Saving Sofia: We're Coming HOME!

Monday, June 14, 2010

We're Coming HOME!

Today we got Sofia's Visa at the U.S. Embassy so we are completely DONE with our adoption! YAHOO! We are headed back home early tomorrow morning and we'll arrive Tuesday night in Sacramento. Two days earlier than we originally planned. We can hardly believe it!

We've tried to soak up as much as we can of Ukraine. We took a 2 hour walking tour of Kiev yesterday with Nikolai's daughter and learned so much about the history of Ukraine and realized that it truly is a VERY young country as it has only been independent since 1991. It was so interesting to hear the perspective of a young citizen of Ukraine and all her hopes and disappointments about the country and it's leadership.We hope for the best for Ukraine and it's people...all it's people...especially the orphans, the elderly, and the disabled. Again, we have so much to be grateful for in the United States.

So it's on to a new chapter in our lives. We're now a family of SIX! We cannot wait for the boys to meet their new sister.

But especially for this boy to become a big brother for the first time!

16 comments:

Anne and Whitney: Up, Down and All AroundJune 14, 2010 at 8:22 AM
SO HAPPY you get to come home 2 days early... i bet the boys and your parents are just dying to meet sofia in person! safe travels :) congratulations on the adoption being completed and official!!! Welcome to your new family, little sofia!!!
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Looking UpJune 14, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Hooray!!!! Have a great trip!
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PaulaJune 14, 2010 at 9:08 AM
Congratulations and my prayers are continually with you guys as you finally bring Sofia home! Thank you for sharing your story! :)
Paula
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april narrettoJune 14, 2010 at 9:11 AM
yea! Now your "new" family begins, what a thrill. I know he (and your other boys) will be a great big brother
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Monica CrumleyJune 14, 2010 at 9:13 AM
I can't wait, either! Love you guys! Safe travels!
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Kylie McJune 14, 2010 at 9:13 AM
yay! how exciting! have a safe trip home. your little guy is soooo cute! :)
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JenJune 14, 2010 at 9:43 AM
Congratulations! That is so great that everything is completed and you get to return early!! Have a safe trip. I can't wait to hear of the adventures of your new family of SIX :o)
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KellyJune 14, 2010 at 9:53 AM
Complete AND early??!! YEAH!! Congratulations Sanchez Family:) Thank you so much for sharing this adoption journey with us! Very inspiring!! Looking forward to Sofia's homecoming and meeting her 3 big brothers!! Oh the memories that are about to be made.....sigh!!! Safe travels!
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AnnesphamilyJune 14, 2010 at 10:05 AM
Praying always for Sofia and her lovely family. Blessings to all of you! Anne
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LinneaJune 14, 2010 at 11:12 AM
Yay! Praying for safe travels. be blessed.
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Kristin FergusonJune 14, 2010 at 12:18 PM
Congratulations! Hopefully we'll be following behind you next week!

Glad you got to tour with Olena--she's amazing!

Kristin--P.S. How many days did it take to finish adoption stuff in Kiev?
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UnknownJune 14, 2010 at 12:25 PM
Congrats! Following your story has given me chills and tears on many occasions. Thanks so much for taking the time to share it with us. So happy for you guys!
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AnonymousJune 14, 2010 at 3:40 PM
Praying for a safe and uneventful trip as you bring Sofia home! Can't wait to see pictures of Sofia with her whole family.

Blessings,
Barbara
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shereeJune 14, 2010 at 3:42 PM
YAYYYYY! I'm crying happy tears for you guys!
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EmilyJune 15, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Truly amazing! Welcome home beautiful Sofia!
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teacherJune 15, 2010 at 6:16 PM
Congrats on the early return home! Woo hoo!
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Adoption Timeline

12-13-09- Grandma Esther passed away. Discovered Sofia at www.reecesrainbow.com and decided to donate to her grant fund in honor of Grandma and the Christmas Angel Tree Project. Couldn't get her off my mind.

1-1-10- Received Sofia's Christmas Angel Tree ornament and put it on our Christmas Tree. Still constantly thinking about her.

1-24-10- Hector and I decided to commit to adopting Sofia. Contacted Andrea at Reece's Rainbow.

1-25-10- Contacted Across the World Adoptions to begin the Home Study.

1-26-10- Sent our application to Reece's Rainbow and sent a check for the FSP Donation, Love Offering and Promise Trust.

1-27-10- Jen's physical completed. Vaccines administered. FBI and DOJ/Child Abuse fingerprinting completed.

1-28-10- Faxed Home Study Application and Agreement. Mailed hard copy.

1-29-10- Hector's fingerprints completed for FBI and DOJ/Child Abuse. Completed the required 10 hours of International Adoption education credits.

1-31-10- Mailed USCIS our I-600A application and fees.

2-1-10- Employment verifications completed for Home Study. School evaluations completed on Diego and Mateo. Received dossier paperwork from Reece's Rainbow.

2-4-10- Assigned a social worker for our Home Study at Across the World Adoptions. Had over 15 documents notarized.

2-5-10- Hector's physical completed. Vaccines administered. Child Specific Petition and Power of Attorney's notarized and ready for apostille.

2-8-10- CSP and POA's apostilled and shipped to Sofia's home country! First home study visit is scheduled for 2/15.

2-10-10- ALL paperwork completed for Home Study! YEAH! Working on gathering the rest of the dossier paperwork.

2-15-10- 1st Home Study Visit completed.

2-16-10- 2nd Home Study Visit completed.

2-22-10- Received our I-797C Notice of Action for our Orphan Petition.

2-25-10- State Police clearance fingerprinting done. Apostilled 20 documents at Secretary of State office.

3-1-10- Final revisions completed on Home Study.

3-2-10- Jennifer fingerprinted a third time for USCIS. Hector's police clearance letter received.

3-3-10- Hector fingerprinted a third time for USCIS.

3-4-10- Home Study, Agency License and Social Worker Licence notarized and mailed to us today.

3-11-10- USCIS Approval!

3-12-10- Dossier shipped out to Sofia's home country!

3-15-10- Dossier arrived in Sofia's home country!

3-25-10- Dossier officially submitted. Approximately 10 day wait to get travel date!

4-6-10- Received our SDA appointment for 4/22 at 9am! Booked our plane tickets for 4/19 arriving on 4/20.

4-14-10- Volcano erupts in Iceland causing flights to be grounded throughout Europe!

4-19-10- Flight is cancelled. No alternative routes are available. Requested new SDA appointment.

4-20-10- Got a last minute flight to Kiev through Vienna, Austria.

4-21-10- Arrived in Kiev, Ukraine!

4-22-10- Completed SDA appointment at 9am. Received referral at 6pm. Hopped on a midnight train to Dnep.

4-23-10-Arrived in Dnep at 7am and ran around Dnep for 11 hours today with our facilitator Marina gathering papers and getting notaries. Met Sofia!

4-26-10-Took Sofia out of the orphanage to get her picture taken for Visa immigration, US Embassy and the SDA. 7 day wait begins for court date.

4-27-10-Prosecutor says our documents are complete and ready for the judge and court proceedings.

4-29-10-Still waiting for interpol clearance so court date is set for 5/13.

4-30-10-Interpol clearance arrives. Court date moved to 5/6!

5-6-10- Court completed and Sofia Andrea Sanchez is officially adopted! 10 day wait begins.

5-16-10- Return trip is set for 6/6 and we'll arrive in Dnep on 6/8 to begin the process of bringing Sofia home, hopefully on or before 6/17.

6-8-10- Arrived in Sofia's region and completed all necessary paperwork for her new birth certificate and for her Ukraine passport.

6-10-10-GOTCHA day! Took Sofia out of the orphanage and home to our apartment.

6-11-10- Got Sofia's Ukrainian Passport and took overnight train back to Kiev. Changed return flight home to 6/15.

6-14-10- Got Sofia's Visa at the U.S. Embassy.

6-15-10- Going HOME!

6-16-10-Applied for Sofia's Social Security Card.

7-15-10- Received Sofia's official certificate of U.S. Citizenship in the mail.

Monday, June 14, 2010

We're Coming HOME!

16 comments:

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