Dodson, Party of 7: One Happy Family

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

One Happy Family

(Just for the record: as soon as this blog can go public, it's being imported to Typepad. Just sayin. Blogger makes me angry. Yes. Blogger. Not any sin within me. It's Blogger, 100%. I need line breaks people! Is that too much to ask!?!!?)

Y'all know I'm kidding about that sin part, right?

As part of our adoption process, we have to make a family story book. We had to photoshop in Daniel and Jeremiah. Since Jeff sort of knows how to do that he took over that job. I just put everything together once it was done. Let me just say for the record --this is a different record than the previous one mentioned--we are going to LAUGH about this book for years to come people! At one point, I was on the verge of tears. Poor Jeremiah looked like he had a bite taken out of his little head!!! Aye. :o) Sorry J, we love you...we can get a little silly around here.

It has to be simple for the kids to focus on us and not cute artwork. Imagnine ME not doing anything CUTE to a scrapbook. I'm all about simple, but this one consists of a picture and a caption. Period. But don't you worry your pretty little head, I'll make up some CUTE family story books for each boy. :o) Cuz that's what I do.

Joshua and Caleb each wrote a short, personal note. Now they're begging to buy something fun for their brothers... :o)

4 comments:

MelissaJanuary 8, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Oh, honey...I can assure you it is not sin...it is blogger because I HATE BLOGGER TOO!!! No way we could have the SAME sin problem...just no way.
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MelissaJanuary 8, 2009 at 12:30 PM
UM...why did you not tell me you got $5,000!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Really, Laura, these things are important :)

See...I told you not to worry.

PS..go to reeces rainbow and look at Alanna. Ukraine HS approved for two girls under age 15 please....Well and work for richard, a bigger car, and another thirty grand.

Hmm, might be easier to get line breaks with blogger.
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S.L.PJanuary 8, 2009 at 11:01 PM
Just letting you know I'm following and praying. It gives me chills to see "We will see you very soon! Love Daddy and Mommy" I wish I could be in the mind of those children when they here those words!
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sarahdodsonJanuary 9, 2009 at 8:22 AM
What a sweet gift for those boys. Y'all are a talented and VERY loving family:)))
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God's Faithfulness Revealed

We began the Homestudy paperwork a little after Thanksgiving, for the sake of a date line, I'll say December 1, 08. We have prayed about and committed to Jeremiah, and Daniel.

1. December 12, 2008 --EKG result delivered from Houston just in the nick of time so my Doc could finish up the report on my health.

2. December 21, 2008 --Funds proivded for Homestudy.

3. December 30, 2008--Homestudy Fee lowered by $200.

4. January 1, 2009--Homestudy fees paid in full.

5. January 2, 2009--Verbal approval of homestudy! :o)

6. January 7, 2009--$5000 given by SGBC, our former church

7. January 8, 2009--Speedy Delivery: Jeff's birth certificate-IT'S HERE! Just signed...2pm.

8. January 8, 2009--Speedy Delivery: My "State of Health" letter from Dr. Sheridan in Houston.

9. January 14, 2009--A sweet love offering from the 5th grade class at LCS. :o) Makes my heart go pitterpat.

10. January 20,2009-Jeff's passport arrives in record time! Wow, in the blink of an eye is more like it.

11. February 2, 2009-My adoption decree documents came via email ready to sign, send back, and wait for the judge to change! YAY!

12. February 9, 2009-Changes ready to file!

13. February 10, 2009-The Lord provided $21,ooo for the boys today. !!! I was laughing. I was crying. I was generally overwhelmed by His goodness. :o)

14. February 25, 2009-Paperwork DONE and DELIVERED from lawyer.

14a. February 25ish, 2009--Another little someone found his way into our hearts. Our sweet boy, Alan. I will be a Mom to 5 sons. My cup runneth over.

15. March 1, 2009- More donations roll in. Thank you Lord!

16. March 3, 2009-NEW and IMPROVED birth certificate finished. Woohoo!

17. March 23, 2oo9--WOW, it took 20 days to get our homestudy correct. Today, the 3rd one was delivered! Perfect.

18. March 23, 2009--Mailed both our i600a apps and our HUGE dossier. Godspeed papers.

19. March 24, 2009--Dossier arrived in CA. i600a forms arrived at immigration (they even called)!

20.April 4, 2009--Receipt arrived from Homeland Security! Fingerprint appt. on it's way!

21. April 11, 2009--FINGERPRINTED.

22. I stopped posting here and lost track.

23. Late April--Approved!

24. May 29, 2009--Leave for London.

25. June 1, 2009--Arrive in Entebbe. Drive to Kampala. Meet Peter, our lawyer. Drive to Jinja, unpack, meet boys.

26. June 4, 2009 -- Court Date. It's a yes!

27. June -- Rulings, passports, Embassy

28. July 1, 2009 -- Problems at the Embassy, reschedule flights, try to get visas to no avail.

29. July 2, 2009 -- Leave Uganda without boys. Say our goodbyes in the Garden City parking lot. Cry on the phone to a friend for 45 minutes. Go to Entebbe.

30. July 3, 2009 -- Depart for London

31. July 4, 2009 -- Alan's 5th bday, call him in London. Arrive home. Dead. Hug Joshua and Caleb. Cry some more. Go see fireworks in a zombie like trance.

32. July -- Spent calling Senators, praying and waiting.

33. July 29, 2009 -- USCIS Nairobi gives us their approval for travel visas. Had we known it would have been less than a month, we'd have stayed in Uganda. We were told we may never get visas, so that is why we went home to wait. It would have been FAR cheaper to stay.

34. September 11, 2009 -- Silver lining. Our older boys were able to travel with us! This was truly a blessing. I was not sure I could endure another trip to Africa without them. I was super homesick for our big boys.

35. September 14, 2009 -- Get possessions of our visas by the hair on our chinny chin chins. Spend a wonderful week in Jinja with all 5 boys at Ebenezer Guest House, visiting friends, hanging out. It was a lovley time.

36. September 23-24, 2009 -- Head home and are now living life as The Dodson 7.