Apstilling & Sending Dossier to Agency

WOW...that was a crazy 2 days!

We got home on Friday night, so I had to wait until Monday to get everything signed at the bank, but our I-800a approval notice was indeed waiting for us when we got home. So I went to the bank and got everything notarized (my hand hurts). Then I headed downtown Chicago to find the Apstilling place. Parking was $29. It took about 1 hour and she handed me back all but about 10 pages and said she couldn't apstill (spelling) an original document. So I gave a call to Lina (our adoption agency contact). She said to make a copy and get it notarized again. Well these documents were signed my my husband and au pair, so I thought I had to go home to get them, but Lina said that I could sign them (medical forms and FBI approvals). So, then I found a Fed EX/Kinko's and made copies, but of course I didn't have a blank notary affidavit, so I had to buy a flash drive and get it off my laptop (good thing I had my laptop). Then I found a bank and had them notarized, the back to the apstilling office. It was a total of $122 ($2 for each signature). Then I went home to organize everything.......There was 1 page missing!!!

So, today I went back to the bank, then the apstilling office, paid $2 more dollars and then back to Fed Ex. It was $52 to mail everything to Lina. Then there was the next set of payments along with it. So, I have added a lot to my running total at the bottom of this blog.

So now it will be translated.

I-800a mail

We came home from MI last night, but there was still no approval letter. So today I called and since our original appointment wasn't until August 18th, that is why the paperwork wasn't processed (something like that). So a very nice man named Elliot, set the process moving while I was on the phone and it will be on his desk by tomorrow, then in the mail to us.

My problem now is that we usually come home every Tuesday from MI for appointments, etc., but next week, we are planning a camping trip to Mackinaw Island. So, do I come home (2.5 hour drive each way) on Monday just for this letter and then back to MI, then another 6 hour drive to Mackinaw? Or do I just wait until the 23rd, when we have to be back in IL anyway for the start of school? I'm tempted to do the drive.... 2 weeks seems like nothing compared to the year we have been working on this.