Great news!!

Hello All!!

I have heard from my agency that I have tentative travel dates for the end of this month.  This is so exciting!  We could potentially be home by the end of April.  I am so lucky that I have kind, generous coworkers who have gifted me some vacation time that I can use for maternity leave as my company does not offer it for adoptions.

I still owe my agency $4500, and travel expenses...I'm guessing to be about $2000...conservatively. As I have little time left, I am reopening my puzzle fundraiser...I have a Wizard of Oz puzzle...was using it as a fundraiser in the past...only got about 15 donations on the pieces...for a $5 donation to my FSP, comment your name on this blog, and I will put your name on the back of a puzzle piece to show Violet you helped bring her home!  Angeline VanHalle is also having an Origami Owl fundraiser to help bring Violet home, and any purchases there are greatly appreciated!  The link is here: https://origami4orphans.origamiowl.com/shop

Any help you could throw our way is appreciated!!  And the offer still stands...when my FSP reaches 12,500, I will share my little one's name!

I am thinking I will be fully funded at $17,825 on the FSP.  I often wonder if I will be able to make it, but it has amazed me how far we've come in the last few months.  Thank you to all who have donated, prayed and sent good vibrations our way...you can never know what this has meant to me, and to Violet!  Love to all of you eternally!!

Ali

News!!

It has been a whirlwind week and a half.  My stepfather died suddenly on February 15th, and while we are all very thankful that he went quickly and is no longer in the massive pain he had been suffering for the past few months, it was still a shock, and particularly traumatic for my mother.  So amidst funeral plans and viewings and still going to work, I missed a great deal of sleep.  Then, there was a full moon that has lasted practically all week, and as those who work in health care or law enforcement are aware, it makes for a miserable work environment.  I work 12 hour shifts Sundays through Tuesdays, and let me tell you, they were all horrible!  Glad the work week is over!!

So, now that this is all behind me, I received both USCIS clearance and NVC numbers.  I expect to hear about travel dates in the next couple of weeks!!!  I am about $3000 short for agency fees, and I am guessing I'll need about $2000 for airfare.  I am so excited that I will finally get back to Violet so soon!  My sister's passport arrived in time so she will be able to go with me, which will make navigating the airports on the way home so much easier!  I am so excited, but am having some mixed emotions...I feel bad that Charlie (my stepfather) won't get to meet Violet, and am worried about leaving my mother so soon after his passing...she's taking it harder than I thought she would.  Prayers for her healing would be greatly appreciated!

Oh, and I almost forgot...amidst all of this chaos, I turned 42.  I don't feel that old...except at the end of my work week!  Also, my offer still stands to reveal Violet's new name once my FSP reaches $12,500!

Thanks for all you have done!

Ali

Sad news

My stepfather passed away suddenly Monday afternoon.  He and my mother had been married close to 32 years, and he died of a massive heart attack as she was trying to get him into the car to take him to the doctor.  He will be greatly missed.  He was a great supporter of me in various capacities over the years, and he was an avid supporter of me adopting Violet.  I am very sad that he will never get to meet her, and she him.

If you could keep our family in your prayers during this time, it would be greatly appreciated.  I am hoping to travel next month or so for the "Gotcha trip" and believe I am about $4500 short of being fully funded...which is amazing, considering where I was when I met Violet in September.  Your continued support is appreciated!

Thank you all!

Ali

Nervous!!

Hello,

First of all, I don't know what is wrong with my thermometer, but it should say that my goal is $20,000, and that I have so far raised about $10,100...I don't know what it's issue is, but I will work on it!

Second...I thought that I had to update my home study for my USCIS renewal...turns out, I need a whole new home study!!  $700.  My home study agency is very good to me...normally they would have charged $1400, but they gave me a discount.  I am eternally grateful.  But it needs to be in to the USCIS people by February 9...they promise me that we can do it!!  They are really good to me, and I believe it will happen.

I am really hoping my sister can accompany me on the trip...she is nervous about flying, but would love the opportunity to visit a foreign country.  Our only obstacle will be if we can afford a ticket for her.

I do have a Facebook auction at which you will hopefully take a look.  I appreciate all bids, and I have some great items without bids!!

I appreciate all who have donated, prayed, and sent good thoughts our way.  I am so looking forward to bringing my little Violet home...and once again, when my FSP reaches $12,500, I will reveal her new name!!

Cheers!

Ali

More donations!!

Hi All!!

I just checked my FSP a couple of days ago, and it had climbed by about $10.00.  I checked today, and another $3,100.00 had been donated!  I don't know who has been donating so much lately, but you know who you are, and you are truly appreciated!  What it means to me is, I get to fulfill a lifelong dream of being a Mama.  What it means to Violet is, she only has to spend another month or two in an orphanage, and gets to come home to a family that loves her more than anything else in the world!

I made a promise a week or so ago that when my FSP reaches $12,500.00, I will reveal the name that has finally been chosen for her once she's adopted.  We are less than $250.00 away from that goal now, and I will keep my promise!  I had originally planned to wait until Gotcha Day to reveal her name, but not now!!

Once my thermometer reaches $20,000.00, I should be fully funded (which will include plane tickets for both me and my sister, and one for Violet to come home)!

I really think Violet and I are perfect for each other.  She has so much energy that she'll keep my running, which will make my doctor happy!  I have always wanted a little girl, and since I was about 19, have fantasized about having a little girl with Down syndrome, so she's already everything I ever wanted!!  She loves to cuddle and rock, loves to play with kitchen utensils, and loves to eat cake.  She loves to play in the water, so I believe she will love the ocean as much as I do.  My sister (although she would never admit it) is almost as excited to get her home as I am...so once again, we are all very grateful for everything you all have done for us!!

Please keep us in your prayers and positive thoughts!  You will forever be in ours, as we could never truly repay you for all you have done!!  Blessings on you and yours~~~

Second PM Approval

Hi All,

I received my second PM approval for the adoption yesterday!  Everything is getting closer.  It should be about 2-3 months now before I travel to go to court, get Violet, and bring her home.  It is still up in the air whether my sister will get to go with me, which would make things easier, but ultimately, either way, I am so excited.  The problem is, I cannot sleep tonight and need to work a 12 hour shift in the morning!!

I am very humbled by the generous donations I have received from family, friends, and anonymous sources without which I could never have come this far in this journey.  I appreciate the prayers and positive thoughts I have received as well...how much you all have helped my daughter and I has not gone unnoticed, and you are all in my thoughts and prayers.  Thank you all so much for all you have done.

I have finally settled on what her name will be...it has been years of back and forth, and I am not revealing what her name will be at this time...I plan to reveal it when the adoption is final, but I may cave before then...I am weak!

Love to you all...

I am so excited to announce that I received an anonymous $5000 donation to my FSP!!  This lifts a huge burden off of me and I am so grateful!!

I expect to travel for my gotcha trip in February, and even though she has a massive fear of flying, my sister has graciously agreed to go with me.  This lifts another huge burden, as I was wondering how I was going to navigate airports with a rambunctious little girl and luggage.

I was also able to finally switch off the graveyard shift at work, and feel so much better physically, which will also help greatly when Violet comes home.  I feel like everything is falling into place and I am so excited!!  Thanks to having a terrific boss, I know that my travel in February will be no issue, and I am excited to go back to the beautiful country my little one currently calls home.  I have recently found cookbooks about the food from her country, and plan to learn some recipes to make the transition to the new culture a little easier.

I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate everyone that has helped me get to this place.  I never could have done it without your support!!  I love you all!

Ali

Greetings from Eastern Europe!!

I spent a week here in country, and am so excited to announce that Violet and I got along as if we've known each other her whole life!!  She is really a remarkable little girl.  She has only been walking since she had her heart surgery in December, and she is doing really well.  She is a biter!!  She likes to pull hair!!  But if those are her biggest issues, I think we can get past it!!  She really started becoming possessive of me in the last 3 days...she did not want other kids getting any attention from me.  We celebrated her 4th birthday on Thursday, and I got to give her the gift of a bunny.  Rose, our translator, was kind enough to provide a cake for her and her friends to celebrate!  She loved it...she also loved watching me eat cake!!  I saw her for the last time this trip this afternoon, and have finally stopped crying long enough to write this.  I am in awe of the ladies who care for the kids at her orphanage...with limited resources they provide these kids with love, good nutrition, great care, and education.  It is really an amazing place, and I am honored to have met those that work there and provide their services.  They truly care about these kids.

Our in country team is amazing...I don't know what I would have done without them.

Please keep us in your prayers, it is going to be difficult to come up with funds to finalize everything.  I can expect to travel again likely in February.  I wish I could share some of the pics I took, but it is forbidden...but she is beautiful, funny, smart, and perfect!!  Thank you all.

Off I Go!!

Hello All!!

I am leaving on Saturday just before 12:30 pm to go on my referral trip and to meet my little one for the first time ever.  I feel as though I know her well already, and I am excited to introduce myself to her as her mama.  I have never traveled internationally before, and the furthest I have traveled without a companion in the past was about 200 miles...I am extremely nervous.  I will travel first to Chicago, then Frankfurt, then Vienna, then I will land in country about 4:00 am.  I am so excited to be able to see her in person, hold her, and spend some of her birthday with her!!  I thought on many occasions that this time would never come.  I was only given a few days notice that I had to be there...found out last Tuesday that I needed to be there Monday.  I was totally freaked out at the time, and somewhat irritated that I wasn't given more time, but now I think that perhaps this way was better.  Not as much time to freak out.  Airfare cost a lot more than I expected for one person ($2200) but I believe Eldon at Golden Rule ultimately got me a good deal.  Once again, I want to say how grateful I am for all who have helped me along the way.  I am fully aware that I could not have done this alone.  I still owe quite a bit on this journey, and I was hoping to ask again the favor of donations for Violet's fourth birthday.  Several $4 donations would add up quickly!!  Most of all, prayers would be greatly appreciated.  I am waiting to hear from grants, and I have some fundraiser ideas for after my return.  I appreciate all the good thoughts and support.  Thank you!

Hi All!!

I am traveling!!!  Leaving on Saturday, to arrive on Monday.  The great news is that I get to be with Violet on her fourth birthday!!  I am so very excited about this fact.  I luckily have the funds I need for travel, very luckily since they only gave me 4 days notice before I had to leave.  I am also lucky that my boss is very understanding and excited for me.  The scary thing is that I don't have any of what I need to pay my agency upon my return, so I am again asking for help.  I will be posting an online auction tomorrow, which will hopefully generate some interest.  My FSP will need to read $6576 for me to be able to make this payment!  I specifically request that, if so led, people could donate $4.00 on September 17th in honor of Violet's fourth birthday!  I appreciate all the help, prayers and donations I have received from the RR community, because I could not have come this far without all of you!!

I AM SO EXCITED TO FINALLY MEET MY LITTLE ANGEL!!!

Hello!  I was able to get my dossier off in time due to a small miracle!!  Thanks to all who helped out.  I am working on updating my thermometer, but I am having some difficulty...

I am attempting to get a final tally on fees that I will need and when they will be due from my placing agency, but have yet to receive this estimate.  But let me tell you a little bit about how I was only barely able to get the dossier off in time!

My agency had told me they needed it in hand by May 25th, and since I knew that was a holiday, I contacted them to make sure someone would be there on Friday, May 22nd to receive it.  They said someone would be available, so off to work I went.  I went to the office of the Secretary of State in Boise, Idaho (about 25 miles from home, not bad) and dropped off the documents to be apostilled.  I dropped them off about 0815, about 15 minutes after they opened.  I was assured that they would be ready by early afternoon, so I went home to await the phone call.  The lady called at 1015 to say she was about done, but there was a problem with a few of the documents.  I ran up there to see what the problem was...it turns out I had forgotten to get two of the documents notarized (I still don't know how I screwed this up), and 3 of the other documents needed a different kind of notary...and they could be fixed, but I would have to go to the people who had notarized them and have them fixed.  It was easy enough to get the non notarized documents notarized and apostilled, but there was a problem.  The lady at the bank had done one of the documents for me...and she was in Caldwell about 30 miles away.  The other lady who did the other two documents, a wonderful friend of my cousin's, was at work...and I was unsure if I would be able to get a hold of her in time (I had to have everything to FEDEX by 1700, and my cousin's friend would be unreachable until she got off work at 1730).  I was in a panic, but I did everything I knew I could get done, and said a little prayer about the other notary!!  My cousin, Jennifer, got in touch with me and told me that her friend was actually going to get off work at 1630, and we could meet her up at her place of employment and have her finish off the documents.  We ran up there, met with her (her name is Renee, and I now love her).  She did the documents the way they asked, and off to the FEDEX store we raced...I got the documents sent at 1656...only 4 minutes to spare!!  I am so grateful to everyone who made this a possibility...I received confirmation on Friday afternoon that my agency had received the documents!!

I thought this story was somewhat amusing now that all is said and done...it sure wasn't funny at the time!!  Thanks to all who donated monetarily, by notarizing, and by sending positive thoughts and prayers.  I could not have done it without you!!

Hello!!  I was so excited to see a $20 donation to my paypal account, lorialicat@aol.com.  I am so appreciative, and I want to let all know, that if I am unable to reach my goal and send my dossier, I will refund all money donated to my paypal account.  I found out in my latest update that Violet had heart surgery in December, when I had been told previously that she had no heart defects...I am so grateful that she received the surgery she needs, and it makes me more desperate to get to her.  I greatly appreciate any donations and prayers...thank you all so much!!

I need help!!

It has always been hard for me to ask for help, but I am pleading for it now.  This is Violet...a pic from about a little over a year ago.  I have committed to her and have been trying to get to her...and it has not been smooth sailing!!  I had hoped to be able to send my dossier to her country in Eastern Europe in the beginning of June, but my agency said I need to have it to them by May 25th or my adoption proceedings will be canceled.  I am about $2500 short for that!!  I need the money in hand by May 22nd, so I can overnight everything to my agency and they can get it by the 25th.  I don't want to give up...but will have no choice without that money. Please say a prayer for Violet and I, and any help is appreciated!!

I was excited to get an update on her Monday!  She is walking and potty trained and had heart surgery in December...they sent me a video (unfortunately, I am unable to share it...country rules) and she is looking so terrific!!  I cannot wait until I can get to her beautiful home country and learn about her...I am so in love!!

If you are able to make donations...please make them to my paypal account lorialicat@aol.com.

Blessings to all and thank you for any help you can offer!