Happy 3rd Birthday Hanna!

I have been a very bad blogger, mainly because I cannot figure out how to post pics from my Ipad/ Iphone to my laptop!  Today is the day we chose for Hanna to have her Birthday!  Why October 20th?  Because that is the day she was found in a Market in DR Congo.  Luckily, she was taken to a place where she got good care until she became a part of our family.  Hanna is doing so well for being home such a short time.  She is very bright and you would never know that she did not know a word of English 2 short months ago!  She seems to be a typical 3 year old (tantrums included). 

This day begins our busy, busy time!  Our Anniversary is 10/28, our Sara gotcha day is 10/29, Sara will be 6 10/30 and Sue will be over 30 10/31!  Looking forward to lots of celebrating in the next couple of weeks! 

Hanna is here!

Well, today was the day I got our little girl. It was quite an experience. The trip to the Foster Home was indescribable with so much poverty everywhere. This has definitely been eye opening for me. I knew it was bad, but you never really know until you see it. To think, my little girl could have had that life. Speaking of Hanna, she is very very sweet. She had no problem leaving with me. I think they had been preparing her and her buddy Rosa for some time now. She ran right to me when she saw me and then stayed with me the whole time. I think it helped that her BFF was with her! She seems to have gotten very good care and she LOVES to eat. I am hoping there is nothing wrong because her belly is very big. We are having a good time hanging out with the other girls and getting to know each other. I am having a hard time posting pics, but I will soon!

We made it!!!

So, after much persistence on my travel companion Elsa's part, we were able to get on a flight yesterday to Kinshasa. We arrived at about 8 pm last night. It is a HUGE culture shock! Makes me appreciate the US a great deal! We found out that we have to go to the US Embassy today in order to get Hanna's exit letter processed. We are being told it could take until Tues. Please pray that we get everything done by Sat so my other travel companion can catch her flight and I can leave Mon as planned!

Next time I post I will have a new addition!

Stuck in Brussels

Well, not only was my plane 2 hours late to Chicago from Columbus (which would have been OK because we had a long layover in Chicago), but our flight was delayed from Chicago to Brussels which meant us missing our connection to Kinshasa!  We originally thought we could get on a flight Thursday night, but now it is gonna be Friday!!!!  We are here in Brussels for 2 nights now.  The Airlines has put us up in a Hotel and provided meals, but we want to see our kiddos NOW!  It seems that all flights for tomorrow are over booked!  Ugh!!

I got my Visa today!!!  Now we are good to go!  Hanna will get her Exit Letter Sat!  Ready or not, here I come!

What a great Monday!

This is what I woke up to today!!!

Dear Susan and Gary Macklis,

 

Congratulations! Your visa has been issued. We are very happy for your family.

We are trying to get a hold of your representative to come and pick up your baby’s visa and packet tomorrow Tuesday, July 24, at 3:00 pm.

 

Sincerely,

Sarah

 

Consular Section

US Embassy Kinshasa

Hanna is coming HOME!!!

OK, so our Escort may have problems getting a Visa, so I (Sue) have decided to go get our baby girl!  I will be traveling with another Adoptive Parent, meeting up in Chicago.  We plan to leave August 7th, arrive in Kinshasa August 8th and I will be back in the USA with HANNA August 14th if all goes well! Hanna has her Embassy Appointment this Monday, July 9th, so we feel confident that she will be ready to come home by August. We are sooooooooo excited to finally have a plan and a date!!!

Thank you Sherrod Brown!!!

So, we have had an interesting turn of events the past few days.  Hanna had her Medical Exam last Weds, 6/20 which means her documents could have been dropped off at the US Embassy 6/21.  When our Agency Attorney attempted, he was told the next eligible day to drop off documents was July 12th!!!!!!  Docs are only accepted on Thursdays!  So, we reached out to Senator Brown's office, and here is what we got today.

Thank you for your email regarding the inquiry made by Senator Brown’s constituents.

 

The adoptive child of the Macklis family is scheduled for document drop off on June 28, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.

The interview is currently scheduled for July 9, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. as our interview schedule is full for July

2, 2012.

 

We hope this information proves helpful to Senator Brown and his constituents.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Andrew G. Winkelman

Acting Consular Officer

U.S. Embassy

Kinshasa, DRC

No matter your political affiliation, please remember what he has done to  help us bring our daughter home!!!!!  After the Embassy  Appt, there is an investigation and then her Visa is issued and her Exit Letter!!!!  Yeah!!!!! 

In the meantime, another family is picking up their son and they saw Hanna at her Foster Home!  Here is what she said about her:

"She held hands w our in country rep on the way to our taxi.  She was dressed really cute, clean, well coiffed. Their care was obvi good." Unfortunately, she did not know for sure it was Hanna because they were calling her "Anna".  The H would be silent in French!  LOVE HER!!!!

 

 

Skyped with our girl today!

This morning we got to Skype with our girl in her Foster Home!  It is amazing how happy and healthy she looks.  She is talking up a storm.  Too bad we cannot understand her!  They said they would start speaking some English words to her and calling her Hanna. She is potty trained, eats very well & sleeps very well!  She loves to play so she she will fit right into our family!  She said she loved us.  Amazing!!!!!!!!!

More Pics!

 Could she be any cuter?????

News!

Sorry, I have not posted much lately, honestly there has not been much new info until recently.  We found out that it is probably going to be 12 more weeks before we bring Hanna home because the time it takes to get her Passport, Embassy Date & investigation, Medical Exam, Visa, & Exit Letter.  Hanna is now in Foster Care with another little girl in Kinshasa.  We are glad the girls are together, but hate the fact that they have to leave everything familiar to them.  The plan is still to have her escorted. 

I have been given an incredible opportunity to work as an Adoption Consultant with my agency.  I will be helping families sing up and help them with the paperwork process.  I am super excited about it!  If you or anyone wants info, you can email me @ sue@adoptmeinternational.org


Here are some pics we got of Hanna when someone from our Agency picked up his son!  This was the first case to be completed in DR Congo for our Agency!  So exciting!

New Pics!!!

Not much new news, but we did get new pics of our Hanna today. Here she is! She looks VERY SAD! We cannot wait to wrap our arms around her! Hang in there Hanna! We love you!

Where are we now?

I have not posted for a while, so I just thought I would give an update. There is not too much to tell, but we did get our adoption order and were able to file our I600. This will classify Hanna as an immediate relative and is necessary to bring her home. Once we get the approval, we can get an Embassy Date, then her Visa, then the EXIT LETTER! We did find out that it is probably possible for us to have an escort bring Hanna, so we probably will not have to go to the Congo. We are relieved that we do not have to go based on the unsafe conditions and the fact that it would be very difficult to leave Sara for who knows how long. However, I do feel that it is important to see where Hanna spent her 1st 2 1/2 years of her life. Maybe some day!

Off the subject

Why Exercise During Cancer Treatment?

Cancer is something that can derail your life in an extreme way. The diagnosis alone is challenging enough mentally. Whether someone is diagnosed with breast cancer or rare mesothelioma, doctors end up taking over all of your time with treatment and medication. When you are trying to get your life back on track after treatment or when you are in the middle of treatment and desperate to be thinking of something else, consider how fitness and exercise can help you.

The National Cancer Institute states that there is suggestive evidence that point to exercise being linked to progression-free survival in colorectal cancer and breast cancer. While there is no direct evidence that supports this, the evidence is compelling that exercise does help. There are a number of different types of exercise that are recommended, but at the end of the day, the sum argument seems to be that any kind of movement is good for you. Think about what role exercise could play in your recovery and what it could mean for you.

In the first place, it is essential to find a kind of movement that you are going to enjoy and welcome. Exercise, especially daily exercise, is not easy, and sticking to the schedule can be hard at first. Some people do very well simply by going to the gym every few days and walking on the treadmill. On the other hand, other people need to make something a habit by doing it every day and doing the exact same thing over and over again. Find the mode that works best for you and stick with it.

One way to start up an exercise program that you will stick with is by getting someone to do it with you. Get a friend who will keep you motivated and who will make sure that you are in a good place to go every day. You can do the same for your friend by motivating them when they are having an off day. You may simply take an exercise class together or you might only walk around the park together; every little bit does help, and you’ll discover that this is something that you have control over. It is something that you can do on your own terms, not subject to your doctor’s schedule or your own fears.

Exercise is a way to take joy in your body again, which is something that can be very hard when you are dealing with moving forward after cancer. After cancer, people feel as though their bodies are untrustworthy or that they have been betrayed by their bodies. Learn to take control of your body again and learn how to make it work for you. This can be an integral part of your healing.

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ADOPTION GRANTED!!!

OK, so we thought we were supposed to have our Court Date mid-Feb, but I got an email today that our case was submitted and passed court YESTERDAY!!!! We are just waiting on the Adoption order and translations!
What happens now? There is a 30 day appellate period, and at the end, there is a No Appeals Judgment issued. Once that is issued, the I-600 is sent to USCIS and you wait for your approval. Once you get the approval, documents are filed with the US Embassy in Kinshasa for visa. We get the visa, then we get the Exit Letter from the DGM in Kinshasa. Then you go and pick up your daughter - YAY!!
So, here is our Hanna!!!!!!

Update!!!!

We just got an update that our case is moving along! Looks like on Jan 31st or Feb 1st our agency will introduce the request for a judgment of adoption, which sets the court hearing date!!!! YAY!!!! We got new photos too, but not sure when we can post! SUPER EXCITED!!!!!!!!

Progress!

Things are moving right along. Here is what I got today:

Your case - Pierre has submitted all docs to court in Mbuji Mayi in order to get her birth certificate. You are now in your 30 day "waiting period" for that process. Once, the 30days are up, the Judgment is signed and the Judgment is then taken to the person in charge of the Registrar. The birth certificate will then be issued in a bout 2-3 days. Once we get the birth certificate, the Adoption documents are then submitted to court. The court date is usually set for about a week later. At the hearing, the adoption will be approved. THEN THERE IS ANOTHER 30 DAY WAITING PERIOD FOR APPELLATE PURPOSES. Then you file your I-600 document along with the child's certified documents. I'm told, this could take 3-6 weeks for approval. Once approved, Pierre files your documents at the Embassy. It takes about 3-5 weeks for approval and issuance of child's visa. At the same time as Embassy is investigating, our staff in Kinshasa will be getting all necessary documents for Exit Letter from DGM.

So, we are hoping we MAY be able to travel in May!!! Fingers crossed!!!!