Timeline

April 20, 2013 - saw "Laura" on Reece's Rainbow website

April 21, 2013 - emailed Reece's Rainbow seeking further information

April 22, 2013 - emailed agency holding "Laura's" file and expressed interest; received referral file

April 22, 2013 - sent LOI (letter of intent) to China seeking to adopt Bao MinLan

April 29, 2013 - mailed application and application fee to placing agency

May 1, 2013 - met with home study agency to begin process

May 6, 2013 - our information put into the computer to receive pre-approval to adopt Bao MinLan

May 8, 2013 - met again with home study agency, packet to begin home study about 90% complete

May 8, 2013 - RECEIVED PRE-APPROVAL!!!!!

May 30, 2013 - All documents turned in to have our home study assigned!

June 8, 2013 - Attended International Adoption Clinic at UAB

June 18, 2013 - Passports DONE!

June 22, 2013 - Completed four required home study appointments/visits…now just waiting on home study to be written and sent to us to fact check….should be before Wednesday! Yay!

July 8, 2013 - Received rough draft of home study to review for errors/corrections.

July 9, 2013 - Sent home study back to social worker with corrections.  Now we wait for it to be sent to placing agency and approved then back to home study agency to be approved.

July 20, 2013 - Home study approved by placing agency.  WooHOO!!  Waiting on our hard copies!!

July 26, 2013 - Picked up our three official copies of our home study from our agency!!!

July 31, 2013 - Mailed I-800A to the lockbox in Texas.

August 1, 2013 - Receipt date on I-800a.

August 6, 2013 - Received text and email that our I-800A had been received!!

August 17, 2013 - Received fingerprint appointment for September 4th!

August 23, 2013 - Fingerprints done early!!

September 6, 2013 - Dossier documents approved my placing agency.

September 9, 2013 - finished up all our notarized documents for dossier.

September 10, 2013 - had county certifications done in Calhoun County.

September 11, 2013 - had county certifications done in Shelby County.

September 13, 2013 - state certifications done on every document for dossier except the I-800a approval we are waiting on!!!!

October 3, 2013 - I-800a approval…..64 days!!!!

October 7, 2013 - Received hard copy of I-800a in the mail!

October 8, 2013 - Notarized and did county certifications on I-797 and power of attorney.  Mailed to my Mom to do the state certification in Montgomery.

October 16, 2013 - Sent dossier documents via Fedex to My China Docs in Houston, TX. The owner will then hand deliver them to the Chinese consulate.

October 30, 2013 - Dossier to country!!!!!!

November 5, 2013 - Log In Date

December 13, 2013 - found out today from our agency that our status has moved to "Reviewed" :-)

December 19, 2013 - found out today from our agency that our status has moved to MATCH REVIEWED….soft LOA!!!

December 23, 2013 - hard copy of LOA arrived at agency!

December 24, 2013 - received and signed our LOA.  Mailed our I-800 application and our LOA.

December 26, 2013 - I-800 application hit the lockbox.

January 10, 2014 - I-800 approved.

January 23, 2014 - Article 5 drop-off

February 18, 2014 - Article 5 pickup

February 26, 2014 - Soft TA

March 4, 2014 - Hard copy of TA

March 24, 2014 - scheduled Gotcha Day

March 31, 2014 - scheduled Consulate Appointment

April 4, 2014 - home on American soil...MinLan is a US citizen and with her FOREVER family!