New Thing in the Process

A few months ago there was a change to the Article V process.  With the Little Princesses (about this time last year)  we forwarded the pdf of our approval from the NVC to our agency, and they took care of the rest.  This time it isn't that easy!

Our agency sent us seven pages of typewritten instructions to complete this new step.  We received our NVC information this morning so I can fill out our "Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application" (DS-260)  I've been hearing stories from online friends about how hard this form is, and how many hours they spent on it.   It begins with having to log in with the various case numbers.

So, this morning I received our numbers from the NVC, and am attempting to get into the form.   Even though I have the numbers, until the website is updated to include our information it won't let me access the form.  Some have waited hours, some have waited days!  So if you need me today, I'll be right here, clicking reload!

Chinese New Year Party!

Welcome to our home and our Chinese New Year celebration!  We decorated...

 

 

 And cooked....

 

And the party was ready!

We were excited that another child adopted from Jen and Abigail's orphanage was going to join us this day, but he unfortunately began running a fever the night before the party.  We missed you so much, Bobby!

One other family joined in our festivities.

 

 Traditionally, the children receive red envelopes called hung bao for Chinese New Year. Inside is "lucky money."  The way I figured it, with adoption travel expenses on the near horizon, they were "lucky" to get it!  (smile)  Asian candy was also a huge hit with the Little Princesses, though it wasn't what the rest of us were used to!  Some was made of sesame, some with chia seeds,  or candied ginger, and not very sweet as one might expect with candy.

 Following dinner we had several activities for the kids.  Chinese New Year is a festival that is celebrated for fifteen days, but we attempted to condense it into one big day!  First we read a book about Chinese New Year.

Then the kids got to choose what they wanted to do.  We had a coloring page, word search, paper lanterns, and since it is the "year of the horse" a horse mask.  Only one little girl wanted to make the mask, but she was a VERY cute, little horse, indeed!

  

 

 Then we made a type of Chinese drum called "Boland Gu."

Our final craft was to figure out how to put battery operated lights in paper Chinese lanterns since there was no way in the world I was going to put FIRE in them!  

 

 

 

We suggested to the children that day fifteen of Chinese New Year would be appropriate for a parade with their lanterns, but they just couldn't wait.  By this time a couple of the neighborhood children even joined in!

We ended our evening with poppers (NOISE!) and sparklers.

The Little Princesses were VERY excited to celebrate Chinese New Year, and it was our very first time!  I'm certain we didn't get everything "right," but it gave them a taste of their native country and culture, and we had a blast doing it!  We cannot wait for Isaac to join our family picture next time!

The Lanz family wishes you a Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year - Friday, January 31

Our first day of CNY was pretty relaxed, with just our immediate household.  We ate simple noodles and steamed buns for dinner.

 It is the year of the horse, and this year's element is wood, so the girls colored wooden horses with markers to use for decorations at the big party planned for Saturday.

There were a couple little gifts - a tiny play horse, and the best surprise of all - Chinese Barbies!

 Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

I800 Approval and Final Steps!

We are getting down to the last steps before travel!  Our I800 immigrations form was approved yesterday, January 28.  In legal-eze what this does, from the USCIS website;  "USCIS will provisionally approve the Form I-800 if the child qualifies for classification as a Convention adoptee and the proposed adoption or grant of custody will meet Convention requirements."

Next up is the Article 5 from the National Visa Center.  Again, from the website, " submit a visa application to a Consular Officer at the appropriate U.S. embassy or consulate in the Convention country. The Consular Officer will review the Form I-800 and the visa application for possible visa ineligibilities and will advise you if there are options to waive any noted grounds of inadmissibility.  If the Consular Officer determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States and that the information provided indicates that the adoption process thus far has complied with the Convention and IAA, he or she will notify the Convention country's central authority by issuing an Article 5/17 letter. The Article 5/17 letter will inform the foreign central authority that U.S. competent authorities have determined the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suited to adopt, that the child may enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed."  

The NVC should have our paperwork by this time next week, and they are generally quick to issue the Article 5.  Due to the Chinese Consulate being closed for Chinese New Year our Article 5 will not be able to be submitted to them until February 10.  Typically the Article 5 approval takes two weeks then we wait on our invitation to travel!!!

So there you have it!  Article 5 and Travel Approval.  We are that close!

We completed our applications last night for Chinese Visas so we will be ready when our travel invitation arrives.  It is looking like traveling at the end of March is a real possibility!