Dossier almost there

We have almost everything for our Dossier.  In case you don't know what a Dossier is, it is a 8" paper pile that has our entire life in it.  The paperwork is what Latvia will review to see if we are a good match for their kids.  The feeling is simmilar to your first date.  What do I wear? Do I have food in my teeth? Hope they don't notice the pimple on my nose. If they like what they see then we receive a match for some kids!

We only need our I-171 form from USCIS and our Dossier is 100% complete.  In order to get this piece of paperwork from our government we have to submit money (of course), our home study, application form, and new biometrics.  These biometrics will take some time. We have to wait for an invitation to the FBI headquarters in downtown Cleveland.  We have done this before but this time USCIS wants us to start over again.  However Jeff talked to an officer and they will push it through using our old ones but we must get new ones done by November.  This will save us a couple of weeks!  

Our agency is allowing us to send all of our paperwork besides the I-171 to Latvia for translation.  It will take them some time to go through all 8" of paperwork.  So hopefully by the time we get the I-171 the rest of our paperwork will be finished being translation.  

Quote: "So far no morning sickness...but the papercuts are terrible!" - unknown

Country Change

We are going to Latvia!!  It was not an easy decision to make but after a few weeks of evaluating pros and cons, we switched.  We did join an agency which is great to work with an experienced staff.  We are currently gathering up all the new paperwork needed for Latvia.  We only need our revised homestudy report and our BCI back and we can submit to the translators.  We have already been told of two sibling sets available. These kids are so adorable!! 

I put a map on this blog because, if you are like me, when I first hear of this country, you may not know where it is located.

Below are some fun facts about Latvia
1.The national flag is one of the oldest flags in the world. It dates back to the 13^th century. The legend says, a Latvian leader was wounded in battle, and the edge of the white sheet in which he was wrapped was stained by his blood.  This sheet was carried into several battles afterwards, making it the flag we see today.   

     2. In terms of Environmental Performance index Latvia ranks second in the world
   3.   Arvids Blumentals was the original Crocodile Dundee. He was the inspiration for the movie.

     4.   The children are mostly blonde or brown hair and either blue or brown eyes.

     5. In 1924, the Laima’s watch tower was set up to help Latvians be on time for work.

   We should have another update soon.