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!