Updating documents

We are happy to say we FINALLY got another appointment to get our fingerprints done at Homeland Security. Woo hoo! It took almost 2 months for them to reschedule and our other fingerprints expired on February 28th. We are still hopeful that them expiring has not affected anything. I guess only time will tell!

Allan had his physical completed for the home study but not without complications. We have to laugh because it just seems like it can never go easy for him. His physical is what held us up so long at the beginning of the paperwork process! This time it was his TB test that caused problems. The nurse was unable to tell if he had TB or if it was an allergic reaction so she sent him to the health department for them to check it out. Well, the health department wouldn't check it because he didn't have a doctors note and our doctor had already closed. So, we had to wait all weekend, wondering if he had TB. On Monday, he had to call and they set up an appointment for him to have a chest x-ray to determine if he had TB or not. Thankfully, the x-ray came back clear and he is okay!! :)

Dealing with the doctors offices for physicals and notaries can be nerve racking! I had two sets of paperwork ready for the doctors, one for Allan and one for me. They both had the exact same guidelines and requirements. I went to the doctor to pick up Allan's form and drop off mine and the nurse looks at mine and says Oh I didn't know the notary has to be good for 2 years! It took all I had to not get smart with her. Allan and I have the same paperwork! How could she not know?!? It's those little things that can put a BIG bump in the road. Thankfully, when I e-mailed our social worker to ask, she said the notary didn't have to be 2 years. That was a huge relief! Otherwise we would've had to have hired a mobile notary to go to the doctors office.

We are hopeful that we can get my physical paperwork done in a timely manner and get all our home study paperwork sent in before April 1st. We are on a deadline to get the home study done before our I 171-H expires. We just continue to trust in God and his timing!

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With the upcoming home study, we are trying to clean up some of the items we have collected. We are having an Online Auction to help bring home Baby Pack on Facebook. It will last until March 26th at 1pm. Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/events/1495376874023106/

Chili Cookoff Pictures

Wow! What a great turnout for the Chili cook-off fundraiser! We are so thankful to our friends who organized this event and for everyone who helped make it possible! We are grateful for everyone's help in bringing home our baby! :) Check out the pictures from the event!

Set up and ready to serve some yummy chili

This group went all out, with sour cream, onions, cheese and even frito chips!! Check out their ballot box, it says"What would Jesus eat? This chili right here!!"

Ready to serve lots of chili

This small group's chili won with 24 votes!

Brooke, Harper & Erica (not pictured) taking donations

Six chili's to sample

Everyone hanging out and picking their favorite chili

Grateful

I just wanted to share our recent blessings from our Church. 
On, February 1st the Church had a breakfast to kick off the 40 days in the Book of John and at this breakfast, they chose to give us half of the donations for the adoption! As well as a donation from the life groups! As if that wasn't enough of a blessing, we were then told that our friends had really had a burden on their heart for us and the adoption and they organized a Chili Cook off fundraiser. There are 6 life groups that are willing to make Chili and cornbread for this Saturday, Feb. 22 from 3-6pm at Brevard Community Church. The money raised will be split between us and another family adopting. We are just so thankful how God continues to provide through people! We are thankful to everyone who gives so much of themselves to help us bring home Baby Pack! :)

We also had a couple, who has already given so much to help us bring our baby home, who donated more to us. They just recently had a baby of their own and they choose to give us money for our baby rather than putting it towards their own leaves us speechless. God is doing some pretty amazing things! 

Here is an update on what is going on with the process...

  We had appointments scheduled in January to have our fingerprints done but they were closed that day due to snow. We called and they said they would send us another appointment day. W e called again to let them know they were going to be expiring on the 28th but as of yet we haven't heard back. So, we don't really know what is going to happen with this. We could really use prayers that Homeland Security sends us a appointment time before the 28th!! Allan goes for his physical tomorrow and I have mine next month and then we will have all our updated documents ready to be sent in for another home study visit. 

  Oh, and the snow ruined our adoption sticker on the back of my car, so we are going to have to take it off. :( We hope to find another one so we can continue to get the word out about our adoption and share our testimony of what God is doing!  

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My friend, Erica came over the other day and she helped me find a few more puzzle pieces. This puzzle is super hard, she agreed after trying to help!

Erica and Elizabeth working on the adoption puzzle