OCTOBER

A few more days and it will be  October.
Leaves turning colors and falling from the trees, the feel of cold
air nipping at your toes around summer flip flops.
Going to the fair this week. 
I think the reality is sinking in ... we have another daughter..
thinking about all the things I need to get done..
Rug comes up and wood flooring goes down in the Girls
(bigger) bedroom.  Hope will need winter clothing....
Poor girl she will come to Maine in the winter time and see
snow for the first time in her life... there will be a lot of first time
things in her life..  I am really getting excited to travel.
October will fly by especially since I am adding classes to my
already busy schedule.


STILL  IN  AWE  !!




 

CLAIRITY ?

Ok, so talked to our worker again and she said.
I really think you will be traveling in Nov. so lets hold
off on filing the extension for now.


YES, YES, YES  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TRAVEL CALL

Yesterday  we  had  our  travel  call  with  our  Agency's
India  person,  she  is  new  to  us  so  it  was nice  to  get
to  know  her.

First,  apply  for  our travel visa......yay !!!
(that  should  take 1-2 weeks) then  you should  plan  on
traveling 5-6  after  that....yay !!!,  Oh your  fingerprints
expire in Jan. we'll  have  to file  an  extension ?

I do  not  know  about you but I  am a  Big calender person,
everything  goes  on  my  calender (I will forget if I do not
write it on my calender.)  mentally two weeks  puts us in
October, 3 weeks after that is the end of  October, and 3 more
weeks after that is Thanksgiving week, give or take a week
End of Nov.  And if we are suppose to travel in Nov. or Dec.
why would we need to file our extension (expires Jan.)
because we want our fingerprints updated before we travel.

We also know that our agency has no one in country to help
us along so we are on our own over there.


                   EXCITING !!

LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK

                                   MY NIECE HAS STAGE 4 LYMPHOMA

                   WE HAD SHIRTS MADE UP SUPPORTING HER AND RAISED
                     FUNDS FOR THE CAUSE.
                    IT WAS AN AWESOME NIGHT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

GRANT

Got an email today:

You have been awarded a grant from  GIFT OF ADOPTION FUND
 in the amount of $1,500.00....
This is awesome, every little penny counts now that we have an extra
$4,000 to pay on our our post placement.

I am still in awe of all the grants we have received for this adoption!
one trip instead of two, no fee extension,
full adoption saves us money on Hopes Certificate of Citizenship.


Got a text today:

Extended by one day, will send info soon.
Yes, only one day that is awesome !!!!  Hubby will be home soon.




 

ARTICLE 23

YAY,  The  US  Embassy  in  Ind*a  said"  they  have  received
the  Article 23  from  CARA  to  just  let  them  know  when  we want
to  schedule the  Visa  interview"  .......Passport....... Travel......

So, as we wait for another 3 - 4 months to bring our newest
member of our family home. I will start nesting.




 

LAKHS

Looking over our Adoption Court papers found this:

The said minor will have all legal rights including the rights of inheritance
as that of a natural born child of the proposed adopters and in view of the fact
that the proposed adopters undertake to invest a sum equivalent of Indian Rupees 
2,00,000 (two lakhs only) in the name of and for the benefit of the child in their
country and undertake to file proof of such investment and as the proposed Adopters
undertake to renew /reinvest the said amount invested, on maturity, till the child 
becomes a major and further agree and undertake not to withdraw these investments
 till the child attains the age of majority and to handover the same to the child on the 
child attaining majority..........................

I looked it up and two lakhs is $4100.00 US dollars.

So part of our post placement we will have to do this for Hope.

Children are worth way more than any amount of money.
We will put this on the back burner until we get her home.

Husband = Extended  :(

FULL

The happy tears are flowing !!  GOD IS GOOD !!
Just found out that we were granted Full adoption !!

HOPE  H  MCCHESNEY 

waiting to hug you and bring you home.
 

PLANS

 I returned the uncashable Bank Bond to the Bank that I
bought it at and it is a whole process to figure out what it is worth.
So the Bank will call me when they find out that information.....

Today, I finally went to see my Beautiful niece who has Lymphoma.
She has lost all her  hair because of the chemo.
I told her that she is still beautiful without her hair. I am use to
baldness because my husband shaves his head. I do not know what
Gods plans are for her or her one year old son but I do know that this
process will grow her in ways which she never thought she could.
On Sept.22 we are doing a 'LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK" to raise
funds for her in York, ME.  You can donate at  www.lightthenight.org
"team Michelle" and if you can not donate can you pray for her.


Can't wait to hug my husband in 9 days !!
And really can't wait to meet, hug HOPE !!

SEPTEMBER

Today is September 9th and finally my brain is in September.
The whole first week of September I was thinking it was still August.
I am so enjoying the cooler weather, more rain and School, yes the
kids are back in school ! Busy schedule this year.  Actually, it is the
same as last year just add two little ones that I watch two or three
times a week.  Ya, I can envision us being a large family..............

Thinking about HOPE alot lately.
 Just like "WOW" we have another daughter!
I wonder if she knows ?  what have they told her ? 
Just want to hug her and tell her we love her !

Still  no news on Court papers but we have received the unused
Bond back, now I'll find out how much money we lost.   Oh, well.  




 

EXPIRING

No, no word on the Court papers.
But we have been told that our fingerprints  and I-800A
will expire before or during travel and they need to be curent
at the US Embassy to adopt.
First thought..... Why can't this happen faster?
Second thought...... finger prints .... $180.00 ??
Third thought..........I-800A..............$720.00 ??
Fourth thought......Oh my gosh, we are bringing another daughter home !!

We have been so blessed with this adoption with Grants and the money
has always been there when needed.     Our God is an awesome God !
Then we were told that the first extension for the I-800A  and fingerprinting
is suppose to be FREE !!  (again I need to see it to believe it.)
So we will be filling out our extension paperwork while we wait for
the Court paperwork.

Fifteen days until daddy comes home !!!



 

CONCERT

Totally enjoyed the Steven Curtis Chapman concert last night
at the Seaside Pavilion in Old Orchard Beach. Just Steve and
his keyboard player and a new Christian singer. 
Dave has always listened to his songs and that is how the boys
know his songs. I looked at Nathan who had his fingers in his
ears because it was too loud (sensory issues) and Austin the teenager
was getting right into it and Rohana was on Nicoles lap playing
with her 4G phone.      I am so thankful for my children.
Being Nicole's first time at a Christian Concert she said she liked it
and loved the Cinderella song and hes pretty funny.
Listening to Steven talk about his family and Showhope and Adoption
I hope that Nicole understands more about her mothers drive to adopt
and doesn't just think that her mother is crazy!
We did not have a lot of time for dinner so we stopped at Wendys on
the way home and Nicole says" this is great, I feel like we are on a road trip"
(for one insane moment you wish your older children were young again)
All of a sudden we hear thunder and see lightning and then the rain comes.
Nathan is very nervous in storms because he learned all about it in
school, the don't do this and don't do that.......
the whole time I felt like something was missing so we Skyped daddy
when we got home. (Yes, all my children were still up at 11 pm)
Only 19 more days till he returns. Hope it goes by fast !
And 3-4 months and we will bring our new daughter home !!
Praying Hopes passport comes in quicker !!


As Steve said last night " sloooww down in life and spend the
time with your children and your soul mate and family and friends,
this is why you are here."