Milestones

8/1/11:  Decided to adopt....want to know why? Read here.
8/13/11: Selected All God's Children International (AGCI) as our adoption agency and submitted pre-application

8/29/11: Application approved and matched with 2 countries: Ethiopia and Bulgaria
9/1/11: After much prayer and several nudges from the Big Guy, we decide on Ethiopia
9/15/11: Completed physicals and sumitted lots of paperwork to AGCI
9/17/11: Contacted home study agency & assigned social worker
9/20/11: Received home study packet from home study agency
10/10/11: Submitted written portion of home study to BUMFS
10/17/11: Received email from social worker that the written portion of our home study was approved; scheduled 1st home study interview
11/21/11: 1st Home Study Interview
11/25/11: Denied access to funds needed to submit contract to AGCI
12/16/11: Exact amount of money required to submit contract to AGCI mysteriously appeared in our bank account; 2nd Home Study Interview
12/17/11: Mailed contract to AGCI
12/28/11: Received Dossier packet and began dossier paperchase
1/10/12: Dossier 90% complete
1/23/12: All Dossier paperwork signed and notarized...just waiting on the final copy of the Home Study!
2/7/12: Home study draft reviewed by AGCI...revisions needed.  Sent back to social worker at BUMFS for revisions.
2/14/12: Home Study APPROVED!

2/21/12: I-600A sent to USCIS in Texas
2/27/12: I-600A received and processed at National Benefits Center in Missouri
3/8/12: Received Fingerprinting Appointment Notices for March 30th in Pittsburgh
3/9/12: All paperwork complete to submit dossier; $1700 short of dossier fee
3/14/12: Fingerprinting completed!
3/29/12: Received a grant for $2,300; sent dossier to AGCI

3/30/12: Dossier received in Portland; revisions needed
4/6/12: Revisions sent to AGCI; received FDL (Favorable Determination Letter) from USCIS/Department of Homeland Security
4/9/12: We're on the wait list! Numbers for March are #140 for a girl, #55 for siblings.
4/30/12: #137 girls, #53 siblings
5/31/12: #135 girls, #56 siblings
6/30/12: #130 girls, #54 siblings.  Raised $1,777 at our adoption yard sale!
7/31/12: #113 girls, #43 siblings
8/31/12: #108 girls, #42 siblings
9/30/12: #104 girls, #40 siblings
10/31/12: #103 girls, #43 siblings
11/30/12: #97 girls, #41 siblings
12/31/12: #95 girls, #40 siblings
1/31/13: #94 girls, #39 siblings
2/28/13: #93 girls, #38 siblings
3/18/13: Home study update submitted to BUMFS
3/31/13: #90 girls, #36 siblings, 1 year on the wait list
4/11/13: USCIS Fingerprint Extension request submitted
4/16/13: FBI fingerprints renewed