Saving Sofia: One Year Ago Today...

Monday, December 13, 2010

One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today, my grandmother passed away peacefully. We miss you dearly Grandma.

One year ago today, I stumbled across Reece's Rainbow's Angel Tree fundraiser and decided to make a donation in my Grandma's memory.

One year ago today, I caught a glimpse of a little baby girl named Sofia (2) who had Down syndrome and a face that permanently touched my heart.

One year ago today, a seed was planted.

One year LATER, we are the Sanchez Six and we can't imagine life without our daughter. She completes us! What a difference a year makes.

28 comments:

MelDecember 13, 2010 at 7:55 AM
Beautiful!!! Merry Christmas Sanchez SIX!! :)
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PattiDecember 13, 2010 at 7:56 AM
Oh I love it. Happy tears for you! Please keep praying for Olga. I so hope a year from now someone is posting a story just like this one...with her picture in it. Lots of love to that beautiful little baby. ox
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figwittageDecember 13, 2010 at 7:56 AM
what a beautiful family!!! xx
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The Mac's HouseDecember 13, 2010 at 8:01 AM
Oh boy, I'm loving these photos!

Happy holidays to your family.
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Looking UpDecember 13, 2010 at 8:08 AM
What a year! So happy for you all. :)
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Michelle R. SlapeDecember 13, 2010 at 8:08 AM
You have a gorgeous family!!!!

I am so glad that Sofia found your family. She is a beautiful, happy baby!!!!!!!

Happy holidays!
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WrenDecember 13, 2010 at 8:26 AM
Those pictures are precious!
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UnknownDecember 13, 2010 at 8:58 AM
Wonderful Post!!!
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Monica CrumleyDecember 13, 2010 at 9:56 AM
Goosebumps! May Grandma rest in peace knowing that a precious little girl will always remind you of her unending love. I LOVE LOVE your latest photos.
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April DavilaDecember 13, 2010 at 11:04 AM
You are just an amazing woman Jen and your family is absolutely adorably loveable!!! Happy Holidays! :)
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LisaDecember 13, 2010 at 11:45 AM
We announced our adoption plans a year ago at this same time :). It is hard to believe it was only one year ago, and now we have these two beautiful little girls at home with us! Love the pics :).
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Susan ADecember 13, 2010 at 1:52 PM
You did your Grandma proud, and then some! What a beautiful family, inside and out. Love you, Sanchez Six!
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TUCDecember 13, 2010 at 3:21 PM
Love the pictures of the Sanchez Six... sounds like an outlaw gang, lol! It is pretty amazing how fast it goes.
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LeahDecember 13, 2010 at 4:06 PM
aww
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AdeyeDecember 13, 2010 at 4:37 PM
What absolutely stunning pics of your beautiful family.

Sending you a HUGE hug tonight, friend.
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AnonymousDecember 13, 2010 at 6:44 PM
Love the pictures!

Blessings,
Barbara
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DebbieDecember 13, 2010 at 7:24 PM
So grateful to have shared part of this journey with you, and looking forward to lots of fun and friendship in the future!!!
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TaraDecember 13, 2010 at 7:47 PM
Such beautiful pics of such a beautiful family! I can't believe it's only been a year! Seems like she's been part of your family forever. :)
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CheriDecember 14, 2010 at 12:27 AM
Love this post....and love those pictures...and all those little toes in the last one!!
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BessieDecember 14, 2010 at 5:20 AM
What an amazing journey over this past year! It has been wonderful to share it with you. As Susan said, you did your Grandma proud. Many lives have been changed forever because of what happened last Dec 13. Most importantly, a life has been saved and Sofia is thriving and knows love! Thank you for sharing your story and impacting so many hearts, including mine!
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Kristin FergusonDecember 14, 2010 at 10:21 AM
The Sanchez Six---I like that! The pictures are great too! I first e-mailed Andrea on Christmas Day (of all things) inquiring about some of the cuties on RR so our timelines are very similar. Merry Christmas to all of you!
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Loren StowDecember 14, 2010 at 11:15 AM
What beautiful words and photos! Perfect family!
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AnonymousDecember 15, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Please check up this video, you are going to love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b7y9UYt_fM

Beatriz
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TammyDecember 18, 2010 at 6:24 PM
that is a wonderful memory;) thank you for sharing. thank you for being obedient and saving sofia;) merry Christmas
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littlelolaDecember 18, 2010 at 8:26 PM
I love your post :) Made a donation today and was wondering if you wold be able to inform me on the actual process on the adoption. Thanks
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AnonymousDecember 19, 2010 at 2:35 PM
Love these pics!!! Sofia is sooo happy... as it should be :)
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ColeDecember 19, 2010 at 6:17 PM
What a wonder to celebrate! Love the pictures. Sofia so completes your happy home!
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Ken L.December 21, 2010 at 7:10 AM
It is amazing what a year will bring.
Very, very nice!!!

God bless.

Ken
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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, December 13, 2010

One Year Ago Today...

28 comments:

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