We received our I-171 H document in the mail yesterday! This is the final document that we needed to complete our dossier! We have already gotten it notarized, and will be getting it county certified and apostilled on Monday. That along with our first payment to have our dossier translated....and that's it! We have been hoping to get the finances together to send that 1st payment by August 1st...and it looks like we will!
I spoke to our agency rep today from St. Louis, and they will be sending the dossier over to Moscow on August 3rd. It will be translated over there. So, as of Monday when I send out these final two documents our dossier will be complete! Woohoo! Not only that, but after August 3rd, it will be in Russia getting translated. It's hard to believe, but I guess now the waiting really will begin.
We have requested our desire to adopt a sibling group of two girls under the age of 4 years old, or twins. Because of this our dossier will stay in Moscow until a sibling group is identified in a region, and then it will be forwarded onto that region. Our estimated wait time will most likely be over a year. So, be prepared with us for a long wait. I know though, that this is in God's hands, and His timing is perfect. We'll keep you posted on how we are preparing, what we are learning and lots more throughout this process.... Thanks for praying with us and walking with us along this journey.
Chris and Jackie
Friday, July 27, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Adoption Parenting....
We finished our last module for the adoption parenting DVD series that is part of our required study. We have to take our final test and submit it online and then our completion results will be forwarded along to our adoption agency. We have a required 10 hours of parenting education to take. This DVD series completes that, but to me it has just provided a starting point for both Chris and I to come together on a plan of parenting that works for our family.
This has been a very informative, and thought provoking series. Let me explain why.... Informative because I tend to be the type of person who is easily intimidated by the big words, like "sensory integration" and "bonding and attachment". And I can let these words paralyze me with worry... "what if we have to deal with these issues in our adopted child?" "Can I handle that?" "What exactly does that look like?" So when I say that this DVD series has been informative, I mean just that. Both Chris and I have been given a lot of scientific and practical information and examples of issues that pertain to developing and nurturing the emotional well-being of an adopted child. Lots of information over the course of our study, broken down into manageable pieces, so that it does not become overwhelming. I love that each of the presenters of the seminar, are not into the "Scare your pants off type of teaching". (Lord knows I don't need that!) They state that while there is a small percentage of people who will have to deal with severe issues regarding their adopted children.... the majority will be dealing with mild to moderate issues. (Of course one persons mild is another person's moderate..lol! But I still took great heart and encouragement from their statement). Just having been given the information, to understand the process of attachment and bonding, what it means to be a primary caregiver for the child and how to make sure the cycle of needs for the child are being met.... to understand how to parent for their real age opposed to their chronological age..... All of these things and so much more have helped me to fear less, and develop a plan more. So, that is why the informative aspect has been so good. Plus it gets both Chris and I thinking and reflecting and engaging in conversation ahead of time, in how we might choose to parent an adoptive child.
Which leads me to the second aspect.... this seminar has been so thought provoking. What has been interesting to me is that I didn't necessarily agree with everything that was said. Which is a good thing. It means that I can think about what was presented and further research and even ponder and discuss with Chris what we think would work best for our family. It means some more time spent talking and writing down and coming up with a plan of action. Not to say that we follow that plan ad nauseum, and never deviate, no matter what the circumstance. Certainly not! We are flexible if nothing else....But, having it written down, gives us a concrete plan, helps us to remember the information we were taught, and hopefully helps us to help our child to gain life skills that they will need as they grow. So, that has been what has been thought provoking, just processing all of the information and then marrying it with what will work within our family.
Even with all the educational information we received and the plan of action we will work on creating.... while all of that is very good, I take even greater heart in knowing that our Father in heaven is in control of these issues. He knows the child or children we will adopt... he knows our hearts and what we are able to handle. I have to rest in Him, that His plan is the best one of all.
This has been a very informative, and thought provoking series. Let me explain why.... Informative because I tend to be the type of person who is easily intimidated by the big words, like "sensory integration" and "bonding and attachment". And I can let these words paralyze me with worry... "what if we have to deal with these issues in our adopted child?" "Can I handle that?" "What exactly does that look like?" So when I say that this DVD series has been informative, I mean just that. Both Chris and I have been given a lot of scientific and practical information and examples of issues that pertain to developing and nurturing the emotional well-being of an adopted child. Lots of information over the course of our study, broken down into manageable pieces, so that it does not become overwhelming. I love that each of the presenters of the seminar, are not into the "Scare your pants off type of teaching". (Lord knows I don't need that!) They state that while there is a small percentage of people who will have to deal with severe issues regarding their adopted children.... the majority will be dealing with mild to moderate issues. (Of course one persons mild is another person's moderate..lol! But I still took great heart and encouragement from their statement). Just having been given the information, to understand the process of attachment and bonding, what it means to be a primary caregiver for the child and how to make sure the cycle of needs for the child are being met.... to understand how to parent for their real age opposed to their chronological age..... All of these things and so much more have helped me to fear less, and develop a plan more. So, that is why the informative aspect has been so good. Plus it gets both Chris and I thinking and reflecting and engaging in conversation ahead of time, in how we might choose to parent an adoptive child.
Which leads me to the second aspect.... this seminar has been so thought provoking. What has been interesting to me is that I didn't necessarily agree with everything that was said. Which is a good thing. It means that I can think about what was presented and further research and even ponder and discuss with Chris what we think would work best for our family. It means some more time spent talking and writing down and coming up with a plan of action. Not to say that we follow that plan ad nauseum, and never deviate, no matter what the circumstance. Certainly not! We are flexible if nothing else....But, having it written down, gives us a concrete plan, helps us to remember the information we were taught, and hopefully helps us to help our child to gain life skills that they will need as they grow. So, that has been what has been thought provoking, just processing all of the information and then marrying it with what will work within our family.
Even with all the educational information we received and the plan of action we will work on creating.... while all of that is very good, I take even greater heart in knowing that our Father in heaven is in control of these issues. He knows the child or children we will adopt... he knows our hearts and what we are able to handle. I have to rest in Him, that His plan is the best one of all.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Dossier almost complete!
I'm so happy today, because we FedEx'd our dossier to our adoption agency, and it wasn't supposed to arrive until Wednesday, but it arrived today! I got an email and congratulations from our rep and she informed me that it arrived, and she reviewed it and is sending it on to their headquarters in St. Louis. Yippee! Once it is there, the director of the Russian program will review everything and will call us to begin talking about regions in Russia that our dossier could go to. If there are any "region specific" documents, she will forward them to us...once we select a region. Chris was all smiles when I showed him that email!
This is what we have left to gather for the dossier.... Some additional photos of our house, which I have to take tomorrow and send to be printed. Quickly. Our visa applications, which we need to fill out and send in. Our 1st large check for when the dossier goes to Russia to be translated. (We are hoping to have this accumulated by August 1st). And finally our I171-H form that is our fingerprint approval. This could be a few more weeks... so hopefully it will all be done at the same time.
Chris and I are also taking adoption parenting classes in the form of a DVD series. It's entitled the Heart of the Matter, and it has been very informative, and has opened up some great dialogue between the two of us, as we discuss scenarios, and issues we may encounter with an institutionalized child. We are both feeling better educated, and more equipped. It's funny their are 4 modules and after each module is an online test that each of us must take and submit. Chris thought there were 10 modules, and was bummed that there were only 4. He really has enjoyed this format and educational process...as have I. I personally enjoy the video lecture series far better than reading a book. I think I'm having more success at retaining the information. Hmmm.... what kind of learner does that make me? :-)
So, we really feel as if we are winding down on all of this paper chasing process. I imagine when we are completely done, it will seem quite freeing, as we move on to the next step in the process... Waiting.
This is what we have left to gather for the dossier.... Some additional photos of our house, which I have to take tomorrow and send to be printed. Quickly. Our visa applications, which we need to fill out and send in. Our 1st large check for when the dossier goes to Russia to be translated. (We are hoping to have this accumulated by August 1st). And finally our I171-H form that is our fingerprint approval. This could be a few more weeks... so hopefully it will all be done at the same time.
Chris and I are also taking adoption parenting classes in the form of a DVD series. It's entitled the Heart of the Matter, and it has been very informative, and has opened up some great dialogue between the two of us, as we discuss scenarios, and issues we may encounter with an institutionalized child. We are both feeling better educated, and more equipped. It's funny their are 4 modules and after each module is an online test that each of us must take and submit. Chris thought there were 10 modules, and was bummed that there were only 4. He really has enjoyed this format and educational process...as have I. I personally enjoy the video lecture series far better than reading a book. I think I'm having more success at retaining the information. Hmmm.... what kind of learner does that make me? :-)
So, we really feel as if we are winding down on all of this paper chasing process. I imagine when we are completely done, it will seem quite freeing, as we move on to the next step in the process... Waiting.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Fingerprinting and Bonnaroo......
I'm back tracking again to tell a story about our fingerprinting process. Again this is a trip to Nashville that we made on a Thursday in early June. Chris had to come with me as his fingers needed to be printed. So, we all took off on a trip to Nashville, after a meeting he had at work. We were pushing it time wise, as they are only open until 2:00pm. Go figure that the traffic heading up there is heavy.... This route is always jammed with 18 wheelers heading up through the mountains to get out west. It's one of my least favorite roads to drive just for that reason.... LOTS of trucks!
I don't know about you, but our family counts license plates on long trips. It's just something we do....but to make it fun, we each give a guesstimate, of how many states we think we will see. Then I write it down and we start looking for states. Whoever is closest to the number we find, wins. They don't win anything...they just win. ;-)
So, about 1/2 way through our journey, we see a huge back up in the right lane and slow down considerably. Cars stretched out for miles and miles are getting off on the shoulder about an hour south of Nashville. Interspersed between the cars are state troopers with their lights flashing....to alert people of the slow down. What in the world? Chris and I are looking and all the vehicles are being driven by young kids, piled into cars, campers, etc. Several are stopped on the side, hanging out of pickup trucks as they inch along the shoulder with signs saying "Bonnaroo". What in the world is that? Some event is going on, but we have no idea what it is. Then I begin noticing the license plates. From all over the country. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Nevada, California (like 6 of them), Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Florida, Arizona.... tons and tons of plates! Unfortunately our lane was clear, so Chris was back up to normal speed and it was hard to catch a lot of them. I "know" we probably would have had 48 states if we could have traveled slower.... but we were on a deadline to be fingerprinted.
We arrived at CIS (Citizen and Immigration Services) on time and met a friendly police officer on the inside. This older gentleman, was so amiable, and when we told him what we came through to get here (ie: Bonnaroo), and asked what in the world it was... well we got quite an answer. Apparently it is like a Woodstock concert/camping event from the 60's. It's held every year on some guys property, and kids from all over the country flock to it. We ran into it on the first day, (hence the miles and miles and miles of cars inching along the shoulder of both sides of the highway). Apparently like Woodstock, it is a haven for illegal activity as well.... but back to our fingerprinting process. We had some paperwork to fill out and after a short wait, they called Chris in to be printed. The boys waited for me, and then it was my turn. Very high tech equipment, interesting. So, now it's official, the government now has every print of my right and left hand. Should they ever need our assistance in international affairs, we have a head start. lol!
We grabbed a bite to eat for dinner in Nashville. and then headed home in rush hour traffic, with Bonnaroo to contend with as well. We decided to take a totally different route home that was more scenic, and longer, but might equal the time with traffic. Driving along at dusk, about an hour from home in a beautiful mountainous area, we saw fog settling in the valley. We had peaked the mountain, and were on the downhill stretch....hardly a car in sight, when we see a black sport utility police vehicle in the grassy median on the road. Then flying along behind us is another police vehicle with its lights flashing. Oh my. Chris pulls over and an officer gets out of the car, while the other vehicle pulls up behind him. License and registration. Do you know how fast you were traveling? Pretty fast, do you know that the speed limit is 55 on this section of the highway? Me: (shocked) What? Are you serious? (giving my dear husband a look of reproval). We told him that we didn't know that, and that we were trying to travel around the Nashville highway because of all of the traffic for that Bonnaroo event. He said, he would be back after he checked our info, but when I looked in the rear view mirror, he and his young partner were talking just holding our information. He walked back up to the car and handed our documents back and said to slow down. He then went on to further answer our Bonnaroo questions, telling us a little more about the event, and the cars they stopped and drugs they confiscated in the last night. (I guess with our family vehicle and two young kids in the back we didn't look like the Bonnaroo type.) lol! So, we thanked him profusely and went on our way... slower this time. Whew!
I don't know about you, but our family counts license plates on long trips. It's just something we do....but to make it fun, we each give a guesstimate, of how many states we think we will see. Then I write it down and we start looking for states. Whoever is closest to the number we find, wins. They don't win anything...they just win. ;-)
So, about 1/2 way through our journey, we see a huge back up in the right lane and slow down considerably. Cars stretched out for miles and miles are getting off on the shoulder about an hour south of Nashville. Interspersed between the cars are state troopers with their lights flashing....to alert people of the slow down. What in the world? Chris and I are looking and all the vehicles are being driven by young kids, piled into cars, campers, etc. Several are stopped on the side, hanging out of pickup trucks as they inch along the shoulder with signs saying "Bonnaroo". What in the world is that? Some event is going on, but we have no idea what it is. Then I begin noticing the license plates. From all over the country. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Nevada, California (like 6 of them), Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Florida, Arizona.... tons and tons of plates! Unfortunately our lane was clear, so Chris was back up to normal speed and it was hard to catch a lot of them. I "know" we probably would have had 48 states if we could have traveled slower.... but we were on a deadline to be fingerprinted.
We arrived at CIS (Citizen and Immigration Services) on time and met a friendly police officer on the inside. This older gentleman, was so amiable, and when we told him what we came through to get here (ie: Bonnaroo), and asked what in the world it was... well we got quite an answer. Apparently it is like a Woodstock concert/camping event from the 60's. It's held every year on some guys property, and kids from all over the country flock to it. We ran into it on the first day, (hence the miles and miles and miles of cars inching along the shoulder of both sides of the highway). Apparently like Woodstock, it is a haven for illegal activity as well.... but back to our fingerprinting process. We had some paperwork to fill out and after a short wait, they called Chris in to be printed. The boys waited for me, and then it was my turn. Very high tech equipment, interesting. So, now it's official, the government now has every print of my right and left hand. Should they ever need our assistance in international affairs, we have a head start. lol!
We grabbed a bite to eat for dinner in Nashville. and then headed home in rush hour traffic, with Bonnaroo to contend with as well. We decided to take a totally different route home that was more scenic, and longer, but might equal the time with traffic. Driving along at dusk, about an hour from home in a beautiful mountainous area, we saw fog settling in the valley. We had peaked the mountain, and were on the downhill stretch....hardly a car in sight, when we see a black sport utility police vehicle in the grassy median on the road. Then flying along behind us is another police vehicle with its lights flashing. Oh my. Chris pulls over and an officer gets out of the car, while the other vehicle pulls up behind him. License and registration. Do you know how fast you were traveling? Pretty fast, do you know that the speed limit is 55 on this section of the highway? Me: (shocked) What? Are you serious? (giving my dear husband a look of reproval). We told him that we didn't know that, and that we were trying to travel around the Nashville highway because of all of the traffic for that Bonnaroo event. He said, he would be back after he checked our info, but when I looked in the rear view mirror, he and his young partner were talking just holding our information. He walked back up to the car and handed our documents back and said to slow down. He then went on to further answer our Bonnaroo questions, telling us a little more about the event, and the cars they stopped and drugs they confiscated in the last night. (I guess with our family vehicle and two young kids in the back we didn't look like the Bonnaroo type.) lol! So, we thanked him profusely and went on our way... slower this time. Whew!
Some common used adoption terms
My blog is littered with terms that are used for international adoption. Most people would be unaware of the meaning of many of them (I know I wouldn't before we entered this process). I'm going to post several here with the definitions used by our adoption agency.
Dossier- "As complex as it sounds, a dossier is basically a collection of required documents that is sent to a foreign country (Russia in our case) in order to process the adoption of a child in Russia's legal system.
Notarization- "Notarization is basically the "act of witnessing" by the Notary Public in accordance with the laws of the respective states. It involves signed documents and requires the notary to ensure the signers identity and willingness to sign".
County Certified- This is an extra step required by some states to verify the person doing the notarizing of our paperwork.
Apostille- "Apostille is a french word which means certification. It is commonly used in English to refer to the legalization of a document for international use under the terms of the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for foreign public documents. The Apostille is done by the Secretary of State in the state where the document is originated. It basically means that the Secretary of State acknowledges/verifies that the person notarizing your paper is a true notary and that they are currently commissioned with the state. An additional sheet of paper with the state seal will be added to each document."
So that hopefully explains the meaning of some of the paper chasing we have been doing lately!
Dossier- "As complex as it sounds, a dossier is basically a collection of required documents that is sent to a foreign country (Russia in our case) in order to process the adoption of a child in Russia's legal system.
Notarization- "Notarization is basically the "act of witnessing" by the Notary Public in accordance with the laws of the respective states. It involves signed documents and requires the notary to ensure the signers identity and willingness to sign".
County Certified- This is an extra step required by some states to verify the person doing the notarizing of our paperwork.
Apostille- "Apostille is a french word which means certification. It is commonly used in English to refer to the legalization of a document for international use under the terms of the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for foreign public documents. The Apostille is done by the Secretary of State in the state where the document is originated. It basically means that the Secretary of State acknowledges/verifies that the person notarizing your paper is a true notary and that they are currently commissioned with the state. An additional sheet of paper with the state seal will be added to each document."
So that hopefully explains the meaning of some of the paper chasing we have been doing lately!
Trip to Nashville....
On Friday June 22nd, my two boys and I made a trip to Nashville to get all of our Tennessee documents county certified and apostilled. Chris couldn't come with us, as he has taken enough time off from work already. We had an appointment at our agency at 11am. We arrived right on time amazingly enough for me....and were welcomed by their sweet receptionist Jane. It was so nice to meet her finally as she and I have talked on the phone numerous times. She offered me a cup of coffee, which in my book, shoots her right up to the top of my list of likable people. For a gal who just drove hours, and had no coffee that morning, she just offered me liquid gold, and I wasn't about to turn it down. But even better, she brought it in a huge coffee mug, the size I drink about every morning. Oh happy day! lol!
My agency rep and I sat down and began reviewing all the documents that I brought. They were all notarized and county certified from our county in Tennessee. They were also in clear plastic protectors. (A little extreme I know, but I live with a family of spillers (myself included), and I didn't want to take the chance that one of those documents accidentally received coffee stains, or juice stains or whatever.) So, for my peace of mind, and organization, they were all in clear plastic sheet protectors. Amanda, our rep, had never seen anyone come in with documents that protected. lol! She added some more documents from our agency to be apostilled, and gave directions to McDonald's and the two government buildings we needed to frequent that day. Her directions were "spot on" as they say in Europe. :-) Especially the McDonalds, which was greatly needed for all of us hungry kiddos.
We next headed to the county building where we would get the newest documents from our agency certified. Right across the way from this building was a big white dome, where we were informed the Tennessee Titans practice. I'm sure it had air conditioning, but all I could think was how hot it must be inside. Of course the temperature was in the high 90's, and every time we walked outside it was scorching and muggy and hard to breathe. There were air quality advisories too, which I don't doubt at all! We found our way inside, and had a zero wait time. Very cool, as the boys were getting a little antsy. I had a lovely talk with the woman who was certifying our documents. She was very sweet, engaging my boys in conversation and talking about her own two grown sons. It took about 20 minutes, and then we headed out to our next government building downtown.
This one I was a little more nervous about. We had to locate the building in Friday traffic, and locate parking on the street. I don't know how we found the parking....divine intervention. But we did and with all the documents in clear plastic protectors in my dossier binder, we began the walk of several blocks to the building. We managed to locate it and the entrance, and walked inside. Security is tight, you need to produce a current government photo ID, and then stand in front of a machine that scans your head. At first I thought it was to scan the eye retina, but then I realized it was to take your photo. lol! (Too many spy movies again!). So, I reach into my purse and pull out my wallet to get my driver's license. Only it is not there! Panic on my face...as I try to calmly think where it could be. I have every original document and copies in my dossier binder. Copies of passport, (of course not the original). Original birth certificate, newly delivered to me and signed by Condoleeza Rice.....but it doesn't have a photo. No document, no matter how high the signature, would allow me to get inside...and almost in tears, I sat down to think and call my husband. All I could think was "Lord please don't let this trip be wasted.... we drove two and 1/2 hours to get here, so this step of the process could be accomplished." I thought I remembered taking my license out at a ballgame and placing it in the glove box of my car. So, the boys and I headed back out into the heat, walking the several blocks back to where we parked. Praying all the way, and encouraging my littlest who was tired and thirsty by this point to hurry along... and he can get a drink in the car.
Thankfully (and I mean it!), the drivers license was in the glove box. Normally I would never put it there...if we were headed to a game, and I didn't want to bring my purse, I'd have Chris hold it in his wallet. But for some reason that evening of the ballgame, I decided to put it in the glove box. So, we trekked back to the government building, and this time with the golden ticket. We easily got in this time around, and headed to the 6th floor where all apostilling is done. We had a short 5 minute wait, and when I was called up the lady asked how many documents I had to be apostilled. Um, let me count.... 1.....10.....20.....30....32. Yes, 32 documents to be apostilled please. It took about 45 minutes in all, and we picked them all up looking nice and shiny with the gold state seal on each one. We thanked her, and she mentioned how fortunate we were that all of the documents were correct. Many times she has to send people back to have the documents re-done. I was grateful for our agency's assistance even more so then, to know we got it right the first time, and we wouldn't have to come back!
So, we began our journey home from Nashville. What a long day, but how fruitful it was as well!
My agency rep and I sat down and began reviewing all the documents that I brought. They were all notarized and county certified from our county in Tennessee. They were also in clear plastic protectors. (A little extreme I know, but I live with a family of spillers (myself included), and I didn't want to take the chance that one of those documents accidentally received coffee stains, or juice stains or whatever.) So, for my peace of mind, and organization, they were all in clear plastic sheet protectors. Amanda, our rep, had never seen anyone come in with documents that protected. lol! She added some more documents from our agency to be apostilled, and gave directions to McDonald's and the two government buildings we needed to frequent that day. Her directions were "spot on" as they say in Europe. :-) Especially the McDonalds, which was greatly needed for all of us hungry kiddos.
We next headed to the county building where we would get the newest documents from our agency certified. Right across the way from this building was a big white dome, where we were informed the Tennessee Titans practice. I'm sure it had air conditioning, but all I could think was how hot it must be inside. Of course the temperature was in the high 90's, and every time we walked outside it was scorching and muggy and hard to breathe. There were air quality advisories too, which I don't doubt at all! We found our way inside, and had a zero wait time. Very cool, as the boys were getting a little antsy. I had a lovely talk with the woman who was certifying our documents. She was very sweet, engaging my boys in conversation and talking about her own two grown sons. It took about 20 minutes, and then we headed out to our next government building downtown.
This one I was a little more nervous about. We had to locate the building in Friday traffic, and locate parking on the street. I don't know how we found the parking....divine intervention. But we did and with all the documents in clear plastic protectors in my dossier binder, we began the walk of several blocks to the building. We managed to locate it and the entrance, and walked inside. Security is tight, you need to produce a current government photo ID, and then stand in front of a machine that scans your head. At first I thought it was to scan the eye retina, but then I realized it was to take your photo. lol! (Too many spy movies again!). So, I reach into my purse and pull out my wallet to get my driver's license. Only it is not there! Panic on my face...as I try to calmly think where it could be. I have every original document and copies in my dossier binder. Copies of passport, (of course not the original). Original birth certificate, newly delivered to me and signed by Condoleeza Rice.....but it doesn't have a photo. No document, no matter how high the signature, would allow me to get inside...and almost in tears, I sat down to think and call my husband. All I could think was "Lord please don't let this trip be wasted.... we drove two and 1/2 hours to get here, so this step of the process could be accomplished." I thought I remembered taking my license out at a ballgame and placing it in the glove box of my car. So, the boys and I headed back out into the heat, walking the several blocks back to where we parked. Praying all the way, and encouraging my littlest who was tired and thirsty by this point to hurry along... and he can get a drink in the car.
Thankfully (and I mean it!), the drivers license was in the glove box. Normally I would never put it there...if we were headed to a game, and I didn't want to bring my purse, I'd have Chris hold it in his wallet. But for some reason that evening of the ballgame, I decided to put it in the glove box. So, we trekked back to the government building, and this time with the golden ticket. We easily got in this time around, and headed to the 6th floor where all apostilling is done. We had a short 5 minute wait, and when I was called up the lady asked how many documents I had to be apostilled. Um, let me count.... 1.....10.....20.....30....32. Yes, 32 documents to be apostilled please. It took about 45 minutes in all, and we picked them all up looking nice and shiny with the gold state seal on each one. We thanked her, and she mentioned how fortunate we were that all of the documents were correct. Many times she has to send people back to have the documents re-done. I was grateful for our agency's assistance even more so then, to know we got it right the first time, and we wouldn't have to come back!
So, we began our journey home from Nashville. What a long day, but how fruitful it was as well!
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