Saving Sofia: DISNEYLAND!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

DISNEYLAND!

We celebrated many things with a recent trip to Disneyland and one of the BIG reasons was Sofia's homecoming! And what better way to be introduced to the USA but by going to DISNEY!

I wrote a bit more about our trip on Joaquin's blog here and I'm sad to say we don't have many more pictures. This one below, our bathing beauty, I took with my phone. We were just too busy having fun at the parks and meeting up with friends Lisa, Cheri and Denise (thank goodness they had their cameras!) and swimming at the hotel pool.

Sofia was incredible during this entire trip. Not one peep in the 8 hour car ride to LA and back and never once cried during our Disney experience (and we went two days in a row from opening to closing). In fact, I think we have a thrill seeker on our hands! We took her on the sliding car ferris wheel and everyone of us got freaked and a bit motion sick except for Sofia who was laughing out loud and flapping her arms in the air. Every single ride she just soaked in and observed. She waved at everyone and generally just enjoyed the whole experience. She's AMAZING!

Here's our favorite of the trip. Have I told you lately that Miss Sofia LOVES to eat...and she will eat anything! Check her out...all the boys are looking around at something going on and Sofia has her eye on Mateo's lollipop! That's my girl!

10 comments:

TUCAugust 20, 2010 at 3:28 AM
I wish I could have been there to see her reaction to Mickey Mouse! Now she is truly an American girl, lol.
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MarianneAugust 20, 2010 at 6:31 AM
Could she be any more perfect for your family? She is absolutely beautiful!!! I'm so glad you all have a great time!! That is one of my favorite places - I'll be there in 2 weeks with the boys before I take off for Ukraine! I'm hoping to meet up with Denise, but if not then, then we'll be in CA in Dec or Jan. I would love to meet up, especially if I go to Turlock!
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PAugust 20, 2010 at 7:04 AM
So not fair, LOOK at that lollipop!! She's a girl and that's how those girly girls are. We want the sweetest prettiest thing closest to us. So besides her Mamma, that's that huge swirly thing.

A recent birthday party had big rainbow lollis like that and they cause quite a stir.

Great pics and you are troopers, open to close, wow. Great weather here so it's the best summer trip ever this year.
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Anne and Whitney: Up, Down and All AroundAugust 20, 2010 at 7:53 AM
A disney trip is certainly the best way I can think of welcoming Sofia to her new family and home in the U.S. So happy you guys were able to have such a fun trip!!!!
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AnonymousAugust 20, 2010 at 9:03 AM
That lollipop photo is CLASSIC! Too cute...
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MelAugust 20, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Looks like such fun! We will have to take our kids one day- better start saving now!
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Kristin FergusonAugust 20, 2010 at 6:21 PM
How perfect for the little Ukrainian orphan to go to DISNEY BABY!!! Love it!!!

She gets sweeter with every picture you take.
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LisaAugust 20, 2010 at 11:20 PM
That's my girl! :)
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my familyAugust 21, 2010 at 12:43 PM
what a fun outing. cute bathing suit picture
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Grizzly BearAugust 28, 2010 at 12:23 PM
What great pics.... too cute! I love Disneyland
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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.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

DISNEYLAND!

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