Dossier Translation Complete :) !

Now just awaiting for the consulate to reopen from the holidays and for our turn to submit. Should be sometime in Janurary/February. I can't believe it's been 18 months since we began this journey.

Happy new Year to all!

A Completed Dossier!

This past Thursday I took my whole dossier to the state capitol in Nashville, TN to have it apostilled. It is finished! Thank goodness. From start to finish it has been 17 months and 5 days. Now we will send it off to our agency for translation and consulate submission.
We have had such a difficult time with hold ups of various reasons that I decided to get both my main dossier apostilled and my back up dossier apostilled and probably obtained way more seals (of every sort) than I needed. :) Since the trip to Nashville is 6 hours round trip., I wasn't taking any chances!
The timing was good, however, as my apostilling fell at the same time as my National Teachers of Mathematics Convention that happened to be in Nashville this year. It was refreshing and enlightening! I loved learning all about where the teaching of math seems to be "going" these days.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Hollands

Miss Lilliana's Questions :)

7/09 All tucked into bed b/w mommy and daddy, Miss Lilliana props herself up on her little tummy and elbows while kicking her feet, places her little hands under her sweet chin, looks at her daddy and asks,

"Daddy, why doesn't God have a wife?"

And Dean looks at me laughing and says, "Now how do you answer that?!"

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7/09 Cuddling up with mommy at bedtime last night, Lilliana gets all comfortable near my shoulder and says,

"Mmmm, you're so soft and warm and fat. You feel so cozy!"

(laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh!) I'm really not overweight - she just happened to have found my chest to use as a pillow :) She is soooo fun!

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7/09 Today when leaving the park, I told the children we would go get something sweet and it would be a surprise. Lilliana takes my hand and asks,

"Really, mommy? Not just hugs and kisses? Something we can really eat?"

We don't make a big habit of eating "junk" around our house. :)

While We're Waiting

Truly Blessed! Sunset Beach, St. George Island,
We had a lightning/thunderstorm one night.




St. George Island, Family Vacation
2009 (Linz and Best Friend Megan)

Linz and "Daddy" touring the sites of
Philadelphia and The Liberty Bell
June 2009

We also got to spend Fathers' Day with both of our dads which was an added blessing. And the first picture is my eldest, Lindsay, playing with a dolphin. She had an adventure she will never forget. This dolphin played with her and her best friend for several minutes, coming up to the boat where they were patting the water. Linz even fed the sweet dolphin a fish. I wish I could post more of those pics, but as most of you know, it's quite time-consuming. (Especially when you have to take the time to edit out the skin parts that shouldn't be posted) :)

If anyone is looking for a great, family-friendly place to vacation, I highly recommend St. George Island, off the coast of northwest Florida. The bike trail extends the entire length of the Island (minus the state park). And yes, you can even camp there in the Park, although you have to reserve way in advance. (www.reserveamerica.com)
There are not many fast food type things and you have to take a bridge out to the island so it's really a nice, safe, family place. The only down side: It's not cheap. We always rent a place together to be able to continue our vacations there.
I know most of us are really concentrating on saving money for our adoptions, and we should. But I also had some good advice given to me this past spring when I made the comment that I didn't want to put my "life on hold" for this adoption. The lady sitting with me said, "And God doesn't want you to." He wants us to keep enjoying these moments with our family while we have them and let Him provide our finances. Of course, we have to be faithful, but also not feel guilty when we spend money to spend time with the ones we have with us now.

The video I have added is actually a compilation of pictures from this same vacation spot from previous years. You can really see how much these precious nieces and nephews of mine have changed in just a few short years. And would you believe, we have 9 girls and 3 boys. Nine extremely beautiful girls I might add! .......Boy are we in for it! :)

How time flies!

More USCIS Information???

Well, we have "earned " the "honor" of being the first family for AW in TN to ever be asked for two clarifications from USCIS. So, we are sending a whole new, revised Home Study instead, with USCIS approval, to take care of the two or three items in our Home Study that needed clarification or additional information. Apparently, it's the time of year USCIS reviews policies or something and adds new rules, etc. so we just got lucky I guess at having our paperwork there at this time. Oh Well, I'd rather it be done perfectly under the newer guidelines when it goes to the embassy anyway. Plus, it also gives us more time on our expiration dates for our Orphan Petition. I'm just really glad it has all worked out. Our paperwork has actually been in Memphis since last December, so our agency license page has also expired. But, that will work out as well since we are sending a revised Home Study.
For our family members who are wondering when we are ever going to actually go to Kaz. Well that's in God's hands, but I can say that our agency has actually started moving dossiers through the DC Embassy and we are #12 in line. So, it could be 6-12 months or more before it is our turn to submit our dossier. Then another 4-9 months before we receive an LOI to travel. (Although we are hoping for much quicker timelines.)
After waiting so long for Lilliana (6 years), this isn't really that bad. My only concern comes after having done yard work all day and trying to walk straight at night. Then I wonder how I'll manage carrying a little one or toddler around if I have to wait to much longer :) :) I guess it will just have to make me more determined to stay in shape, huh!?

Miss Lilliana's Headache

"Ooohhh! Mom!!! My head hurts...........................My brain is beating on it."

She is soooo funny!! I needed a good laugh. My sweet little angel is such a joy! I just can't get enough of her! Oh what fun.

Adoption Update

USCIS needs "more information" to process our petition. Since our 18 year old lives in the college dorm, she is still considered living at home. So....now we will have her fingerprinted and hope that will be our final issue with USCIS. USCIS approval will have taken us approx. 6-8 months. (FYI)
As I've said before, it's ok really, as the wait has really worked out for our good so far.
We will officially have been in the paperwork process of our adoption for one full year on June 10, 2009. It will also be approximately five years since the day God put the burden in my heart to adopt. I'm amazed at how time seems to go by so quickly.