Home Study Approval

It's been a while since I posted anything. Part of it is because nothing was really going on with the adoption and part of it is because I was annoyed that nothing was going on with the adoption, haha. Ask anyone in the adoption process and they will tell you that the hardest thing about it is the wait and the unknown. There's no due date, no answers to the questions you receive (i.e., "What are you having?" -- "How long will the wait be?") and NO control. Well, I guess there's a little control in gathering paperwork, making appointments, etc...but, once all of that is done, the only thing to do is wait. And that's what we've been doing since my last post...waiting for home study approval. I'm sure our workers got annoyed by my incessant emails asking for updates, but in the end, the wait was worth it. We're now home study approved!! What a great Christmas present. :)

Now, we'll be starting the dossier process, filling out the I-800a, and getting USCIS fingerprints done. For more about this part of the adoption process, see my previous blogpost - What's Next.  Part of our dossier includes getting psychological evaluations done. which we'll be doing next week.  Wish us luck!

Fundraiser Update: Since the last blog post, we've done several fundraisers including our online Facebook auction, Mistletoe Market in Hendersonville, a sale at fellow adoptive mother Amy Eatherly's house, a Christmas ornament fundraiser, and Christmas on Main Street in Goodlettsville.  Below are some photos from these fundraisers:

 Shipping items to auction winners!

Total amount raised in our auction - Yeah!

Mistletoe Market set-up

At Amy Eatherly's adoption fundraiser.  Amy and her husband previously adopted from Ethiopia and are now starting the adoption process again!

Beautiful ornaments with calligraphy done by my amazing friend, Lindsay!

I love learning new crafts now!  The wreaths for our fundraiser were a lot of fun to create.

**EDIT: I forgot that we also had a yard sale at our friend's house so here are a few pictures from that as well!  :)

Home Study: Part 2

I'm behind, but we officially finished the last step in our home study!  Our second visit with our social worker was last Thursday.  We met her for lunch at Chuy's (random, I know) and went over parenting skills and what to expect in the next steps of the adoption.  Everything went well and now we're just waiting for official approval.  We were told that it will take 2-3 weeks for her to type up our home study.  At that point, she will send it to our placing agency for approval (should only take a week or so--hopefully).  Then, we'll be home study ready!!!

The next steps will be getting fingerprinted and completing our dossier.  But, for now, we're celebrating this small milestone and focusing solely on fundraising until we get word to move on to the next steps.  Thank you all for the support which has helped us get to this point!

Home Study: Part 1

Scott and I have been busy, busy getting everything squared away for our home study!  First thing we needed to do was to finish raising enough money to pay off all of our initial agency fees.  I signed up for a craft fair called Made in Nashville a while ago, but was told that all of the spots were filled and I could not participate.  However, I got an email just a few days before the event saying that someone dropped out and I could join if I’d like.  Of course I jumped on that!  Scott and I weren’t really sure how successful it would be, but we figured we’d give it a try.  Turns out that after fees to join the craft fair, we raised over $450!  Can I just say, also, that I have the most amazing husband who not only helped me set up, but stayed all day and sold tons of earrings!  He even decided he wanted to learn how to make them himself after we got home.  J  I don’t know if he would admit to that if you asked him though… 

Participating in Made in Nashville was enough to help us pay off our last fees before the home study – yay!!  We then scheduled our home study visit which was last Wednesday, September 24^th.  We were pretty nervous and our apartment has never been cleaner, but everything went really well!  Our social worker came by, talked to us for a little bit, did a walk-through of our apartment, and took our paperwork.  I was a little hesitant to hand it over considering how hard we worked to get it all together…thankfully, I have several copies.  J

After our visit, we scheduled a second visit with our worker on October 9^th.  For this one, we’ll be meeting her for lunch instead of her coming by our place, which takes a little of the pressure off.  After that, she’ll be ready to draft our home study which should take 2-3 weeks.  I’m hoping we’ll be home study ready by the end of October!!  (*Crossing my fingers that there are no snags along the way*)  

We’re still gathering donations for our next fees which will come at the end of the home study.  I’m sure many of you have seen our Facebook Auction Fundraiser which will take place October 17^th-19^th.  We’re really excited about it – there are so many great items to bid on!!  Go check it out --> Mullins Family Adoption Auction.  Many of the donors are also in the process of adopting or have adopted before.  I’ve met some wonderful families and am so glad to be a part of the adoptive community.  We’ll also have a yard sale fundraiser in Nashville on October 25^th at my friend’s place.  Details to come.

In non-adoption news, we celebrated our 7^th anniversary this month and went to a beautiful wedding in Alabama!  Here are some pics from both:


Looking forward to all that is to come!!

Making Progress

Wow – it’s been a whirlwind of a few weeks!  We have made such progress in our fundraising and paid off two of our major home study fees this week – that’s $2,800 that we have raised and/or saved since the beginning of July!  Thank you, thank you to all of those who have helped out. 

While my flea market escapades weren’t the most successful thing I’ve done, Scott and I did have a lot of fun setting up and hanging out there!  We’re probably going to try a craft fair next time instead of the flea market.  Check out my awesome table display featuring signs made by my wonderful friend, Lindsay! 

What’s left before the home study? - We have one major fee left in this first step of the adoption, but we expect to have enough to pay that off within the next couple of weeks.  We have finished all of our paperwork, but still need to send a few documents in to our agency.  Lastly, we’re still waiting on one more background check and Scott’s physical (September 8^th) before we can be officially ready for the home study.  So exciting!

They say that the adoption process is a roller coaster, and I completely agree with that.  We haven’t even gotten that far into it, but I’ve already experienced every emotion that’s out there.  With all of the unknowns, it’s scary at times.  Will we really raise enough money to pay all of our fees?  Will we have to wait for years to make it through the whole adoption process?  Will there really be a child out there for us?  Will we make it through this without something going terribly wrong?  I know these are likely irrational thoughts, but we’ve been let down before when we had our future all planned out, so it’s hard not to think these things sometimes.  BUT, I cannot believe the amount of support that we continue to get from family, friends, even strangers.  Every time I feel scared, there’s someone there who calms my fears by offering us their support.

Case in point: We’ve been gathering donations for a yard sale for a while now, but got stuck when a big donation fell through a few weeks ago.  Yesterday, a girl in our apartment complex put up a sign in the mail room stating that she’s having a moving sale and all unsold items would go to Goodwill.  I texted her and said that, if she is done with the sale, we are looking for donations for a yard sale fundraiser for our adoption and would be willing to take the items.  I got no response yesterday, but just figured that she had already taken all of the items to Goodwill.  I thought, “Well, we probably won’t hear from her.”  Today, she texted me back and said that we could come get EVERYTHING that was left over.  Wow!  Donations galore…I was so ecstatic! 

Second case in point: I’ve been talking to this girl for a while who agreed to offer consulting for us to have an online auction fundraiser.  She was going to do everything – secure all of the donations, advertise, run the auction for us, be the liaison between donors and bidders.  However, I haven’t heard from her in 3 weeks.  I was getting disappointed because I have no idea how to do this on my own.  I already had a few people who said they were willing to donate, but I didn’t know what to tell them.  I started researching other auctions, reached out to some other adoptive families who have done auctions, and decided that maybe I can do this on my own.  In just a few days, I’ve already secured several donations for the auction – people have been so generous! 

These are just a few examples of the love and support that we have received – not to mention the fundraisers that people have offered to do for us, the friends/family who are wearing their “From Colombia with Love” shirts with pride, and all of the earring orders I’ve gotten recently!  All that to say – you guys rock!  We couldn’t do this without you…seriously.  Our child is going to be surrounded with so much love, and we couldn’t be happier about that.  

Upcoming Fundraisers

September - yard sale & Jamberry fundraiser party

October - online auction 

Timeline and Fundraising Update

Fundraiser #1 Complete - THANK YOU!
Scott and I completed our first major fundraiser on August 7th - our t-shirt fundraiser!  It was a success and we raised over $400!  Thank you to all who contributed by purchasing a shirt.  We're excited to see you in them and to wear ours!  :)

Timeline
We are so close to reaching our goal to begin the home study.  We hope to have everything in order by the end of August or mid-September.  Our application has been officially approved by our placing agency (Little Miracles International), which is a great thing!  Also, all of our background checks (except for one) have come back already.  These can usually take some time, so that's great news as well!

Upcoming Fundraisers
We have several other fundraisers coming up including an online auction through Instagram and several independent consulting parties (Scentsy and Jamberry) that one of my high school friends has offered to host!  I'll keep you updated!

In addition, we continue to have our ongoing earring/accessory fundraiser through my Etsy site.  It has been so much fun making earrings, bobby pins, and more!  I'll be at the Nashville Flea Market August 23rd-24th if you'd like to come see them in person!

--"If you have a heart for adoption, don't let fear stand in the way."
--"Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother." - Oprah Winfrey

All Things Colombia

Scott and I are dedicated to embracing our child's Colombian background and ensuring that he/she knows where they come from.  There is so much for us to learn about our future child's home-country!  Here are some interesting things we have learned so far...

1) Colombia has no specific seasons since it is so close to the equator.  Another source I read said that there is only summer...but there is also sometimes snow on the mountains, so...I guess we'll pack for anything?

2) Colombia has one of the most beautiful rivers in the world - the Caño Cristales.  I really, really hope we get to see this in person!  (Read more about it here).

3) Colombia has the biggest salsa festival, biggest theater festival, biggest outdoor horse parade, biggest flower parade, and second biggest carnival in the world.  Wow!  I hope we get to travel during one of these festivals.

4) Colombia is known for being very multi-cultural with influences from European, Native American, Middle Eastern, and African cultures.

5) Children in Colombia learn about el Ratón Pérez (Pérez the Mouse) who is similar to the Tooth Fairy. He even has his own movie (El Ratón Pérez).  Can't wait to get the book The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez for our future child!

These are just a few of the many, many things we have to learn...check out my new favorite blog of all things Colombia --> http://raisingcolombiankids.blogspot.com/.

What's Next?

People have lots of questions now that we have announced our adoption – the most common of which being, “What’s next?”  Well, to be honest, we’re curious about that too.  This is a process that we’re still navigating, but from researching and talking to our social worker, we’ve learned that it goes a little something like this:

Home Study

This is the part of the process that we are in right now.  What is a home study, you ask?  Basically, it’s a review to see if we have adequate, safe housing for a child and to ensure that we are placed with a child whose needs we can meet.

Step 1: Gather paperwork, including: multiple background checks, statements from our bank and employer, pet vaccination records, autobiography statement, and references just to name a few...Not to mention get a physical, complete parenting education classes, get a psychological examination, and pay a bunch of fees.  It’s hard to have to "prove" that you’ll be a good parent, but we’re getting through it step by step!

Step 2: The next step of the home study process will be meeting two times with our social worker from our home study agency*– once at home (so she can check the safety of our place and interview us) and once at her office.  She then types up all of the information, approves us (because we’re going to be awesome parents J!) and passes it along to our placing agency* for review. 

*Adoption Terms for Dummies: (Don't worry, we barely understand them either!)

Home study agency = The agency that completes our home study

Placing agency = The agency that works with the Colombian government and Colombian orphanages to find the right child for us

Estimated Cost: $7,600

Complete USCIS Application

In order for our placing agency to locate a child for us, we must fill out an I-800A form* and submit it to the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).  Along with this form, we must also get fingerprinted, provide multiple documents showing that we’re legitimate, and pay some more fees, of course.

*Adoption Terms for Dummies (Part 2):
I-800A form = (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) The form that the USCIS uses to say that we can adopt…or something like that.

Estimated Cost: $890

Complete Dossier

At this point in the process, we will need to collect documents that are required by Colombia.  Many of the documents will be the same as those we collected for the home study, but we’ll need to have them notarized, authenticated, translated, and approved by the Colombian embassy.  I bet you can guess what that means – more fees!

Estimated Cost: $6,300

Child Referral

After the dossier is submitted and approved, we will begin our wait for a referral!  From what I’ve heard, this is the hardest part.  Up until this point, there are things to keep you busy – gathering paperwork, completing appointments, preparing your home, etc.  Once all the "busy"ness is gone, all you have is waiting…

Once we receive a referral, we will likely consult with a medical provider who specializes in adoptions and can give us advice on the health of the child.  At the time of referral, we also have to finish up paying our fees to the adoption agency.

Estimated Cost: $2,050

Travel

Once we accept a referral (aka our CHILD!!), we will prepare for travel to Colombia to finalize the adoption!  Colombia only requires one trip of around 6 weeks.  (Only one of us has to be there the entire time, but we both have to be there for at least two weeks).  While in Colombia, we'll wait for everything to be legalized, the child will be in our care, and we will begin the bonding process!  I can barely even think about it at this time since it seems so far away and surreal, but it will be the HAPPIEST time of my life…I guarantee it.  

Estimated Cost: $10,000

Return Home with Our Child

Ooooohhh yeah!!

TOTAL ESTIMATED COSTS: $26,840

 After that, it’s home sweet home!  So, as you can see, it’s a long and complicated process.  I’m excited to share updates as we get through each step! 

Fundraising will continue to be a big part of the process since we can’t go to the next step until we have the funds to move on…such an unfortunate part of adoption, but I know that it will be worth it when we see our child. 

Because, that’s what this is all about…not about us wanting so desperately to be parents.  Don’t get me wrong – we do desperately want to be parents…but, this is about a child. 

A child who may never have known a loving family. 

A child who was lacking in love and support. 

A child who no one wanted.  

A child who was abandoned when his/her needs were too great.  

A child who may already be out there waiting… 

And we can’t wait to bring that child home. 

For other questions, visit our FAQ page.

If you would like to help, please visit my Etsy page:


Or, buy a t-shirt from our Booster site:
www.booster.com/fromcolombiawithlove_blue 
www.booster.com/fromcolombiawithlove_gray

4th of July Weekend

Now that 4th of July is over, I thought I'd share a little with you guys about how we spent the weekend! We enjoyed having Friday off work together and started out the day at the Hot Chicken Festival.  If you're not from Nashville, you may not know what hot chicken is, but it's a staple here...delicious pan fried chicken rubbed in cayenne pepper.  No, it's not the same thing as buffalo chicken!  Check out this hot chicken wikipedia site if you'd like to know more.  I can't even really describe it except to say that your mouth will hate you later...but, it's so worth it.  Lines were ridiculously long.  We stood in line for Hattie B's (our favorite hot chicken!) for over an hour.

Needless to say, we were pretty sunburned afterward and needed some time to cool off at Jeni's ice cream (another Nashville fav).  The Cantaloupe and Sun Tea Sorbet is seriously the best thing ever.

After Jeni's, we went home for a bit and then ventured out to Love Circle for a great spot to watch the fireworks!

What a great view!

I don't know if you've heard, but Nashville has some of the best fireworks in the country. We love watching them and had a great time! (Not to mention, we got home quickly and didn't have to sit in the traffic coming from downtown).

Saturday, we spent time with friends playing board games (Settlers of Catan, anyone?), while Sunday was dedicated to relaxing and planning our t-shirt fundraiser for our initial adoption costs.  Scott and I developed these t-shirts on a website called Booster.  It was super easy!

If you'd like one, head on over to one of our Booster sites and purchase one. They're only $20! The fundraiser will only last until August 7th, so get one while you can. You can purchase the gray shirt here and the blue shirt here.  Personally, I like the blue one the best, but Scott prefers the gray.  All funds raised will go toward our home study and adoption agency fees!

That was our weekend in a nutshell. In other news, I've been crafting like crazy and making some adorable fabric button earrings.  Here's a sneak peek:

My Etsy shop, featuring these blue leaf earrings, is coming soon.  Be sure to check back!

Thank You!

Yesterday, we announced our adoption, and the support that we have received thus far has been amazing! We are overwhelmed by the response and so glad to be able to share this experience with others. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us. We're a little anxious about the unknown, but glad to have such awesome family and friends to cheer us on along the way!

 We're still gathering paperwork and have decided on a placing agency, but there's not much else to report on yet. However, check out the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) tab above that I added yesterday. I tried to gather some answers to common questions that we have received. If you have others, feel free to ask!

Fundraising and More

While we have already secured a home study agency, tomorrow we speak with a potential placing agency.  I'm fairly certain this is the agency that we will end up working with due to their reputation and fees.  Speaking of fees...that is one thing that we've been pretty concerned about.  An adoption from Colombia could end up costing between $20,000 and $30,000.  We knew going into it that adoption would be expensive and, luckily, we've had a lot of help determining our options.  Our plan so far is to:

1) Save as much as possible

2) Apply for grants

3) Apply for the federal adoption tax credit

The only problem is that we aren't eligible for adoption grants until after we have an approved home study and we can't get the federal adoption tax credit until after the adoption is finalized...which leads us to:

4) Fundraising!

Personally, I hate fundraising.  It's hard asking people for financial assistance, but we're hoping to be creative in our fundraising plan.  (Keep an eye out for my Etsy shop and online auction in the next few weeks/months!)  In addition to the creative and fun fundraising ideas, we also have a GoFundMe site. Click below if you would like to donate.  Every little bit helps!

If you have other fundraising ideas/tips or suggestions, please send them our way!  I've set up an email specifically for our adoption - mullinsfamilyadoption@gmail.com.  We'd love to hear from you!

And the Journey Begins

My husband, Scott, and I have been married for almost seven years.  For as long as I can remember, we've discussed international adoption.  Even before we were married, we both knew that it would be in our plans one day.  We never expected we would begin this process so early in our lives, but here we are!

Around three years ago, we decided to start trying to have a baby.  It's been a long journey...one in which we suffered two miscarriages, found out my thyroid is good for nothing, and became generally disheartened on the baby front.  It's not to say that it won't happen one day, but today is not that day.  After the second miscarriage, adoption became our number one choice pretty quickly.  Our hearts just couldn't take another loss.  

We have now officially started the adoption process and plan to adopt a 0-4 year old from Colombia!  On June 13th, we submitted an adoption application and have since been gathering paperwork to begin the home study process.  We're excited, overwhelmed, and already exhausted with to-do lists, but we can't wait to see what the future holds!  

"Every day is one day closer to seeing you..."