2005
06/02/05 – Requested A’s Birth and Divorce Certificates from VA and Marriage Certificate from Nevada
06/06/05 – A attended mandatory informational meeting with Bethany Christian Services adoption agency
06/17/05 – Requested J’s Birth Certificate from NY
06/20/05 – Submitted China International Adoption pre-application to Bethany
06/24/05 – Received A’s BC from VA and MC from NV
06/27/05 – Fed-Ex’d BC to Richmond, VA and MC to NV for state seal
06/28/05 – Pre-application approved! J drove down to local office and picked up formal application packet
06/30/05 – Received state sealed BC from VA
07/02/05 – Mailed notarized Child Protective Services and VA State Police Records Check Requests
07/06/05 – Received state sealed MC from NV
07/08/05 – Received J’s BC from NY and FedEx’d it back to NY for state seal
07/08/05 – Mailed I600A to USCIS
07/13/05 – Submitted local police records request
07/14/05 – Received notarized local police records
07/15/05 – Submitted formal application and application fee to Bethany
07/21/05 – Received J’s state sealed BC from NY
08/09/05 – 1st homestudy appointment – joint visit in office with social worker
08/10/05 – J & A physical appointments
08/12/05 – Physicals notarized and mailed to Bethany
08/15/05 – A’s employment letter received and notarized
08/22/05 – A’s individual homestudy appointment with social worker
08/25/05 – J’s individual homestudy appointment with social worker
08/29/05 – J’s employment letter received and notarized
09/07/05 – 3rd and final homestudy appointment in our home
09/08/05 – Required Bethany education class
09/12/05 – Financial statements, power of attorney, and petition to adopt notarized
09/12/05 – Homestudy approved and mailed to USCIS from Bethany
09/13/05 – A’s 35th birthday
09/14/05 – Received original homestudy from Bethany and made a USCIS Infopass appointment for application assistance
09/15/05 – FedEx’d homestudy, POA, financials, and petition to adopt to VA for state seals
09/16/05 – Received fingerprint appointment for 10/20/05 from USCIS
09/17/05 – Received VA state sealed documents from 9/15
09/20/05 – USCIS Infopass appointment – begged for mercy and requested fingerprints be taken at this time due to potential military deployment. SUCCESS! We were Fingerprinted!
09/20/05 – Required Bethany education class
09/30/05 – Scheduled just in case Infopass appointment for 10/18 (first available)
10/18/05 – Went to USCIS on Infopass appointment to inquire as to status of I-171 and discovered that my fingerprints had been misfiled
10/25/05 – Received approved I-171 from Norfolk USCIS
10/26/05 – J’s 34th birthday
10/26/05 – I-171 copy notarized and sent to VA for state certification
10/27/05 – Brown envelope sent from American consulate in China
10/28/05 – Received state sealed I-171 from VA
10/31/05 – Hand carried dossier and 3 copies to Bethany office
11/01/05 – Dossier sent to Bethany office in Grand Rapids for review and Chinese consulate certifications
11/18/05 – Dossier sent to China!!!!!
12/05/05 – Log In Date
2006
1/13/06 – 10th wedding anniversary
6/14/06 – J & A physical appointments. Updated medicals required for upcoming homestudy update
8/29/06 – Home visit for annual homestudy update with new social worker
9/13/06 – A’s 36th birthday
9/13/06 – Homestudy Update completed
9/19/06 – December 2005 LID’s out of review room
10/26/06 – J’s 35th birthday
12/19/06 – Fingerprints expired
2007
1/5/07 – Requested fingerprinting appointment from Norfolk USCIS
1/13/07 – 11th wedding anniversary
1/17/07 – Emailed Norfolk USCIS inquiring about status of print renewal and received return email notification of fingerprinting appointment
1/23/07 – Re-fingerprinted
1/27/07 – Received I-171H with updated fingerprint expiration dates
1/31/07 – Mailed I-600A (#2) to USCIS
2/9/07 – Bethany mailed homestudy update to USCIS
2/17/07 – Received new I-171H (expires 8/15/2008)
6/8/07 – J’s physical appointment. Updated medical required for 2nd homestudy update.
7/11/07 – A’s physical appointment. Updated medical required for 2nd homestudy update.
9/13/07 – A’s 37th birthday
10/5/07 – Home visit for 2nd annual homestudy update
10/26/07 – J’s 36th birthday
11/5/07 – Got the CALL!
11/6/07 – Received pictures and referral information and immediately signed Ava’s acceptance letter
11/15/07 – Expedited Chinese visas in preparation for travel
11/28/07 – Ava turns 8 months old
12/06/07 – Received notification of consulate appointment
12/28/07 – Ava turns 9 months old
2008
1/13/08 – Leaving for Beijing (Our 12th Anniversary!)
1/14/08 – Arrived in Beijing
1/21/08 – Gotcha Day!
1/22/08 – Adoption Day
1/28/08 – Consulate Appointment (10 months old)
1/30/08 – Return to the US and Ava becomes an American citizen!!
8/1/08 – Filed VA readoption paperwork
11/07/08 – Submitted additional documents (Criminal/Child Abuse Clearances) requested by judge to VA court
11/10/08 – Adoption finalized in the Commonwealth of VA
2009
6/6/09 – Mailed G-884 request for return of original documents
7/6/09 – Received original documents from Buffalo USCIS office
FINALLY…WE ARE DONE!!!