Friday, July 11, 2008

Count Down & Another Home Study Update

#28 - The RACE to Referral Day - the Count Down of days continues...

As best one can... we've been at peace with The Wait. It's the darn paperwork that continues to put me to the test :)
And I say me because Aly handles this part of the journey MUCH better than I ever did (do).

To help keep things interesting we have a simple 21 page Home Study we're updating and of course we just got re-re-re-fingerprinted again, again, again and we're now waiting on our latest updated, latest updated, latest updated I-171H form from the government. Oh yeah, and once every i is dotted and t crossed, we need to squeeze in another visit, visit, visit, visit, visit from our SW. Darn, I seem to be repeating myself. I can't imagine why, why, why... Could it be because we all keep having to do the same things over and over and over and.....?
Oh, and don't let me forget. You know the letter from your physician that has to be worded EXACTLY right and has to be on their letterhead? Well, we have never returned less than 3 times, each time, to get that accomplished and I've been required each time to have a full physical, complete with blood work, to satisfy my not so personal, personal physician. I love Home Study updates :)
GRrrrrrrrrrr. Not.

You might think that after more than 3 years we would have the paperwork behind us. Nah... it can't be that simple. Instead of kicking back and sliding through the last days of The Wait, we're once more dancing the Paperwork Shuffle all the while humming along to Feet Don't Fail Us Now :)
Let's see. Copy of last years taxes, check. Background checks at Sheriffs Office, check. Employment verification, check. Well, you all know the routine...

Ah, life is good. Better than we deserve. It's all just part of the journey and if being honest, we'll own up to the nerves being just a tad bit twitchy right now. And with all that said, you could beat us with a stick and you still couldn't wipe the smiles off our face :)

Now where did I put that Release of Information Consent to Law Enforcement form?
Aly --- Where's the checkbook???
peace
fm

12 comments:

Briana's Mom said...

Paperwork is soooo frustrating! Especially frustrating when you keep having to do it over and over. Hang in there!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe that you have to have sheriffs office checks, last years taxes, and employment verification to update your home study. I guess each state is different. All we had to do was physicals. We just sent off our third home study update to USCIS for re-finger printing/I171H. Our prints expire in about 6 weeks. I am hoping that we are included in this next batch.
Lisa
LID 02/06/06

Lisa and Tate said...

Oh man--- the paper work shuffle dance is getting pretty old.... think this is your LAST time you will have to do this shuffle without babe in arms in China!

Lisa

Vivian M said...

Kudos to you for helping Aly with the paperwork. Today was our Gotcha day three years ago, and we marveled at how all the women were handling the paperwork and the men just stood around waiting for their wives to tell them where to sign! (Unfortunately there will be more paperwork in China!).
Aly is a lucky lady!

Sue said...

As the completer of ALL the paperwork in our family, I know for a fact it is ever daunting. Especially knowing that I'm going to have to do this 2 or 3 more times (we have a 7-14-06 LID). It just baffles the mind that our govt doesn't have the same deadline for both fingerprints and I-171H forms and that they are only good for 18 months. don't even get me started... But I do all that is needed in order to get our eventual daughter probably 5 years after we began what should have been a 12 month wait.

-sue

Donna said...

Ford, very cute post...gotta love that paperwork shuffle! At least you're still smiling.

Donna :)

Nina said...

I'm feeling your pain. We just scheduled an appointment with our social worker for our third homestudy and we're having physicals next week. Our I-171H expires 10/11/08, which if we an August referral might still work, but it's too close for comfort so we have to renew again. Yikes!

All this to say, yeah, I hear you on the paperwork thing!

Only a few weeks to referral time. Keep thinking about that!

Ruth and Brian said...

Ford, I feel your pain. Paperwork is well...overrated maybe! I don't know that I can think of one person who would go through all the necessary paperwork to file their initial paperwork only to say "you know, I think I will commit a crime while I wait for my referral," I mean what are they thinking - sheesh!

We re-re-re-did our fingerprints in Feb and as with Nina, David and Ariel our I-171H doesn't expire until mid October 2008. Our agency was pretty confident that if we get our referral in this next batch in August, we'd travel and be back in time. So...we're waiting to see if we really need to do our paperwork yet again.

Right there with ya,
Ruth

Dawn S. said...

oh, we know about paperwork! Hang in there! We are getting close!

Cindi said...

OK, this was TOO funny.... and having endured the wait and the endless RE-doing, I so understand!! It really stinks about the physician thing, tho'!
I can assure you - the wait ends, the referral comes, the incredibly joyful chaos begins, more waiting emerges, travel plans are finalized, then it really happens!
We leave in 3 days for our China babe!
You are so close!

KHM said...

Yup - just redid the fingerprints.

I never pass on the first try so that means I have visited the local fingerprint joint - oh - 9 times? I lose track

For you, this is definately the last physical.

Of course you will see the SW again - remember the post placements?

Lili said...

I can't believe that you had to do all that sh$%%y paperwork again at this late in the game. Wait. yes, I can beleive it. This is international adoption!! AAAHHHHHH