Not really sure where to start.

Why are we adopting? What does the process entail? Why does it take so long? (That is a really good question.) So let's figure all this out.

We just WANT to adopt. Let's say it's a calling from God and we're just following His direction. We knew at least four couples who had adopted from Russia and so that's where our process began. ( I know..now you're confused..is it China or Russia?...just keep reading people.)

August 31, 2004, I attended an orientation (informational) meeting given by Hand In Hand International Adoption Agency.
September 3, 2004 I submitted our application and got the ball rolling.
September 24, 2004 Mark and I attended "paperwork day". This is where the so called "paperchase" begins. Wait until you read what they needed from us....the contents of the following (give or take a few items) makes up a "dossier".

• 3 copies birth certificates
• 3 copies marriage license
• photo copy of current passports
• 2 extra passport photos
• letters of employment
• medical exams
• police clearance
• fingerprinted by the state and by USCIS (Dept. of Homeland Security)
• 6 letters of recommendation
• financial statement
• letter of intent to adopt
• family photos (one 8X10, two 5X7's, 10 lifestyle photos - house and hobbies)
• 10 page autobiography (that was not fun to write...nor easy)
• psychological evaluation
• homestudy (social worker comes to our home to check out where the child will be living and interviews each of us separately and then together)
• all documents needed to be processed through the Secretary of State in the state of origin for a certificate and then authenticated through the appropriate Consulate

We were also required to attend 4 group training classes dealing with issues from parenting, attachment and bonding to racial and cultural issues.

I think we had everything in to our agency by the end of December 2004. Our dossier was sent to Russia in January 2005. Whew...we're on our way....or were we. Russia wasn't playing nice. They weren't sure they really wanted Americans adopting their children anymore so they started implementing new rules to make it more difficult to complete the process. Well by the end of July 2005 things weren't getting any better and no one knew when it would. Mark and I decided it was time to change countries. We started to change our paperwork in August 2005 to adopt from China.