Dragonfly Chase

Privacy Please....

2007-07-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

After much discussion-- the decision has been made to end this blog and take our new blog to a new site altogether. A private one-- one that is being created as I type this. There are several reasons for this.... Not the least of which is the fact that we do NOT want our daughter's face posted publicly for all the world to see. We would prefer to keep photos of our baby for just our friends, family, and of course those of you who request access. We also want to maintain a level of privacy due to the fact we will be out of the country for a while and do not want to invite any 'issues' with regards to the security of our home,etc.

In closing,we look forward to creating and posting on our new blog and we invite you to join us. If you are interested in following our journey-- please leave a comment to this post and we will e-mail you a web address and password.

Quick Update

2007-05-02T19:50:00.000-05:00

Just trying to catch up from a busy-busy last two weeks and wanted to post an update. Last weekend we were in Florida for my cousin's wedding - Congratulations Nathan and Angela!! - as well as a little time on the beach. If you're looking for a place to visit, I would recommend Destin, FL. I will try to post some pictures later this week for everybody.

Adoption Update

2007-04-09T20:45:00.000-05:00

We just wanted everybody to know that we have switched adoption agencies. This was a very tough decision for us, and required a lot of thought and research. We feel that this is the best decision for our family and we are looking forward to working with our new agency.

Tagged

2007-03-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

Hello Readers-- (J writing today)
Just wanted to respond to a tag (sent by E) and let everyone know what has been going on.
Adoption related news: Our agency signed 2 more provinces in South Vietnam and more babies should be referred shortly!! YAY!! We were very happy to hear this info. So, this should help our agency fulfill its quoted timeframe of 6-9 months since we turned in our dossier. YAY!!

Not much else new to report...

Now, on to this tag-- Here are 10 odd things about me (J):
1. I hate horses. No clue why-- I just do. Could have something to do with the way they smell. I am not big on the 'barn yard' odor.
2. I can close my nose without using my hands. I have always been able to this and I don't remember how I discovered this 'talent'.
3. I have developed a fear for driving alone on the highway. It just makes me very nervous anymore.
4. I am INCREDIBLY allergic to red dyes in food. I will break out in hives if I have something as simple as a Cherry Coke or 7-Up.
5. I make it a goal to read 50 books each year and I keep a book journal detailing all of what I have read. I always come up a couple books short- well, there's always this year!
6. I can NOT handle being told to 'calm down'. Most people will honor such a request to cool down a bit-- not me-- if I hear the words 'calm down' being directed toward me during a time of stress- WATCH OUT!!
7. I have never met a pen that won't make it into my mouth- I also chew on pen caps until they break. Gross, I know- a terrible habit for sure-- Especially when these pens belong to someone else!! OOPS!
8. I love combining bread and ketchup. Also, potato chips and ketchup are good too.
9. All the male cats (3) that I have ever had have been black- all black.
10. On the same note as #9, I can tell our cats apart by their meows-- just their meows and even in the dark.

Well, that's about it-- hope everyone learned something interesting.

Happy New Year

2007-02-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. We celebrated at a local restaurant (Song Long) with our FTIA Vietnam group as well as the Cincinnati chapter of Families with Children from Vietnam. It was great to catch up with old friends (Candy, Perry, Leslie, Bob, and Dana) and make some new ones!

Seeing the families with their children was a good picture of what our life will soon be like.

The Vietnamese government shuts down during Tet, so there are no families currently in country. However, there will be two families traveling at the end of this week and our agency's director will be in country working to get contracts with new provinces. We will be watching their progress and wishing them the best of luck.

Adoption Fair this Weekend

2007-01-23T20:34:00.000-05:00

We just wanted to remind everybody of the Miami Valley Adoption Fair this Saturday. The fair will be held at Fairhaven Church in Centerville, Ohio (suburban Dayton) from 9 til 2. Whether you are interested in adoption or want to meet other adoptive families, this is a great opportunity. For more information, email adoptionfair@woh.rr.com or call 937-438-3073.

Newspaper Article

2007-01-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

This morning there was a great article in our local newspaper, the Hamilton Journal-News, about a local couple who have adopted two girls from China. Its always nice to hear about local families who have had this experience.

The author did a great job of using positive adoption language and capturing the parents feelings. If you get a chance, please read it!

Many people have asked us when we expect to get a referral. Currently, we hope to have a referral sometime this summer. Of course, there are several factors that could affect our timing, including the families in front of us and the number and type (age and gender) of referrals our agency receives.

Also, today we had our first snow of the winter! It was nice to wake up to a carpet of white snow, even nicer because we didn't have to try to get to work! Cincinnati, of course, shuts down with any measurable snowfall, so its good this didn't happen tomorrow.

Congratulations!

2007-01-18T20:10:00.000-05:00

A big congratulations goes out to Tara and Andy on their referral today! We are so happy for you!

Our agency has now had two referrals each of the last two months - very exciting!

Our Latest Trip

2007-01-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we traveled to Brown County, Indiana. Though it rained every day, we had a great relaxing time!

Located east of Bloomington and south of Indianapolis, Brown County is rural and very scenic. Its main town is Nashville, which was settled as an Artist's colony in the 1800s. Somehow, the town has kept that heritage and is the home of many current artists. The usual tourist trap knick-knack shops are almost non-existant. I didn't see one Confederate flag or a "hillbilly-" anything!

Janie and I went their last year and purchased a couple of oil painting for our living room. This time we picked up some framed photography, watercolor prints, glass, and metalwork. The prices are very reasonable and you can often meet and speak with the artist who created the work.

We found this glass dragonfly for the baby's room.

If you're ever in the area (Its about a 2.5 hour drive from Cincinnati) I would definitely recommend you stop by - they have a little something for everybody. If you enjoy the outdoors, there is a state park and golf course as well.

News and Notes

2007-01-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

I hope everybody is having a good year so far. For those of you who make News Year's resolutions, good luck to you. I have a couple of unrelated thoughts I'd like to share:

Where's the snow? We've had exactly one snowfall this winter. I hate to say it, but I miss the stuff.

Congratulations to our chat group friend Courtney who just received her referral. We are so happy for you! Also, happy trails to the two fellow FTIAers who will be traveling this weekend!

For anybody living in Southwest Ohio, the Miami Valley Adoption Fair will be held on Saturday Jan 27th from 9-2 at Fairhaven Church in Centerville. Its a great event to learn more and meet new friends. For more info email adoptionfair@woh.rr.com

Vietnam is now a member of the World Trade Organization. See Article from FoxNews. This will only help improve the Vietnamese economy and should make travel, trade, communications, etc easier.

Its 2007!

2007-01-01T00:42:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Best wishes to everybody for 2007 - may your dreams come true in the new year!

Sights of the Season

2006-12-27T22:38:00.000-05:00

Just a few of my favorite images of the season.

Here are the finished wooden reindeer

J's favorite ornament from our Christmas tree.

Roadrunners and Meerkats

2006-12-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

Author's note: For those of you who don't live in a Time Warner Cable service area, their DSL service is named "Roadrunner." The even go so far as to use the cartoon animal and the "meep meep" cartoon sound.

In the cartoons, Roadrunner ALWAYS gets away from his nemisis Wil E Coyote. In real life, Roadrunner (at least the internet service) is more fallible. Sometime last Saturday (Dec 23) Mr Coyote (Internetus Interruptus) managed to kill my cable modem. Being the good customer I am, I immediately called tech support and, after a decent wait, got to talk to their customer support. With the holiday weekend, the best they could do was bring me a new modem Wednesday.

Fast-forward to this morning. Its 11:15 am, I'm home waiting on the cable guy who is supposed to show up between 11 and 2. I don't know about where you live, but around here public utilities aren't known for their punctuality, so I'm shocked when the doorbell rings, its the cable guy, and he gives me a "new" cable modem. He even comes upstairs and we test it out to make sure I can get on the Internet. At this point I am totally satisfied with the cable company and I head back to work.

After work, I come home and we are trying to use the computer when the cable modem stops working. After several minutes of testing, we determine the thing will work for about 5 consecutive minutes before it needs unplugged. So, again I call tech support- this is where it gets interesting:

First, the menu tells me that if I'm calling about the outage in the Anderson area to press 1, everybody else press 2. (Whoever you are Anderson folks, good luck!)

Next, I go through a couple of other not helpful menus that allow me to enter my phone number and that my problem is with my internet access. Then the waiting begins - the on-hold messages go like this:

"For answers to commonly asked questions, please refer to our website at http://www......."

If only I COULD get to your website! See thats why I'm calling!! If you just let me talk to a live person I could explain the whole thing.

"Please continue to hold. All associates are assisting other callers at this time. Your call will be answered by the next available associate"

Oh great, maybe I'm next???

"Have you upgraded to our digital cable yet. For just a few dollars more a month you can...."

Hey! I'm calling because the service I already have doesn't work - do you really think I'm in the mood to spend more money with your company?

"Please continue to hold. All associates are assisting other callers at this time. Your call will be answered by the next available associate"

Sure it will! I've heard that line before.

"Is the phone your calling from one of our new digital phones? If not now's the time to upgrade..."

Hmm, digital phone service is dependent on my non-working cable modem. So, if I had upgraded, I wouldn't even be able to call tech support! Great idea!

After about 20 minutes of this nonsense, we decide to go to their store located in a nearby mall. There are 5 employees sitting at terminals in a half-circle when we walk in and no customers. After a good 30 seconds (and probably some paper-rocks-scissors under the counter) one of them volunteers to help us. The other four sit there expressionless watching. Before I go any further, let me just say the man who helped us did a very good job (and even gave us a credit for our troubles).

The most surreal part of this experience was that I realized the rest of the staff was watching a TV located on the back wall. Being the cable company, I assume they have access to all 600 channels, things us mere mortals only dream of. And they are watching... Animal Planet. Even we get Animal Planet. And, how do I know they are actively watching the show? Because in the middle of serving us, this exchange takes place:

Worker1: What did you say those things are called?
Our Worker: Meerkats. M-E-E-R-K-A-T-S
Worker1: They're ferocious little creatures, aren't they?
Worker2: Oh, look at that!

Somehow, we managed to keep straight faces and get out with our new modem. Note to the cable company: More folks answering calls, less employees watching TV makes for happier customers.

The unofficial guide to Christmas Lights

2006-12-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

"You've taught me everything I know about exterior illumination"

- Clark Griswold to his dad, "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation"

Every neighborhood has its own 'Clark Griswold' - including ours (see pic), who is determined to create the best Christmas light display EVER in his front yard. Living in SW Ohio, the bar here is pretty high - a man in nearby Mason achieved youtube fame when his display was used in last year's Miller Lite commercial. Unfortunately, not every house turns out as well. So, without further ado, here is my unofficial guide to Christmas lights:

1. Pick a Theme - There is nothing more odd than a nativity set next to an inflatable Santa riding a Harley. Also, the mix of reindeer with nativity scenes - camels I get, but reindeer aren't indigenous to the the middle east. A good theme ties all your decor together and gives you ideas for purchases during the after-Christmas sales.

2. Less is More - You really don't need to have every inflatable or every different type of pre-lit reindeer. A nice display allows you to appreciate all the elements, not overload your brain with light. I'm sure the folks in the International Space station have plenty to do without seeing your lights.

3. Don't mix white and multi-color lights - ok, I actually did this... but if you do keep 'em separated. Stringing them in sequence is big no-no!

4. Put away the 1970s - at some point you threw away the silver garland, aluminum tree, and disco ball ornaments. Its time to do the same with your outside stuff. Especially those hard plastic decorations that have faded in the sun beyond recognition.

5. Just because its expensive, doesn't mean its nice - there are some crazy inflatables out there now - and many of them are just crazy! Its tough to shell out $150 bucks on decorations that will be out of style next year. 5a would be that there is a different between 'classic' or 'retro' and 'old junk'... if you can't tell, err on the side of caution.

6. Safety first... or at least in the top 10. Yes, putting Santa and eight tiny reindeers on your roof would make the neighbors jealous - but, if you fall off, they're sure to see the paramedics show up and THAT is never forgotten.

Keep these simple rules in mind and you'll be on your way to top!

If I've offended anybody, I apologize! Just remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! As long as you are happy with your work (and the neighbors aren't calling the mayor to complain) thats all that matters.

Reindeer Games

2006-12-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

First of all, for our loyal readers (hello Papa J), let me apologize for not posting for a while. I think my last post was before Thanksgiving... oops! With the holidays I should have some more time to post.

A few weeks ago, Janie and I decided to build a set of the white wooden deer to put out in our front yard. We found the plans online, purchased them on ebay, waited for the backorder, and finally got them last week. As you can see, we've been busy cutting, sanding and assembling them this week. In between holiday parties and get togethers with friends, we've managed to do everything but paint them and put bows around their necks (there's always tomorrow).

If your curious, the project is pretty easy, as long as you:
a) have a way to haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood (thanks Mom and Roger)
b) have a jig saw (it helps to have the scrolling wood blades)
c) have a moderate amount of patience
d) have a good partner to help you with the work!

Here are some up-close pictures of the project (and a cat who loves the camera).

Interesting Article

2006-11-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting article I found regarding the growth of Vietnam's economy: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15674091/site/newsweek/

Business / Tech News

2006-11-08T19:59:00.000-05:00

As a technology professional, I often skim the tech headlines and yesterday saw that chipmaker Intel (think Pentium) plans to invest up to $1 billion in Vietnam. The story was on CNN. The mega computer company is building a manufacturing facility in Ho Chi Mihn City that will employ up to 1200 people. Its the largest American investment in Vietnam since 1975 and will obviously benefit the Vietnamese economy, especially since other technology manufacturers often locate their plants next to a major supplier like Intel.

Hopefully, there will be some benefits for Americans traveling to Vietnam (for adoption, business, or pleasure) such as increased international flights, more people who have some English proficiency, and better penetration of all the tech gadgets we can't seem to live without.

The Name Game

2006-10-17T21:03:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not referring to the silly rhyming game adults make kids play until some older-than-his-years child wants to rhyme with the name "Chuck". Our name game is trying to keep the name we have selected for our baby a secret. There are only a few family member who know and we've worked hard to not let the name slip out too often. While we've been very upfront with people about the adoption process, the name is one secret we like to keep to ourselves.

Of course, friends and co-workers like to have a name to refer to our baby. So, independent of each other, both of our sets of co-workers have created names for our baby that are based upon our first names. Where I work, the baby is referred to as Michaelena, while Janie's co-workers talk about baby Janette. Too funny!

Missing Picture

2006-10-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

If you read yesterday's post, you may have noticed there's a picture referred to that is there - thank Blogger for that little glitch - I have tried uploading a photo to my last post several times now with no luck.

So, here is a picture of our cinnamon roll bat dessert.

Its Monday Already!?!

2006-10-16T18:33:00.000-05:00

Wow - can't believe another weekend has come and gone by so quickly. You know what they say - time flies when you're having fun! We had a great time catching up with good friends (Friday and Saturday) and family (Sunday). The only negative was the Bengals' disappointing effort against Tampa Bay.

Friday night we went to a Miami U hockey game with our friends Curt and Shannon, their 14-month old Madison, Curt's dad Craig, and his girlfriend Jenny. Being Alumni, its always neat to see what's new around campus. The new arena is incredible - and a parking garage. For anybody who's ever had to park in Oxford, you'll understand my surprise. Madison, as usual, was the star of the show, sharing her popcorn with Janie (even the pieces she found on the floor) and almost dropping her toys onto the fans in the seats below us. Good reflexes, mom and dad!

Saturday, Curt, Shannon, and Madison came to our house for lunch. Janie found some neat Halloween recipes to make (see pictures). The top one is a skeleton vegetable platter and the bottom is a plate of bats made from cinnamon rolls and other candies. This was the first time Madison had seen our cats and dog, which made for a good deal of entertainment for everybody. Madison also "tested" the toys we have purchased so far - I'd say we've hit the mark!

Future Parent Tip: Bob Evans is a great place to eat because:
a) the usual crowd clears out around 6:30 to get home to watch Wheel of Fortune
b) they have a big kids menu
c) they bring your food quickly enough so the little one doesn't get too bored
d) oven fresh rolls - ok, that's for me!

Sunday, we did our normal chores, made an unscheduled trip to Home Depot, and had dinner with my mom and stepdad. I also finally got to catch up on my new favorite show, Jericho.

Tip: For old-fashioned folks like us without TiVo, many networks allow you to watch their shows online for free. CBS has all of its dramas available, and I believe ABC does the same.

We are in for another busy week, as Wednesday is our three year anniversary (like I said in the first paragraph - "time flies when you are having fun") and Thursday we have our fourth class at Children's Hospital.

Another Milestone

2006-10-09T21:02:00.000-05:00

Just learned from our coordinator that our documents have been translated and are now off to the IAD (International Adoption Department). Next, they will review our dossier and start the process of matching us with a child. Very Exciting!!

I also wanted to give everybody an update on recent adoption events. On Thursday, we had our second class at Children's Hospital, covering child development, speech therapy, and physical therapy. Again, we were impressed by the talent at the Center. On Friday, we had dinner with our informal local Vietnamese adoption group. We had a great time with everybody. Its so nice to have local people who are going through the same things you are at the same time. I can see all of us staying friends for a long time. If we ever create a formal group, our social worker is willing to give us a booth at their adoption fair - don't know if any of us is ready for that - yet!

Saturday, we attended an FTIA Waiting Families seminar in Loveland. There were a few couples who are in the same place we are, whether they are adopting from China, Guatemala, or Vietnam. We met our coordinator, Rachel, who was in town for the seminar. After months of emails and calls, it was awesome to meet her in person. We also talked to Candy, the Ohio FTIA Ohio coordinator, and our friend Perry and her adorable daughter Kiki.

To finish off the weekend, we volunteered at the Butler County Care Facility Octoberfest, which looked NOTHING like the picture below - though we had a good time.

Back to School...

2006-10-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

Just wanted everybody to know we are taking a lecture series on International Adoption offered through Cincinnati Children's Hospital. If you're in the Cincinnati area, you should check out their International Adoption Center. Its one of a few in the nation and has some really awesome staff. The head of the clinic, Dr Mary Staat, taught the first class last Thursday. She is great! From her opening statement "I'm an infectious disease pediatrician - that means I study diaherra" she had the class hooked. Its rare to find somebody so knowledgable about her field and with a friendly, open personality. We look forward to having her review our referral information when that day comes. Our future lectures include Sensory Integration Disorder, medical concerns after adoption, and attachment and bonding issues.

In other news, Kohl's has its new series of books/stuffed animals out for the winter. We have already picked up Dr Seuss's Sneeches and we'll probably go back for Green Eggs and Ham and the Grinch. The cool thing about this promotion is that you can get either a hard cover children's book or stuffed animal for $5. All of the proceeds go to a children's charity. They make great gifts, so buy a couple.

Weekend Recap

2006-09-25T18:57:00.000-05:00

We've given out the blog address to a lot of folks in the last few days, so let me just say "Welcome new readers!" Also, please post - its very exciting to read other people's comments. As for our end, we'll try to keep you both informed and entertained as we move through this process.

This past weekend, we visited Janie's family and got to talk to them in person about the adoption. We had a great time and (hopefully) answered everybody's questions. The entire family was very supportive and interested in the process. Thank you, Mom & Marty!

Over There!

2006-09-20T21:06:00.000-05:00

Janie talked to Rachel (our coordinator) today and she told us our dossier arrived in country yesterday and is off to be translated. Another hurdle crossed and one less reason for worry. So far, I have to say I'm a big fan of Fed Ex!

A couple of little hints for those of you still working on dossiers:
a) sign in blue ink
b) use your full legal name
c) make sure your notary paragrah is correct
d) double check everything (if possible with the agency) before you send it off to the consulate
e) relax - ok, try to relax

Now that our dossier is out of our hands, we have embarked on a new adventure - learning Vietnamese. We found a deal through a local library where we can get free access to the Rosetta stone software. I would highly recommend it, though the learning-through-immersion approach can be intimidating at first. However, after a few sessions, things start to click. Janie is a pro already, I have enough vocabulary to say "there is a blue cat" - you gotta start somewhere.

And of course, once I master Vietnamese, there are 28 other languages to tackle, including Mandarin, Arabic, and Swahili!

In other news, we will be out of town for a few days visiting Janie's family. We are looking forward to good food, family, and filling everybody in on our favorite subject.

The Saturday Baby Bazaar

2006-09-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

Friday night my best friend Curt calls up... "There's a mom's sale up by us this weekend. They have lots of clothes & other baby stuff. We are planning to go, would you like to join us?"

"Sure," I reply, " we're always up for a little baby stuff shopping and it would be nice to see you guys. Is this thing like a garage sale?"

"A little larger", Curt replies, "oh, and they take credit cards. It starts at 9, but we'd like to get there 15 minutes or so early, if that's ok with you."

"See you then", I answer and think to myself 'do we really need to get their early?'

Fast forward to 8:45 Saturday morning - location, a nearby Elementary school. This is when I realize this sale is definitely NOT a garage sale. First clue - the school parking lot is full. Second clue - the 400 or so people waiting outside. Third clue - people were bringing laundry baskets to carry their purchases.

After waiting in line for a few minutes we get inside. The ENTIRE elementary school is filled with baby and kids stuff, including the gym and cafeteria. The people, while determined, were remarkably well-behaved. As for the shopping, both couple did very well. As did the other 500 individuals we were there with. I would highly recommend attending one of these if they have them in your neighborhood.

After shopping, we had lunch and the wives decided to go shopping. The husbands stayed home and watched football (so stereotypical) as well as Curt and Shannon's one-year-old girl. This, of course, led to some interesting conversations "Did you see that touchdown??" "Do you see the duckie?" Everybody had a great time, though, and we can't wait to see them again!

D T V ?!

2006-09-13T19:57:00.000-05:00

Just heard today from FTIA - they reviewed our documents and everything is fine!!!!! On Friday they will be off to Vietnam. Once in country, they'll be translated and given to the IAD (International Adoption Department).

I am so relieved to be finished with the "paper chase." Its also strange that now there is nothing for us to do but wait. We have a lot of activities scheduled to keep us busy, but its still going to be less stress and excitement that we've had in a while (I'm not saying thats a bad thing).

Now that we've hit this milestone, I'm going to 1) celebrate and 2) update this blog!

Cats in Cradle (Crib Actually)

2006-09-13T19:41:00.000-05:00

Not that we're surprised, but our cats are in love with the new crib. We've found all three napping there at different times. Sometimes we even have our camera handy and take a picture. Here are a few of our favorites:

The nursery is complete!

2006-09-13T17:44:00.000-05:00

After many nights and weekends of painting, and repainting and clearcoating we finished the mural. This, of course, prompted a mad frenzy of moving furniture, buying curtains, and putting up wall hanging. We also ordered our crib and crib mattress and waited patiently until it came it, then spent late last Friday night putting it together.

The result - our nursery is complete! I am attaching a couple of pictures for everybody to see. Please note the black cat who is testing out the crib!

For those who are curious, here's where everything came from:

Crib - Simmons Highland Park - Baby's R US

Bed, Dresser, nightstand, bookcase, desk / changing table - existing furniture - everything really matches, how cool is that?

Stuffed Animals - Janie's old Beanie Babies

Shelf - unpainted from Michael's - Janie did the paint & design

Window treatment - Walmart

Crib set - John Lennon Musical Parade pattern. Its no longer in production, but you can still find sets at speciality stores, second hand stores, and Ebay. if you like the safari / zoo theme, there are plenty of other ones currently made.

Mural - paint by numbers. There are several websites that sell patterns. Ours is from elephantsonthewall.com

Weekend Update

2006-09-12T20:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, I apologize for not update the blog as often as I should! But I will try to be better in the future. This past weekend was very busy (why I'm just getting around to writing about it on Wednesday) with our crib showing up on Friday, my Mom's wedding Saturday, and trying to get all the normal weekend chores done Sunday in time to watch the Bengals game (23-10 victory over Kansas City - Who Dey!)

So I get home Friday after work and there is a very large box on the front porch - the crib we've ordered. Like two kids on Christmas morning we're dying to open the box and put it together... of course, we also need to be at my mom's to help her make last minute preparations for the wedding. Not to worry, we were good children - Janie and mom made flower arrangements for all the women in the wedding, Roger and I stuffed 64 gift bags with mints and Hershey's kisses, and we tied up the loose ends for the wedding. Then, at 11 pm, we got home and started on the crib!

I'm happy to say Mom and Roger's wedding on Saturday was a really nice event. The location they picked was really cool and the caterer was awesome. We got to spend a lot of time with both families and everybody had a great time. Here are a couple of pictures: Janie and mom getting ready for the ceremony and mom and Roger. We wish them many years of continued happiness!!!

Its Complete!!

2006-08-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

You may have guessed from the picture above, but I want to say it anyways - WE ARE FINISHED WITH OUR DOSSIER!!!! (pending Agency review, of course). The whole package goes to FedEx tomorrow and off to FTIA!

Let me just say the Vietnamese Consluate was FAST! They got our documents Monday and sent them back to us Wednesday. For some reason I checked the front porch at lunch today and there they were - we really weren't expecting them for another week.

So tonight we made final copies of everything and got all the documents ready to send. They are safely stored in an undisclosed location right now - after all this work, its hard to let them out of your sight!

Forgot to mention the shots last week

2006-08-31T21:40:00.000-05:00

I had promised some folks I would write about the travel shots experience and Janie just reminded me that I never did so. Now that my arms no longer hurt, I actually feel like typing.

For traveling to Vietnam you need a nice array of vaccinations - Hepatitis A and B, Tetnus, and Typhoid. Last week was Hep A, Tetnus, and Typhoid at the local Board of Health. Luckily for me, I have had a Tetnus shot in the last few years, so I got to skip that. (Of course, when I was sitting in the Emergency Room two years ago, I didn't realize my good fortune!)

All I can really say about the shots are that they hurt - not so much at first, but for the next day or two. I know everybody reacts differently, so hopefully everybody else has an easy time. The thing to remember is that the day of feeling like crap from the vaccine is nothing compared to all the nasty things the actual disease does to you.

The Mural is Done!... Well, almost

2006-08-31T21:29:00.000-05:00

We finished the mural last night with a flurry of painting and re-touching. Though I'm sure we could do touch-up forever, we are satisfied with the results. The only thing we have to do is put a nice layer of clearcoat on top of the painting - you know how kids are...

Of course, we went to Walmart and bought a quart of the clearcoat for $15... then today we noticed a can of the same product sitting in our garage... thanks previous owners...

Anyway, without further ado, here is our finished mural. Actual size is 6 1/2 feet wide by 5 feet tall.

Off to the Consulate...

2006-08-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

Well after a very busy last two days, our documents are off to the Vietnamese Consulate for authentication!! We spent the day in Columbus where we got our State Certifications, shipped the documents, picked up a birth certificate, and I even had time to attend a business meeting - whew!

For those who are not in the process of adopting - this is a big step for us - once the documents come back from the consulate, we will make copies, do one more certification, and be ready to send our entire Dossier to our Agency! So, the document chase is almost over (knock on wood).

For those of you who are adopting - here are my helpful hints / observations. The Secretary of State's office is in the Borden Building at 180 Broad Street (almost across from the State Capitol Building. When we arrived (around 9:30 am) there were several metered parking spots within the block. I would try these first as they are less expensive than the lots. The authentication process only takes about 20 minutes - however, we were the only folks there. I would hate to see the office busy, as there is very limited seating.

If, like us, you can't wait to get your documents in the mail to the Embassy, there's a staffed Fed Ex in the Huntington Building. Its about 3 blocks from the Borden Building on S Main St. The Fed Ex is on the second floor when you come in. We shipped standard overnight, as it will get there by 3:00 Monday.

Another suggestion I would make is to create a personal Fed Ex account before you mail the documents. You can do it online, its free, and all you need is a credit card. This way you can create a return mailer without having to know the exact amout it will cost. Its also way cooler and I think you get a discount (don't quote me on that though!)

Also, if you need a copy of your Ohio Birth Certificate for any reason, the Bureau of Vital stats is only about 3 blocks North of the Borden building (definitely a driving destination, though!). If you don't live in Columbus, its nice to get many things done at once.

If you don't mind some walking, you could also park at City Center Mall, walk to the Sec of State's office, walk back to Fedex, and do some quick shopping or eat a meal. The City Center garage is only $1 for the first 3 hours.

Mural Sneak Peak

2006-08-25T17:12:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures we took of the mural in progress - more to come (soon hopefully)

Enjoy!

WE GOT OUR 171-H

2006-08-23T21:31:00.000-05:00

Exciting news- as you may have guessed from the title, we received our 171-H form from CIS today. For those of you who aren't familiar with all the adoption lingo, the 171 form is the permission from the U.S. government to adopt an orphan from another country. This is a big step in our process!

Of course, getting the 171 sent us on an evening of dossier work - finishing the new forms, making copies, stapling forms together. We are looking to travel to Columbus on Friday to get our state certifications, then send the dossier documents off to the Vietnamese Consulate for their authentication.

In other news... We had a great time with the other adoptive parents we met last night. Janie and I both had a great time and we look forward to seeing everybody again soon... tomorrow is our rescheduled appointment for travel vaccinations at the Board of Health - I can't wait! I will update everybody on how it goes in case you need to have it done.

Weekend Update

2006-08-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Its been another busy weekend for us. We had a 3 hour adoption training session Saturday morning. The nice thing was that we got to meet some of the folks we've been communicating with via email. Its always nice to be able to match faces with names. It is awesome that there are so many other folks from our area going through the same process.

Also Saturday, we went to the Cincinnati Public Library book sale. Its an annual event for us, but this year we actually looked at (and purchased a bunch of) the children's books. Our daughter will have quite the library when she comes home.

Today's mission - paint some more of the mural. I will try to post some pictures (a sneak preview) of our progress so far.

Photo

2006-08-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

Photo of us for the bio

Getting Started...

2006-08-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

My wife and I were looking for a way to keep our friends and family updated on our adoption process, so here we are. This certainly beats trying to remember who you have told about the most recent developments.

A little about us - we live in Southwest Ohio (go Reds and Bengals) and are in the process of adopting a child (our first) from Vietnam. We have requested a girl as young as possible.

For those of you familiar with international adoption, here's where were at in the process. We have our homestudy completed, have most of our dossier together, and are waiting on our 171 from CIS. We are also working on the baby's room by completing a large paint-by-numbers mural. As soon as I figure out how to post pictures, I'll share our progress.