My Sister Allie and her fiance David

Just got a cute picture of my little sister Allie and her fiance, David. She is in veterinary school in Illinois....far, far away. She's getting married this summer....I can't believe she's old enough =) You can see more pictures and wedding details at http://www.brides.com/weddingwebsite/Davidandallie.

Happy One Year Anniversary

Yesterday was our one year LID anniversary for China. This means we've been officially in-line for a year! Hard to believe...

Unfortunately, if things progress at the pace they've been going for the past year, we won't get baby Katie until sometime in 2012. Sigh...

Though maybe this week (or next) we will get our referral for baby Eddie! He should keep us busy =)

A minor heart attack

I had a minor heart attack yesterday...

I got an email from my social worker at the adoption agency. The subject heading was "GREAT NEWS!!!"

My heart started pounding, my eyes teared up....I clicked on the email....and it WASN'T MY REFERRAL!

Talk about major disappointment! I had to go have Mexican food for lunch so that I could recover.

The news was good, however. 18 of our agency's families have gotten their baby's Visas (I600 approval) in the last couple of weeks. It seems like the logjam has finally broken. I'm hoping everything will be smoothed out by the time we apply and we will get our approval quickly.

Just FYI, I heard of one family who got their approval in 12 days. Another who got it in one day! I've also heard of families who have waited over 100 days and still no news. Other families are "stuck" because Vietnamese and US officials are not cooperating and their cases are not being investigated.

Petition

Vietnam adoptive parents have started a petition asking the US government to streamline the Visa process for adopted orphans so that they will be able to come home more quickly. What once took 1-2 weeks is now taking 2-3 months (at least)! If you'd like to sign the petition, please go to the following link. Help get these babies out of the orphanages and in to their loving families!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/AmericansforVietnamOrphans/

My Cousin Whitney

Here are some cute pictures from my cousin Whitney! Looks like a fun spring break.

Whitney and her husband Rodney

Whitney's kids Caleb and Hannah....having fun eating corn!

Whew...

We have had some great news from our agency. CIS has confirmed that Vietnam will continue to issue referrals throughout the summer and that the US will process them until they are complete. This means we should have no trouble at all getting our adoption finished, now that we no longer have to worry about that September 1st deadline. Even if paperwork ends up taking extra time, etc, we should be okay. I'm so relieved! I actually am starting to believe that this adoption is going to work out!

We are expecting a referral in the next three weeks. Probably not this week, but probably the next week or the next (by Eddie's birthday on April 19th, I'm sure!).

Cici's Baptism

Here are a few more cute pics! Last Sunday, Cici Coleson, daughter of my friend Heather, was baptised.

Secret Agency Update

Yesterday we got an email update from our Vietnam agency. We were asked not to post or email anyone the contents of the upate, so I won't. It was vague and somewhat disturbing....it left me feeling unsure and worried. However, things still may work out for us. I'm going to hope for a quick referral and that all will go well!

Now I need something cheerful to post.....so here are pictures of our four-legged babies!

Lola

Josh and his bear

Ellie

Harry and Ron (yes, we used to have a Hermoine, but she ran away)

Could this be the week?

Could this be the week that we get our referral? I really, really hope so!

I will be checking my email every 5 minutes and calling home to check my voice mail probably about that often, too!

EEEEK!

If we don't get one this week, it should be about 2 more weeks before they get more referrals, and surely then we'll get ours! I hope I can concentrate at work!

It was just a rumor!

Thank goodness....it was just a rumor! Not true at all.

My husband talked to our agency just a few minutes ago. Our coordinator told us that they should be getting a big batch of referrals next week and that we might get one. If not, she thinks that we'll have one by the end of the month!!!

I can hardly believe it, after everything that's happened.....EEEEK!

Cross your fingers! I can't wait to post baby Eddie's picture here!

No more referrals?

I heard a rumor today. Apparently another CAS adoptive parent posted on a discussion list (not sure which one) that CAS will be offerning no more referrals after next week. I'm hoping that they're confused and this is not true! I'm pretty sure we won't be getting a referral by next week, unless they get at least 11 boys!

If they are indeed doing this, I would guess that they've heard from Vietnam that no more adoptions will be allowed to occur after September 1st (i.e. they won't be grandfathering in those with referrals or just dossiers in Vietnam).

I'm so worried. Of course we discovered this after the CAS office was closed for the day, so now I'll worry all night. We're going to call first thing tomorrow.

Friday Five

I thought it would be fun to start posting the "Friday Five." Just for fun, all the people in our China-March-2007 Yahoo Group do these every week.

1. Tell us one interesting thing you know about China's History?
Chinese navigators invented the magnetic compass (which I've just been reading about in Camping for Dummies....see below).

2. What ONE book would you say changed your life?
Books are very important to me (obviously, since I'm a librarian). It's really difficult for me to select just one. I guess I will go with the book that's been most memorable to me over the last several years....it's called The Waiting Child: How the Faith and Love of One Orphan Saved the Life of Another. It made me want to adopt about 5 more little ones from China.

3. What are you reading these days?
Camping for Dummies, Dragon Rider (I'm a children's librarian), A Cold-Blooded Business (murder mystery set in Alaska), Staying Home Instead: How to Balance Your Family Life and Your Checkbook

4. If you could live in another time period which would it be?
Approximately 30,000 years or so ago during the ice age (but not living too close to the glaciers). I would love to be like Ayla from Clan of the Cave Bear....she could do almost anything.....living with her cave of people sounds like great fun, too.

5. What is the weather where you are right now?
It's about 45 degrees and clear. However, within the last 10 days North Texas has had two snow storms separated by a few days of seventy degree weather! Pretty crazy weather, even by Texas standards.

More orphanage Videos

http://www.youtube.com/results?search=related&search_query=%20Adoption%20Babies%20Vietnam%20Da%20Nang%20Orphanages%20Orphans&v=W_9p8-7hKcw

I discovered these on YouTube.

More about the mountains

I think I've developed an obsession with the Kiamichi Mountains! Now I'm thinking that I'd love to buy some land in some isolated spot in the mountains (with a pond or stream for Eddie to fish in). We could camp and fish and visit nearby lakes and rivers and parks (Ozarks are nearby)....and later, when we could afford it, we could build a little cabin. Doesn't that sound wonderful? I was looking around online for property, and it's fairly inexpensive. Also, some of the properties are so remote that they don't even have acces to electricity! I didn't know there were any places like that around here (Alaska, yes, but Oklahoma?). The best part is that it's only a few hours drive from our house.

Unfortunately, I don't have much money right now due to the adoptions and a daughter going to college in three years (and the fact that I hope to go part-time soon at work)! Maybe in a few years...

Here are a few places I'd like to buy (and a few to consider if we win the lottery):

Real possibilities:
http://www.okcountryland.com/3593.html
http://www.landwatch.com/Pushmataha-County-Oklahoma-Land-for-sale/pid/97444
http://www.landwatch.com/Pushmataha-County-Oklahoma-Land-for-sale/pid/148129

If we win the lottery:
http://www.okcountryland.com/3565.html
http://www.okcountryland.com/3586.html
http://www.okcountryland.com/3588.html

Note about this obsession: I think that part of my reason for this obsession is the fact that I'm so stressed about the adoption. Normally I'd be thinking about the baby's room and other fun baby stuff, but I'm afraid things aren't going to work out so I need something to distract me. We'll see if my obsession fades after we get our referral!

Another obsession note: However, now that I think about it, I am prone to get short-term (and a few longer-term) obsessions. During these obsessions I read dozens of books and visit tons of websites and may actually act on them occasionally.

For example, for a long time I wanted to move to Alaska (or at least get a summer place). Still haven't even got to visit yet! Then I was obsessed with hiking in all of Texas's state parks (and then later all of the national parks). I started on this one (see my hiking blog at www.texashiker.blogspot.com) . I actually still want to travel around and hike and see lots of beautiful places, but I'm no longer obsessed (I think).

10th Wedding Anniversary

Now for some happy news! On May 9, Eddie and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it.....it's actually been about 13 years since we met in Nutrition class at Oklahoma City Community College and started dating (I spilled my drink on our first "study date" in the library!).

We're trying to decide what we want to do to celebrate! I would like to go away on a romantic weekend....probably somewhere close by since we're saving most of our money for our trip to Vietnam. Here's what I've come up with--

I think I want to visit the Kiamichi mountains (part of the Ouichita Mountains) in Southeastern Oklahoma. Even though I've lived nearby for years, I did not know this beautiful, isolated place existed. These websites give some info and the second one has beautiful pictures:
http://www.travelok.com/atv/ouachita.asp
http://www.oklahomaparks.com/photo_gallery/index.asp?park=1%2B5U%2B5005&region=

Here are some of the cabins I'd like to stay in:
http://www.retreatontheriver.com/index.htm
http://www.treetopviewcabins.com/index.php?page_id=1
http://www.riverbankcabins.com/index.html
http://www.wildernesslakefrontresort.com/index.shtml

Or maybe we could stay at this resort right inside the park! The website is a little strange, but it might be my favorite!
http://www.beaversbend.com/lakeview.html#Lakeview

Here's more info on the park:
http://www.oklahomaparks.com/detail.asp?id=1+5U+5005
Quote from site: Recreation opportunities offer the 18 hole Cedar Creek Golf Course, hiking, biking and nature trails, tennis and volleyball, trout fishing, water skiing, nature center activities, river float trips, miniature golf, paddleboats, bumper boats and canoeing, horseback riding, picnic sites, hayrides and train rides. A gift shop, grocery, restaurant and the Forest Heritage Center on site also.

We may have to go back for a longer visit and float trip in the summer.....

Why I'm Worried

Hi again! I want to share the worrisome thoughts that have been going around and around in my head....I'm sure many other adoptive parents are feeling the same way. Often I feel better about things by writing them all down, so I hope this will help. It will also let our friends and family know what's going on (sometimes it gets so hard to tell people what's going on when they ask--it's long and complicated, and just sad!).

See the previous post for one of the major reasons I'm worried. By itself, it wouldn't be horribly disturbing. Yes, we will be waiting longer to get our baby (the waiting is so tough) and our baby will be spending more time in an institution (which is bad in many ways for the baby--too many to mention here). But this problem, in conjunction with another problem, is what makes everything so scary! I started talking about it in my late January posts.

The other problem: The Vietnamese and US governments have an agreement called the Memorandum of Understanding--it's essentially an agreement saying that international adoption may occur between the two countries. This agreement will expire on September 1st of 2008 unless both countries indicate in writing that they want it to continue. No one knows if the two governments are going to sign the agreement. There is lots of tension between the two governments because of the Visa denials, possible unethical situations occurring in Vietnam, and the fact that Vietnam has never published the fee schedule they were required to under this agreement (basically itemizing exactly what they're doing with the money from adoptive parents).

If the agreement is not signed, no one knows what will happen with adoptions in progress. We will surely have a referral by September, but may not have gotten to complete the adoption by then because the US government has gotten so slow in approving the Visas for the babies (what used to take 1-2 weeks is now taking at least 2-3 months). What if we get our referral picture and information and were falling in love with the little guy and then we never got to adopt him? It would be heart-wrenching. Not to mention the fact that we've spent so much money on this adoption it would be pretty difficult for us to start another one.

And finally, there is yet another problem. Because of the possibility that adoptions will no longer continue after September 1st, many other waiting parents with our agency have switched their request for "a girl only" to "either a boy or a girl" because the girl waiting list was so long they knew that they probably wouldn't get to finish their adoption before September 1st (not that I blame them, I might have done the same thing). However, this has put us WAY farther back in line. In December, we were #11 for a boy (and at that time I think there were about 35 people in line for a girl). Now after months and quite a few referrals, I think we're still about in the same position. If no one had "switched,' we probably would already have gotten our referral and would easily finish the adoption by September 1st.

Now we're hoping for an April referral, which will cut it REALLY close for us getting to finish the adoption by September 1st (there is at least another month or two of paperwork in addition to the Visa process). No room for error at all.

So...that's what's happening! Cross your fingers for a speedy referral and a speedy Visa approval. Consider writing your Congressmen (see sample letters on www.bringourchildrenhome.org) to ask them to help speed up the Visa process. And pray that the Memo of Understanding will be signed. There are so many orphans in Vietnam that need loving homes.

Good grief....no one is going to want to read my posts....they are getting so long!

Good information about Vietnam Adoptions

Hello again!

I haven't posted in a while, because there just hasn't been much to tell. And what information there has been really was not so great. I do want to share the following information (even though it's not so great!). It's from a new website: www.bringourchildrenhome.org. It's pretty long and wordy, but it does give a very good description about problems that are occurring with Vietnam adoptions (I'm personally feeling pretty worried right about now). You can get more information by visiting the website, and there are also sample letters to use for writing your elected officials. I plan on doing this soon. Maybe it will help!

Here's the basic problem (I've made a few comments in bold below):

- Adoption of Vietnamese children by Americans requires approval from the US government. Immigration (USCIS) makes sure that the child is an orphan as defined by US law. Department of State (DOS) issues the visa for the child to travel to the US.

- Last October, at least 20 visa denials (NOIDs) were issued to families who had already become the parents of Vietnamese children under Vietnamese law. The majority of these have been overturned, but many of these children still wait in foster care in Vietnam to come home (meaning....parents who had adopted and bonded with their new children for three weeks were not allowed to bring them in to the US).

- Last November, USCIS and DOS initiated a program they call “Orphans First,” pursuant to which Vietnamese children are classified as orphans prior to the time their adoptive parents travel to Vietnam (In theory, this is good...it will keep the situation above from happening again).

- Before this program was instituted, visa approvals for Vietnamese adoptive children took 1-2 weeks. Approvals are now exceeding two months, in addition to the multiple months needed for an orphan's paperwork to be processed after referral.

- Adoption agencies report a very small percentage of visa applications having been approved under the new program (e.g., one agency has submitted over 75 I-600 applications since the first week of December, with only 7 having been completed as of 2/26/08). I believe our agency has only had 3 approved.

- USCIS and DOS in Vietnam have not provided waiting families and adoption agencies with the status of their applications following delivery of their applications.

- Because of this “Orphans First” program, some Vietnamese orphanages are at capacity, unable to admit additional Vietnamese children in need of care, which could have serious repercussions on the health and well-being of the abandoned and relinquished children in Vietnam. So sad and really ridiculus.

- Without these essential US government approvals, timely adoptions in Vietnam by Americans cannot proceed, and orphanages are struggling to provide heat, nourishment and adequate medical care for the orphans.

- Orphans who were to be adopted by Americans have died from pneumonia. Nine orphans recently died in northern Vietnam, and six more have been hospitalized (Vietnam News, 2/21/08).

Since the initiation of the “Orphans First” program, several hundred visa applications have piled up in Vietnam, resulting in a back-log of cases that the limited staff of our government has not been able to review and complete in the time frame they themselves proposed. Because of this, hundreds of orphans in Vietnam, all of whom have families in the United States waiting to welcome them home, are spending many extra months in an institution (this is really bad). Every day a child spends in an institution creates a greater risk that the child will develop reactive attachment disorder. Furthermore, many of these children either have special needs or have medical needs that are not currently severe, but require care to prevent them from becoming severe. Orphans should come first. It is time for the “Orphans First” program to start living up to its name by eliminating the red tape that is jeopardizing the health and well being of Vietnamese orphans awaiting loving homes in the United States.