Olesya and Daddy playing peek-a-boo

The judge wants more information... REALLY?

So yesterday I get this e-mail from my agency that the judge has looked over my papers but has a few issues with some of my documents....and they want to call me.  So, I call them and this is what they said: 

1. the social worker's license does not look "official enough" and the document for the social worker saying that they can do adoptions doesn't say "international adoptions with a NY agency" so now we have to get a letter from the state stating that the social worker is legal and approved by the state and her and her company can complete international adoptions with out of state agencies. 

2.  the Real Estate information that was completed - they are not happy with it either.  They want it signed by a court clerk.  But when I tried to have it signed by a court clerk nobody would sign this paper - for heavens sakes - it's going to Russia - nobody will ever see this document again! 

So the homestudy agency document - no problem - just don't know how long it will take to get it from the state.  After a few phone calls on Friday - I think I might have found someone to sign the other real estate document. 

Russia has a court certified copy of my deed - that says I own the property - now they want some Cadastral #... whatever the heck that is!  I'll be at the courthouse first thing on Monday to see if we can't get this figured all out.  I'm so tired of paperwork.

I was really upset on Friday - what a horrible day - we thought we'd be getting a court date - nope - not yet - still fiddling around with paperwork - going on 4 months now since we've seen Olesya - she'll think we forgot about her for sure.  Very upset and disappointed!  If nothing else this process is making us tough...our hearts break knowing Olesya is waiting and the judge is all that stands in our way of getting her and bringing her home.

Our agency contact in Moscow is calling the judge on Monday and see if she can't clear up these issues without us having to do anything else... but I am still prepared to get these documents and have them ready upon her request. 

Hopefully we can still get a court date and then e-mail them and then just bring those additional documents with us to court.

Still hanging in there.  Just upset but still hopeful to have Olesya home before year end.  Hoping to have her for the holidays! 

Waiting to adopt Olesya!

Tamra & Stephen Lewis

Court date update... news - but still no good news...

I received an e-mail from Tatiana (our Russian translator) today.  She says she is to call the judge next week....she says she doesn't expect a court date until the end of October, unfortunately... but she will see if the judge will NOT make us redo our medicals since we will have to do medicals in MOSCOW.


What am I going to do with all these sundresses? I guess I'd better buy some turtlenecks shirts in every color!

Why does this all have to take so long?

What is the purpose? Olesya is waiting!

Ok - I will stop whining now.... If they allow us to not redo our medicals that would be great...and I will at least be happy about that. 

I can't wait to see Olesya again.. It has been 3 1/2 months today since we've seen her last.  She probably is wondering what happened to us.

The impatient mother and father to be to Olesya
Tamra

The judge is on vacation!

Tatiana (our agency contact and translator) says: the judge is on vacation until September 20 and she is going to send our package to the courts tomorrow. 
She will let us know as soon as she gets any news.
So no news really... just enough to make me worry that our medicals will expire (Oct. 9 is the last day they are good for) so we need to pray that our court date is by Oct. 9... Lots of prayers, please.  Olesya is waiting.

Olesya's parents to be...
Stephen & Tamra Lewis

ALL DONE!

So, all the paperwork has been court certified and apostilled.  We made our last trip to Columbus today to get the final 10 documents Apostilled.  It took a whole 3 months to get all the paperwork needed for the Court.  We are so ready to go back over and get her.  It has been a long 3 months.  We can't wait.  So, now the court date wait.... time is ticking on our medical.... we need a court date by Oct. 9, 2011.... or we will have to redo medical.. that would suck!

We hope to hear something really soon..... Waiting again!

The impatient mother and father to be to Olesya..
Tamra & Stephen
Here is an updated photo of her waiting room...

Fingrerprints Apostilled in Washington DC

My first trip to DC.  Steve was stationed there when he was in the Navy for 6 months.  We saw a bunch of sites.. main thing was to get the fingerprints apostilled so we stood in line from 7:30-9:00 to get them done Friday morning.  The place was packed.  I recommend getting there when they open because they are only open 7:30 to 11 Mon - Fri.  You go in and get a number (a number for 1-4 documents or a number for 5-18) and then wait for your number to show up on the screen.  Once you hand over your paperwork... wait inside because they call your name from the window and if you aren't close by you will not here them call your name.

Okay, now to just get the letter from the state - that is my final document.

I am exhausted.  We walked way too much and I think we overdid it.

One step closer to Olesya and court date..

Impatient mother and father to be to OLESYA

Tamra and Stephen

My Fingerprints are here!

Our fingerprints are here!  Our fingerprints are here!  We're somebody now!  FINALLY!

Okay... so trip to Canton - Stark County Courthouse.... 15 documents court certified - 1 document with issues CANNOT CERTIFY - NOTARY STAMP MISSING!... (blah!)

Then on to Columbus where 74 documents were Apostilled... found fed-ex building and Fed-ex'd 76 documents to Happy Families - overnight to go with the next couple leaving for Russia on August 13.

Come home to find "fingerprint letters"  whooo hoo.... so now these need a trip to DC... this weekend - guess that is where we are headed.

Now, I have to get the one document (the messed up one) fixed, court certified and then apostilled along with a copy of my fingerprints.

Still missing document from the state - State Adoption Laws... gotta find out tomorrow where that is.  I don't want this simple document to be the one that holds the whole thing up.

So - we are getting there...  slowly but surely... hopefully - court date will come soon...
The impatient mother and father to be to Olesya
Tamra & Stephen