I-800 Application Going in today!

Just this morning, via email, we received our referral documents translated to English, which allows us to send in our I-800 application. This is the last major bureaucratic step before we can plan to travel to pick up Yamile. This approval can take anywhere from two to four weeks; we've been told it's taking about three weeks right now. (We can pray that it goes faster!)

Once the approval comes, we could travel as soon as two weeks after that. That would get us to Colombia before Yamile's tenth birthday - a goal we've been shooting for.

Heading up to this translation of documents, this week we received copies the referral materials in Spanish. They included a couple more recent photos of Yamile - she is so pretty! (Of course, I'm not biased or anything.) And she looks older (imagine that!). Sometimes you get caught up in a "time warp" kind of thing and keep imagining she is the same as she was when we met her last August. But she keeps growing up. All the more reason for us to get to Colombia ASAP and have her in her forever family here in Fallon.

Another Step in the Process

We found out on July 2nd that our "contact" on the ground in Colombia has now received Yamile's referral paperwork so she can begin translating it into English now. This information is critical - until we have it we can't apply for our I800. And we know the I800 takes probably four weeks to process. We're hoping the translation will be done by July 9th so we can keep moving forward. Yamile's birthday is August 24th and we'd sure like to be there to celebrate it with her!

We are now pulling items together for a care package for Yamile. We've been given the go-ahead to get the package ready. We'll be putting together a DVD that she can view about her new home and family. Lenna's already made a photo album for her as well. We'll probably send her a couple small stuffed animals and some clothes. And Rebecca (and the rest of us) is getting her room set up to be shared with a sister.

Every little thing we do now makes the adoption that much more tangible as the "Gotcha" day comes closer.