February Savings and Fundraising Update....Wow!

We accomplished so much this month! As far as making our way down the paperwork trail, we have 13 documents total that we have to gather for our dossier: two birth certificates, our marriage certificate, two employment verification letters, two police record checks, two physicals, adoption petition letter, financial statement, home study, and our I800a approval form (which is our approval by US Citizenship and Immigration). We've gathered everything EXCEPT Nick's birth certificate (thank you, Oregon, for being slow as mud!), the home study (and the report is being written now!), and the I800a, which we can't even apply for until the home study report is finished. So little by little, we've been getting things notarized and certified. My birth certificate is in DC right now, it will be the first document that we get authenticated by the Chinese Embassy there...woohoo! :) Nick's birth certificate will go to San Francisco for authentication, and everything else will go to Houston. We're HOPING that we can have all this nonsense done by the end of next month, or at least everything except for the I800a form, which is usually the document that people are left waiting on when they gathering dossier documents (it can take up to 90 days to get approval, we're hoping it will be closer to 30!)...fingers crossed that we get a happy, speedy officer assigned to us! :)
The home study was just about as painless as it could be! Our social worker came to our home, interviewed Nick and I together for about an hour, then we gave her a little tour, she asked the kids a few questions, and that was it! And our house was clean for at least a day or two afterwards, so that was nice. :) There was one little agonizing moment, and I debated even putting it on the blog, but hey, it's reality, and one day we'll read this again and laugh. The social worker was asking the kids a few questions about how they felt about the adoption, and Eli was hiding behind my legs as he talked to her...and then he whispered something to me so quietly that I couldn't hear him...so I asked him to repeat it, and he said loud enough for me (and everyone else) to hear,

"Why does she have a big butt?"

...Now...Eli has seen his share of big butts in his life, and we have never said that there is anything wrong with a little junk in the trunk...so what possessed him to ask that, I have no idea! And Nick heard him the first time he whispered it, and couldn't believe I asked him to repeat it! I was MORTIFIED!

So. Our home study is done. Buried that hatchet and we don't have to revisit it. At least not until the follow up visits, but I'll worry about that later. :)

On to a less awkward subject...fundraising! You will be floored by how much progress we made! We have already mailed our agency our check for the I800a application, and set aside the money for it, so I'm counting it as expenses paid in February!

Adoption expenses left to pay, carried over from last month: $24,900

Paid in February: $890 (I800a application and fingerprinting fees)
Left to pay: $24,010

February fundraising:
Quilt donations: $155
Necklace donations: $360
Tshirt donations: $580 (Yeah!!!)
Stella & Dot earnings: $97.06
...and drumroll please...
Savings account for Mei Mei: $8,573.83 (thank you, taxes!!)

So we have $14,244.11 to go!! Holy COW!

This means that we can steamroll through this process as fast as this paperwork will allow, which we are SO grateful for! We are so fortunate that we don't have to stop and save each time we have to write a big check! Our little girl will be home before we know it! We will continue to fundraise until we are fully funded, and I have a list of ten grant applications that we will be submitting in March. So guess what...if an Army guy and a preschool teacher can start from scratch and finance an international adoption...ANYONE can! Of course, we have the advantage of the best friends and family IN THE WORLD! :)

First Home Study Interviews Done!

Today we got our first two interviews done for our home study! Nick met with her at noon for his individual interview, I met with her this evening for my individual interview, and she anticipates that we'll be done with everything next week! Nick said his interview was no big deal, and when the social worker talked about Nick, she said he used the phrase "it's just another kid" a lot (only Nick would be this stress-free about an international adoption!), which she thought was funny. :) I was nervous, but she just asked about my personal history, marriage, children, and why I want to adopt, so none of the questions were very difficult. :) Now all we're waiting on for our home study documents is one lab for Nick's physical. We were at a little standstill, with Chinese New Year halting everything on China's end, and our social worker being out of town delaying the start of our home study, but we're finally making progress again! Once our home study is done, we can apply for an international adoption with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services AND we can start on grant applications! Sorry if all the exclamation points are jarring haha, we're excited. :)
We just started our tshirt fundraiser, and we have to sell 50 before February 28th to be able to get our funds, so please share our link! Others who have Bonfire tshirts have said they love them and they're super soft. And I love the idea of all you wonderful folks wearing the shirts and sharing our story to maybe inspire other families to adopt in the future! :) https://www.bonfirefunds.com/hoffmann-china-adoption

January Saving and Fundraising Progress

January was a little stressful as far as finances go! We were very blessed to have so many donations, and we also had a lot of checks to write! We're just not used to having so much cash come and go so quickly, BUT....we're making progress!!! :) This month we paid our first agency fee of $3600, which pays for: - Orientation (the meeting we went to in Atlanta on the 17th)
- Home study
- Child abuse records search and USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) filing
- Dossier assistance (the Dossier is all the documents we send to China)
- 12 hours of parent training required of all international adoption parents
So it feels good to have all that paid for! Other things we paid for this month that weren't directly adoption related (ha!): $110 for my passport renewal, $24 for passport photos, and $40 for certified copies of our birth and marriage certificates! Our heads are spinning! :) So here is our progress for January:

Adoption expenses left to pay, carried over from last month: $28,500
Paid in January: $3,600
Left to pay: $24,900

January fundraising:
Quilt donations: $1,015 (WOW!)
Necklace donations: $340
Stella & Dot earnings: $108.98
Savings account for Mei Mei: $1,745.96

So we have $21,690.06 to go! That's great for only two months in! :)

By the way, all fundraising from previous months will go into Mei Mei's savings, and that's the account from which we pay all our adoption expenses. The Hoffmanns are making sacrifices to contribute to that account each month too! For all of 2014, we are not eating out, I'm not getting my hair done (it may look kind of scary by Christmas!), we're cancelling cable (after the Superbowl, haha), the grownups are skipping holidays and birthdays, no clothes shopping except for maybe some kids' school uniforms in August, and just penny pinching and couponing in general. So don't think that we're not working hard too. :) The sooner we're fully funded, the sooner we can breathe easy! THANK YOU for all your support!

If Anyone Needs a Good Book to Read...

Just a few months ago, when the idea of adoption started percolating again in the Hoffmann house, I searched on Amazon to find SOMETHING that would tell me more about the whole situation in China that has gotten their orphanages in such a dire state, and I found The Lost Daughters of China by Karin Evans. This book was pretty life changing for me. From the way women in China were treated centuries ago, to decades of famine and the One Child Policy, to modern stories of international adoption, by the end of it you'll have such a greater understanding (and heartache!) towards Chinese adoption! It was written by a journalist, so it reads really well, and it also includes interviews and scientific studies (which this science nerd can appreciate), all of which are cited. You can find it on Amazon, or I have a copy you can borrow too!

Why is Adoption So Expensive?

I have already had several people ask me the obvious question, "WHY does it cost SO much to adopt?" It's a good question, since nearly $30,000 isn't exactly pocket change, that's a life changing amount of money (quite literally in the case of adoption!) So here is the breakdown from our adoption agency. A huge chunk of the money is paid at the end, between paying the orphanage $5,000-$6,000, and the cost for two adults to take a two-week trip to China. The rest of it is agency fees (which are VERY low with CCAI, one reason why we chose them), background checks, service fees to China's government, and PAPERWORK. We've paid the application fee, and on the 17th when we go to Atlanta for the orientation we'll pay the first program fee (which for us was $200 and $3,600, they must have just recently increased them, glad we beat that cutoff!) :)

Ranked the best adoption agency in the world by CCCWA, China’s central authority on international affairs, our service fees are also among the lowest.        
CCAI is proud to be a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable adoption agency. We strive to keep adoption affordable so more children will have the blessing of a loving and permanent family.
We are financially accountable to you as the American public and as an adoptive family. Our solemn promise to you is: Absolute integrity with no hidden charges, no last minute surprises.
Please select your state below for a clear and comprehensive list of the fees and expenses necessary to complete your China adoption:

Select a State:  -- Select One -- Colorado Florida Georgia All Other States International

Adoption Expenses & Chronology For Families in Georgia   

Expense	Amount	Pmt Method	Pay To	Due
Application Fee	$250	Check	CCAI	Application submission
First Program Fee (Includes Home Study)	$3,700	Check/Credit Card	CCAI	After App Approval
USCIS Filing & Fingerprinting	$720 plus $85/adult	Check	US Dept. of Homeland Security	Upon I-800A submission
Dossier Preparation	Approx. $450	Check/Money Order	Secretary of State(s), Chinese Consulate(s)	As preparing Dossier
Second Program Fee	$2,450	Check/Credit Card	CCAI	Dossier Submission
CCCWA Fee	$1,165 if not matched with WC ($775 if matched with WC prior to LID)	Check	CCCWA via CCAI	Dossier Submission
CCCWA-WCP Service Fee	$125	Credit Card	CCCWA via CCAI	Prior to Letter of Intent (LOI) submission, WCP only
Third Program Fee	$3,100	Check/Credit Card	CCAI	Prior to receiving child match
CCCWA Post Adoption Translation Fee	$360	Check/Credit Card	CCCWA via CCAI	Prior to receiving child match
CCCWA Post Adoption Translation Fee	$360	Check/Credit Card	CCCWA via CCAI	Prior to receiving child match
Visa to enter China	$140 per person (plus courrier fee)	Check/Credit Card	Chinese Consulate via a travel agency	Approximately two weeks after child match
US Domestic & International Airfare	$1,200 - $1,900 by coach/per adult plus $200 return lap ticket for child under 2 (child over 2 requires full ticket)	Credit Card	A travel agency of your choice	Approximately 7-10 days prior to China departure
In China Travel & Accommodations	Approx. $3,500-$4,000 for two adults	Cashier's Check	CCAI (wired to China)	Approximately 7-10 days prior to China departure
Adoption Registration and Notarization	$400 - $800	Cash	Local government in China	In China
Child's Passport	$100-$150	Cash	Local passport agency	In China
Orphanage Fee	Up to 35,000 RMB (Approx. $5,700-$5,900)	Cash	Local orphanage	In China
Food	$700 - $800 per couple	Cash/travel Check/Credit Card	Hotel(s), restaurant(s)	In China
Child Physical & Photo	$130-$150	Cash	Clinic	In Guangzhou, China
Child U.S. Entry Visa	$230	Check	CCAI (wired to China)	Approx. 8 weeks prior to travel
Child's Birth Certificate	Varies by county		Your state	After U.S. Return
Court Validation Fee	Varies by county		Your county court	After U.S. Return

CCAI PROGRAM FEE TOTAL: $9,500.00
Grand Total (including travel expenses for two adults): $25,700 - $28,800

Agency Application Approved!

Today I got a phone call that our agency has approved our application! So now the real work begins, ahhh! Nick and I have to go up to Atlanta for an orientation required of all Georgia residents who are adopting, just to make sure we understand the process and paperwork. Then we begin our home study, which involves at least four meetings with a social worker and a home visit! For some reason, the home study is the part of the process that I am most nervous about! I feel like they must have a crazy long checklist of dos and don'ts, and we have the typical home of five people sharing about 1400 square feet...nothing horrifying, and it's clean if you squint, just don't look under any furniture or expect things to NOT fall out of a closet when you open it! :) So wish us lot of luck and sanity! All through this process, we could get matched with a little girl at any time, so keep sending those prayers up for us too!

December Saving and Fundraising Progress

So every month, I'll post a little summary of how we did with fundraising and saving that month. I just want everyone who contributes to our adoption to see the progress we're making, and know that we are keeping track of EVERY penny! Here goes for December (and I think we did pretty good, considering that we haven't really broadcasted that we're adopting yet!)

Total cost of China adoption for Georgia residents: $28,700
Paid so far: $200 (our application fee)
Left to pay: $28,500 (yikes!)

Quilt donations: $65
Fantasy Football earnings: $140 (thanks, Peyton!) :)
Stella & Dot earnings in December: $329.85
Savings account for Mei Mei: $1,600.79

So we have $26,364.36 to go!

It sounds like a lot, but we're only one month in!