years of teaching ... and need to change his to her) ... and they didn't give me an original (I picked up one minute before they closed and didn't look until I got to my car).  So I faxed them (couldn't find an email) on my handy dandy iPhone app to request those minor changes be made (Chinese Consulate is so picky) and to sign using a blue pen to make it more evident it is an original signature.  Hopefully I can pick up that copy yet this week or early next week.

 Saturday is a big day!  I'm attending "Empowered to Connect" conference AND I have my LAST visit with my social worker!  Pray she is able to write my report fairly quickly!

Have a great day!  Thanks for following my journey to Bringing Bryson Home!

Shirts are Shipping!

Happy Monday!  I have heard many of you have gotten emails saying your shirts have shipped!  Several of you received your shirts today!  I'm jealous because I haven't gotten an email yet :(  When you get your shirt PLEASE text or email me a selfie!  I want to include all of your pictures in Bryson's memory book!  Here are a few who have already received their shirts.

Gigi Jean sporting a blue v-neck

Ms. Rachell sporting a purple v-neck

A lot has happened in the past week or so!  At this point in the process I am completing my home study.  The funny thing ... today I got an email ...

YAY!  I'm excited I'm on the fast track!  China requires that parents meet with a social worker four times as part of their home study.  Tonight I finished my third visit.  I had my first last Friday, my second (which was also my home inspection) on Saturday ... third tonight ... and this coming Saturday I'm going to "Empowered to Connect" seminar and after I will meet with my SW for the last time.  

Good news ... the house was up to standards :)  I only cleaned and organized for a week solid.  I was ready for her to open closets, cabinets ... the whole nine yards.  She didn't.  But hey, I guess my house is clean now.  Cotton was on his best behavior showing her how ready he is to be a big brother.  

After my home study (four meetings with SW) is complete she will write a report.  She says it's very detailed and typically takes her 10-12 hours to write.  She promises she will get it done as fast as possible.  I'm not sure she realizes I will be emailing her every three days checking in.  

Once my home study report is done, things can start moving.  The report is my golden ticket.  Once I receive the report I can start applying for grants.  This is HUGE!  Once I have the report I will be spending my nights and weekends writing grants.  

I can also fill out Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country ... this is a Department of Homeland Security US Citizenship and Immigration form.  

Once I get my I-800A back ... I get to be fingerprinted.  Yup, you read that right ... fingerprinted.  Again.  Apparently the FBI and Homeland Security don't communicate with each other.  So, back to get fingerprinted I go.  

THEN ... once my fingerprinting comes back from USCIS I can complete my dossier (I'm just waiting for home study report and I-800A) and send off to Austin to be authenticated ... then when I receive from Austin ... send to the Chinese Consulate in Houston.  

Each of these steps should take ... ???  

I'm praying all will fall into place.  I'm praying I get to bring Bryson home in December.  From start to finish that would be 9 months.  

Thanks for following my journey to bringing Bryson home!

Remember, if you ordered a shirt ... send me a selfie!!!

Have a great week!

Updated 100 chart

Here is Bryson's updated 100 chart:

Thank you to everyone who has donated!  I appreciate everyone's help in Bringing Bryson Home!

TWO WEEKS!

Two weeks ago today I found out that I was pre-approved to adopt Bryson.  Those two weeks have FLOWN by and I've gotten a lot accomplished.  

Home Study
Everything minus fingerprinting is DONE!  My fingerprint appointment is Saturday at 12:30.  It feels good to log in to the portal and see (almost) everything with ORANGE CHECKMARKS!  

WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

China requires that I meet with a Social Worker four times.  One time is for a home inspection.  I already have all of my dates set up ... the last being April 8th.  So I'm hoping my report is written and such by the end of April!!!  Once I have a completed home study I can start writing GRANTS!  

China also requires that I have a psych evaluation.  I went in for my testing after work today.  I'm so hoping I pass.  Apparently most people take 2-3 hours to answer the 567 True/False questions.  Ummmmm ... I was done right at 40 minutes.  But some of them were like, "I like hurting animals", "People are poisoning me" ... stuff like that.  I should get my report back in a few weeks.  

Dossier
Here is what I need for my Dossier.  Each of these was scanned in and sent to Kendra who works at Hand in Hand (my agency).  She has been super sweet and is a pleasure to work with.  Most of these have to be notarized.  Thanks to Kim Sligar for notarizing everything!  I cannot thank her enough!!!  

Letter of Application -- DONE

Birth Certificate -- OBTAINED,  Got Secretary of State to authenticate

Single Declaration -- DONE

Letter of Occupation and Income -- OBTAINED

Financial Form -- DONE

Medical Form -- OBTAINED

Guardianship Statement -- DONE

Police Good Conduct Report -- OBTAINED

Home Study -- in process

USCIS Approval -- This is after Home Study

Reference Letters -- OBTAINED (thanks everyone!!!)

Passport Photo Page -- SCANNED and sent

Family Photos -- UPLOADED

Passport Photo -- The only thing I have to do ...

Dossier Cover Sheet -- It's just a cover sheet, haha.

The next step is sending my Birth Certificate and the Secretary of State authentication to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago.  I need to look up the information here in a minute of who I can hire to do this.  Kendra sent me her info ... just got to pull it up!

After my home study and such is done I have to send most of the Dossier stuff to Austin to have the Secretary of State authenticate it.  When I get it back it then goes to the Chinese Consulate in Houston.   

Here in the near future most everything will be out of my hands.  I will need to be patient as the paperwork travels to the Secretary of State ... Chinese Consulate ... and all of the other details that I probably haven't learned yet (this has been a learning experience!)  I will need to keep myself busy with teaching ... and writing grants.  I am hoping to get as much as humanly possible in grants.  PRAY!  

Time to cuddle with Cotton!  Can't forget about him!  

Thanks for following my journey!

Take Care,

Jen

Goodbye Spring Break!

I was lucky enough to be in Iowa for Ryan's 5th birthday party!  A bounce house with a slide ... another large inflatable slide ... a piñata ...  games ... cake ... what more do 5 year olds need to have fun?  The funny thing was before the party even started several kids exclaimed, "Best Party EVER!"  The inflatables were a huge hit!

Spring Break was spent trying to get as much paperwork done as possible.  I got my pre-approval letter on March 8th.  In twelve days I've gotten a lot accomplished.  Cotton's vaccinations expire tomorrow, so he was THRILLED to go get his shots updated today.  Yup, even Cotton is involved in the journey of bringing Bryson home!  I already uploaded his medical records to MyAdoptionPortal.  

I don't have too many things left on my check list at the moment.  Tomorrow I go to my pre-psych eval appointment.  Gotta love paying a $45 co-pay to basically hand over the paperwork I already filled out and them to "determine" what testing I need to have done.  The adoption agency suggests one standardized test such as the MMPI-2.  After my pre-psych eval appointment I have to go pick up my Police Good Conduct form from the Montgomery County Deputy's office.  Then I'm off to the CISD Health and Wellness Clinic to have the doctor sign off on my medical paperwork.  My blood work came back GOOD and my TB test was negative ... just have to get the doctor to sign off on it.  Saturday I wrap up my Home Study tasks with a fingerprinting appointment.  I'm hoping that I'll get a call from my Social Worker next week to start the next phase.  I wrap up the evening with a Bible Study group at my new friend Amy's house!  Tomorrow will be busy, but good!  

My Agency representative emailed me today, "You are flying through this paperwork!" 

FOUR days left to buy your shirt: https://www.bonfire.com/help-bring-bryson-home/

I am one day closer to bringing Bryson home!  So excited!

Thanks for following my journey to bringing Bryson home!

Take Care,

Jen

Adoption Education Courses

Yesterday I started my 13 hours of adoption education courses.  The first 10 hours is "Because They Waited" which is required for international adoptions.  In a nutshell I learned ...

• Promoting healthy brain development

• Sensory processing and sensory integration

• Parenting to a child's "real age" vs. chronological age

• Understanding the internal alarm

• Building attachment

• Race and Culture

Each of these was accompanied with a test you had to score 80% or better on to move forward.  Some of the tests were pretty intense with specific information.  The 4th test got me (I should have paced them out better) and I scored a 75% and had to retake (oops!)  Thankfully I scored a 95% the second time around.  

The next hour was specific to adopting from China.  This one was very interesting.   From the course's website:

Do you know  . . .

• your child’s birth date might have been assigned arbitrarily, instead of recorded factually
• there are exceptions to and unintended consequences of China’s One Child Policy
• some of the common medical issues observed in children adopted from China
• the difference between Chinese culture and the many levels of sub-cultures your child may have experienced

Tomorrow I will complete the last two hours of training with Parent Planning for Special Needs Adoptions.  I had to give my brain a break!  

Earlier today Mom and I watched Ryan and Jace.  We went to Hills Bank to "cash in" on Ryan's birthday postcard ... a CRISP one dollar bill and two children's museum tickets.  We checked out the eggs and tried to decide which egg would hatch first.  Afterwards a quick trip to Hy-Vee for a few things ... which led to some cart racing up and down the aisles ... and then to hold a few puppies at the pet store.  We went back to their house and attempted to watch "Trolls" but the remote control was MIA, so instead we rested .  Ryan shared her bed with me (until she decided to move onto the floor for more room) while I watched a few adoption courses.  

After the kids went to bed Michaela and I assembled the cutest Trolls hair bands for Ryan's birthday party tomorrow.  I can't believe Ryan will be FIVE!  Pictures to come of her party tomorrow night!  

Thanks for following my journey!

Starting my Dossier

I surprised my parents by showing up on their doorstep (actually in their living room, haha) on Monday.  I road tripped with the amazing Karen, Clint and Grace.  We left The Woodlands Sunday at 5:00AM and arrived into Ames, Iowa at 7:30PM.  We stayed at a hotel Sunday night and then toured Iowa State (gag me, haha) Monday AM and then drove to Iowa City to tour The University of Iowa and meet with the director of admissions at the Wendell Johnson Speech Language Pathology department to get information for Grace.  After our U of I tour (with a stop at UIQuickCare to get a TB test) I surprised my parents.  And surprised they were!

I had big plans for Tuesday.  Or should I say ... I officially started my Dossier by obtaining my Birth Certificate.  Mom started her morning by applying for a passport.  With my birth certificate in hand we drove to Des Moines to the Secretary of the State's office for an apostille.  

An "apostille" is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961.

Yesterday and today have blurred together with the amount of paperwork I have been doing.  Here's what my MyAdoptionPortal task list looks like:

A few of these (i.e. marriage certificate) don't apply to me ... and some I just need to obtain the form to upload (i.e. employment verification)

It's a balancing act because as I am obtaining the Home Study documents, I'm also obtaining my Dossier documents.  Some overlap and some are the same thing on a different form.  

Tonight I registered for my Hauge accredited adoption education.  Honestly ... I had never heard of the Hauge convention prior to a few weeks ago.  I'm learning as I go!  If you are not familiar with it -

The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) is an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoptions. Concluded on May 29, 1993 in The Hague, the Netherlands, the Convention establishes international standards of practices for intercountry adoptions. The United States signed the Convention in 1994, and the Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008.

The hardest part of it all is having to put faith in other people to do their part to get everything done smoothly.  I will be hiring a courier service to take my birth certificate with it's state certification to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago.  Once it is authenticated it will be sent back to me.  Once my dossier is complete (it cannot be complete until my Home Study is issued) I will hire a courier to take it to Austin (unless it's at a time I can road trip there) to get state certification and then hire another courier to take to the Chinese Consulate in Houston.  I also am waiting for my employee verification from my school district, reference letters, reference forms, medical forms from doctor ... the list goes on.  

On my most immediate TO DO list: Completing my "Heart of the Matter" Education, writing my autobiography ... and enjoying family while I'm in Iowa.  

Can you believe it???  Ryan will be turning FIVE!  She is having her 5th birthday party on Friday and I'm excited I'll be able to go!  Her theme is "Trolls".  I need to watch the movie with her ... I still haven't seen it!

Thanks for following my journey!

Love,

Jen

100 Chart

Another family I know had this fabulous idea!  I asked if I could borrow her idea and she said YES!

Grid Updated 11:20PM 3/11/17

How it works:

The grid is numbered 1-100.  I am asking that you consider choosing one or multiple squares and donate the amount shown on the square.  For example, if you chose 1, you simply donate $1.  Once you have chosen your number, you can PayPal the amount to me at jenruppert3@gmail.com by selecting "send money to friends and family" or donate on https://www.youcaring.com/helpjenadopt.  If you donate through PayPal please comment with your address ... and if you donate on YouCaring please email me with your address.  I will be sending out pictures as Thank Yous and want to make sure you get one!

I will update the grid every night marking off the squares with a heart!  

This fundraiser involves 100 people!  100 people who are helping to bring Bryson HOME!  

Feel free to share this with your friends and family!

Thank you all!  Have a wonderful Saturday!!!

Love,

Jen and Bryson

Paperwork

I should be an expert in paperwork once Bryson is home!

To begin my home study I had to go through 10+ screens filling out information on "MyAdoptionPortal" which Little Miracles (my home study agency) uses.  It's actually a nice system, having everything in one location and being able to submit electronically.  I have all of the initial stages done, application fee of $250 paid ... now just to submit all of the pictures it is asking for.  I have that on my "TO DO" list for tomorrow!  As much as I'd love to complete everything in one day ... that's just not realistic.

For those of you who have asked what is required for the dossier ... here is the list:

This morning I started the process of obtaining my medical forms.  I went to the Conroe ISD Health and Wellness Center.  They were being super thorough.  I think the doctor was feeling the pressure to dot every i and cross every t.  The form requires you to do a routine blood test, HIV test, HbsAg Test and TB test.  I knew going in I had to be fasting.  By the time the doctor completed the physical it was almost 9:00AM.  So going in for the labs I was hungry.  The lab tech didn't have any butterfly needles and went digging in my right arm.  One TINY drop of blood was obtained.  She moved on to my left arm.  Not even a drop.  I was doing fine ... until she started digging in my hand.  I started feeling woozy and told her ... I remember putting my head down on the table ... and then hearing voices as I started to wake up.  I passed out cold.  Ugh.  Thankfully they gave me paperwork to get my labs done at Qwest Diagnostics.  I planned to get them tomorrow ... until I looked at their website and realized they are closed on Saturdays.  So I braved it and went to Qwest after work.  Guess who had butterfly needles?  Guess who successfully drew my labs!  SCORE!  The HIV and Hep tests should be back in a week.  I just have to get my TB test done at a RediClinic and have it read ... once all of those things are complete the Wellness Center can sign off on my paperwork.  Yay!  

The funny thing ... after all of that ... I don't think I got one thing checked off the list yet.  Hopefully next week I am able to plow through some of the "TO DOs".  

Today one of my students drew Bryson his first picture (Anime style of course!)  LOVE!

Have a great night!