DTC

DTC!!!!! WOOHOOO! That is China adoption lingo for Dossier (our paperwork) To China. Our actual DTC date is July 28, 2006. We should get our LID – Log In Date in about 6 weeks and it should be in mid-August sometime. We are officially waiting. Right now our agency is saying 14 months to referral. So, according to them we should get our referral October 2007 – and then travel to get our sweet daughter Avery in December 2007. It is ages away…sigh. But, do you want to know something…shhhhh…I have to say it quiet – I don’t want to jinx myself…but:

I think it will be sooner than that, my gut is telling me things are going to speed up.

I am still having a hard time believing how fast things went for our paper chase. Heavenly Father truly moved mountains for us. We officially started the paperwork on May 15th. Our paperwork was in China on July 28th. I know some others have done it faster – but considering my “laid-back” personality – it is a miracle it was done in a little less than 6 weeks (the majority of it done in just one week!!!!). Here is the rundown of the major paper getting:
· 6/28 Turned in our Home study to INS – told to expect our I-171H to take 90 days…panicked, called our agency (Carrie) – she said 6-10 weeks.
· 6/29 Left for Spokane
· 7/7 returned home from Spokane to find our I-171H waiting for us (it took only 9 days!!!!!)
· Week of 7/10 Gathered remaining paperwork
· 7/14 (Friday) Took to State Capitol to be authenticated – found out I had to send John’s birth certificate to Washington State to be authenticated.
· 7/14 (still Friday) overnighted J’s birth certificate to Olympia – with the hope of having it finished on Monday 7/17 and off to Washington D.C. overnight. (I had a little melt down - there was no one in the Olympia office…why???? It wasn’t a holiday! And, no one else in the Capitol could give me an explanation.)
· 7/17 called Olympia and talked with Audrey who had little hope that she could complete the authentication that day – she had 2-5 days – I told her the situation and she said she would call me back. I had little hope she really would. (she seemed terribly ornery)
· 7/17 picked up our documents from the Capitol – they were perfect! Overnighted them to Washingotn D.C. to the Assistant Stork.
· 7/17 (still!) at 12:00 pm – Audrey from Olympia called, said she had the birth certificate finished and it was on it’s way – overnight to Washington D.C.!!!!! (Just last week I sent a little card and Target gift certificate to Audrey to tell her thanks – I know she really went out of her way for me – a little weird – I know!)
· 7/18 our documents (both sets) made it to Steve and Laura at The Assistant Stork (the courier service).
· 7/19 they took our documents to the State Department and then dropped them off to the Chinese Consulate. They called me to let me know I had sent too much money to the Chinese Con. – and they don’t issue change. I would probably have to send a new money order. They would let me know.
· 7/20 Laura for the Assistant Stork called and said they would send me an $80 reimbursement check. They just used my money order to pay for my documents and the other set they had to pick up that day (which just happened to be $80 worth – coincidence – I think not!). They overnighted our documents to Adam Wang in Canada to be translated (he is our facilitator).
· 7/21 our documents reached Adam Wang.
· 7/28 our documents arrived in China!!!!!!
· 7/31 got a call from Carrie giving us our group # - which happens to be 130a.
· Thus, the wait began!
I am still dancing!!!!!!!!