1/19/2010 – Applied for International Adoption with WHAL

02/10/2010 – Signed contract with WHAL and mailed in

02/15/2010 – WHAL confirmed receipt and I am now officially a client

02/17/2010 2010 – Fingerprints for FBI background check.  Sent in FBI request

02/26/2010 – Sent in I-600A Application

03/01/2010 – Mailed in Home Study Agency Application and paperwork so we can get this show on the road!

03/02/2010 – Home Study Agency Rec’d Paperwork and will begin processing

03/10/2010 – First of three visits with Social Worker for my home study.

03/17/2010 – Second of three visits with Social Worker for my home study.

03/24/2010 – Final home study visit with Social worker for my home study completed.

04/12/2010 – Written Home Study completed and approved by all.  Medical Report completed by Dr.

04/15/2010 – FBI Clearance Rec’d

04/24/2010 – notorized copies of Home Study Rec’d along with necessary license info from agency.  Mailed home study off to USCIS to await fingerprint appt…

05/14/2010 – Kaz temporarily shuts down to prepare for Hague implementation… wait wait wait wait

06/10/2010 – Rec’d 171H approval.  Though we are still unclear if I will need to get I800 now instead since Kaz should be Hague upon re-opening…. wait wait wait

09/2010 – Kaz is still closed.  Switched to Russia and the amazing Judy and Zina at ECAS are now my agency

10/15/2010 – Recieved updated FBI Clearance (took 12 weeks to get)

11/2010 – Updated Home Study for Russia

12/21/2010- Received updated 171H approval to adopt from Russia

01/01/2011 – Registered in Stavropol Region

06/21/2011 – Rec’d referral – Travel to Russia on July 2nd!

07/04/2011 – Met Vera for the first time.  BEST.MOMENT.OF.MY.LIFE

July 4-7 2011 – Spent time getting to know Vera.  LOVE her, LOVE the culture, LOVE the people in this town, LOVE how fresh the air is here and all the green!

07/09/2011 – Heading home to collect paperwork for court dossier

08/10/2011 – Dossier completed, notarized and apostilled and sent off for translation

09/06/2011 – Got word that I will be returning for court on Sept 26th and 27th

09/21/2011 – Left for Russia for 2nd and Final Trip

09/27/2011 – Judge said YES and waived 10-day wait period

09/28/2011 – Got custody of Vera  and immediatly flew to Moscow

09/29/2011 – Appt with physician for travel clearance

09/30/2011 – Exit interview with US Embassy

10/01/2011 – Fly Home to America!