Homeland Security Appt

We received our appointment for re-fingerprinting by Homeland Security today (Federal criminal background check)--September 8th at 9 a.m. in Fargo. So, the kids will get on the bus at 10 to 7 a.m., then we're racing off to Fargo and will be home before the bus gets back.

Other news---discussions with "online friends" also adopting from Ashraya on our same court schedule are being told they may be able to travel as early as November!!!! So, we're trying not to get our hopes up, but are excited at the possibility that Sweeti may be home by Christmas! Keep her in your prayers as she waits to come home.

Ashraya update

We received the following update from Ashraya today:

Her case is scheduled for the 1st hearing on the 1st of September. Her surgery wound which had troubled her for a very short while, has healed well and she is doing well.

Money, Money, Money!

We received our bill from AIAA yesterday with the $4,000 grant subtracted from our total still due. We are delighted to report that AIAA reduced our fee by $1,000 in order to support our adoption of a child with special needs. So, we only have $700 due to AIAA in order to meet all the India program fees!!! We now only have remaining the travel/visa fees and the post-placement fees due to LSS when Sweeti gets home.

"All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness!!!"

Pooh fan!

We got 4 new pictures of Sweeti last night. She is wearing a Winnie the Pooh sweater over the same blue gingham dress as the last picture--with some huge oversized diaper cover or bottom of a onesie hanging down to her ankles. She is standing holding on to a white crib in 3 pictures, and sitting right near/under the crib in the fourth.

She isn't so serious in these--she's obviously having a good time.

I have asked Ashraya for an update about her wound which was not healing well.

Fingerprint time---again!

We sent off our letter to USCIS today requesting to be re-fingerprinted by the Department of Homeland Security. They make the immigration approval good for 18 months, and we got approval in December, so we're not likely to have to renew that----but the fingerprinting only lasts for 15 months and we had that done in July, so we've got to get them renewed.

So, another trip to Fargo and lots of waiting in a tiny room (last time with Canadians waiting to have their Green Cards renewed and a lesbian couple doing the same as us--wearing a vietnamese boy in a sling--no comment) to have the US Government assured that we have not committed any crimes or altered our fingertips since last July.

The one good piece of news, is our case worker from LSS said that you can renew your fingerprints once for free--so the only expense this time will be the drive to Fargo and back, and possibly one night in a hotel. Last time our appointment was at 8 a.m., so we had to go the night before.

No more news about Sweeti--I'm hoping that soon we will perhaps receive some pictures of her receiving the photo album we sent.

Cutie

We received a very precious picture of our cutie today. She is sitting on the floor with a couple toys--including a stuffed Tigger. She is wearing a navy blue gingham dress with a turquoise sweater over the top and is looking right into the camera with a curious serious face. She has lots of thick, curly black hair.

We also were informed that a petition was filed in court but we do not have a hearing date yet.