Next up

My dossier is certified, authenticated and now it is at my agency. What a huge sigh of relief. I was so excited. I was hoping to be DTC this coming week. I just got a huge rush of excitement that I could get LOA before Christmas but then... I got an email stating they needed the DTC payment BEFORE I could be DTC. That is the $5000 that I don't have because I moved!

I did have the money!
I had it all saved up!
Then in August I received a packet stating the house I had been renting for over 2 years was in foreclosure and I had to move!
I had to use all of the $5000 to move. First, last, security, cleaning, boxes, bubble wrap, truck rental, fees to move all of the utilities, and so on...
Now what?
I am trying to sell so much of our fundraising items on our facebook group.
We have Tshirts, tank tops, children's shirts, CD's, books, necklaces, bracelets, and so much more.
I am selling things but I still have about 60 shirts to sell.
I really have to find the $5000 NOW so I can have LOA by Christmas and still travel in March like our family had planned.

We have a youcaring site on our blog and a Reece's Rainbow fsp that can be donated to.

Please consider sharing our need and donating to help us bring this beautiful girl home to her family.

Thoughts...

There are things that happen to you in your life that change who you are. Sometimes there are many things... They pile up.... You change... Sometimes.... It isn't always for the better.... Sometimes.... It's hard to find your way back.... Sometimes tears flow and you hide feeling and thoughts from others.... Sometimes.... Things heal... And sometimes.... They don't.

Next up

I am a planner and a number cruncher. So where does that leave me? Usually stressed over something.

Now that my documents are officially on their way to Tallahassee (they will be delivered today!!!!) to be state certified I am working on the next steps. After they get state certified they will be forwarded on to the Houston Consulate to be authenticated. The money orders are already with my package thanks to those that helped us with this little hurdle.

Once the documents (called my dossier) are authenticated the courier will FedEx them to my agency. My agency will review them and forward them on to China and at that point I will officially be DTC (Dossier to China). It is a big step in the process (almost Step 7). From there it is major fundraising time.

Here are the fees outlined that I will be raising money for and then I will list out the fundraisers I have planned :)

DTC Fee                                      $  2400
LOA Fee                                      $  2400
Orphanage Fee                             $  5600
Consulate costs                            $    600
Tynsleigh's Visa                          $    325
Adoption registration/passport    $    500
Hague paperwork                        $    124
TB Test for Tynsleigh                 $    130
Visa for myself and Chelsea        $    420
Chinese Notary                            $    550              (for adoption paperwork)
Airfare                                         $   4800
Hotel Fees                                   $   2000
Guide Service                              $    500      (to take us to all of our adoption appointments)
Transportation                             $    600    ( to take us to all of our adoption appointments)
Tips for above 2                          $      75

That is over $21000 still to raise by February. Wow, if you look at the big number it is quite frightening. I am going to try to look at each baby step and cross them off one by one. So first up is to try to raise the DTC Fee and LOA fee! That is almost $5000!!! The exact amount I had saved up before I had to move. I still can't believe that it happened but I know God has a plan. I know this house is so much better for my sweet Tynsleigh to come home to. My children love it here and I am still unpacking and trying to make it "our home".

So, what do I have planned? I have my shop on facebook full of Tshirts to sell that are women's Tshirts, women's tank tops and children's Tshirts. If I sell all of them it would be a blessing. I also have so much more in our shop...jewelry, books, Chinese music CD's, to name a few items. I get more and am always adding.

In December I have a big fundraising event that I am working on. It is set for December 11, 2015 in the evening. It is a red carpet event for families in our area. Everyone will have a great time. The hall is already locked in and I will be working on food and donations. More details will be coming but it will be EXCITING!!!! If you are local and would like to be a vendor, please let me know.

I will also be planning something in February but I am in the brainstorming part of this one still. Stay tuned.

Yes, this adoption has taken a lot longer than Brennan's adoption but God has a plan and I am seeing it every step of the way. I just find it hard some days to be half a world away from her and not be able to hold her and tell her she is loved.

Soon baby girl....soon!

Need....met

Yesterday I posted that I needed $250 to be able to send all of my documents to Tallahassee to be certified and then on to Houston to be authenticated.

The total needed was $825
$140    State certification
$325    Chinese authentication
$195    Consulate Courier Fee
$165    FedEx fees


I had a yard sale this past weekend and was able to make a big chunk of the money. I only needed the $250 to be able to mail the documents off. Last night I went to bed a little discouraged because I had only received a small donation but I was happy that I had received that donation to help us. Everything helps.

Today a sweet facebook adoption mama friend posted about my need and within the hour I received the remaining amount of money needed to be able to make this all possible. Sooo happy right now!

I am beyond ecstatic that I am able to send off my documents. I do not have the extra $300 to expedite the whole dossier through authentication so my agency did ask CCCWA for an extension. I am still doing everything I can to try to meet that deadline.

I am so thankful to my facebook adoption friends and to God for this gift!

Now what is next? Once my dossier goes to China I will have my DTC fees and LOA fees due so I will be fundraising again. The $5000 I had saved but had to use for moving expenses I now have to make up again.

Please stop by our fundraising shop and buy some of our beautiful shirts!


https://www.facebook.com/groups/790715917640575/

Sorry the disappearing act and URGENT need

It has definitely been a very busy, hectic few months. I'm so sorry about the disappearing act. Let me update you on all that has been going on.


Let me just start by saying that I have some amazing friends and family. My older children (all 18 and older) have been so supportive.


Things have been rough. Things have been great. Things have been busy. But I love my children, my life, and can't wait to travel to bring Tynsleigh home.


I welcomed my second granddaughter (third grandchild) into our family on July 21, 2015. This is Ensley Capri O'Quinn. She was 8lbs and 8 1/2 oz. She is so beautiful and perfect.

My oldest daughter, Brittany, her husband, David, my grandchildren, Ameliya, Carter and Ensley!

Me holding sweet little Ensley

Ensley getting loving from her brother, Carter, and sister Ameliya. :)

On August 2nd my oldest son, Chase, graduated the police academy!

On August 20th my sweet girl, Tynsleigh, turned 11 years old. I sent her a bday cake and a birthday package. I got these beautiful pictures. I love her so much already. Her smile is so perfect.

 

 

On August 24th Brennan started his first day of PreK. He cried a lot the first two days but then he did great. He is learning so much and can say his alphabet in English and Sign Language. He is so smart. He is the youngest in his class but he keeps right up with them.

Then on August 26 we celebrated Brennan's first birthday home but his 4th birthday. We took him to Disney (we have had annual passes and he loves going).

 

                                               My beautiful August Birthday babies :)

Brennan had his 1 year Family-versay day on Oct 13 2015. He is such a sweet, loving, caring boy and I am so glad I have been able to be his mother and love on him so much.


So, where are we with the adoption of bringing Tynsleigh home? This is our URGENT NEED!!!

We have been waiting to get our last document from a CPA for our dossier. It took about 4 months and I finally contacted a new CPA and had it within the next few days. Now that I finally have my last dossier document I was ready to send my dossier to China...UNTIL...

One Friday evening I got a phone call from my daughter at home that we had just been served with foreclosure papers. I do not own the home. I have been renting for almost three years in this home. I have always paid a week or two early. I was totally in shock. I had over $5000 saved up for the adoption and had to spend that to move. I had to use all of it and then some. It has been a very hard, stressful past two months trying to get past this. I had to find a wheelchair accessible home for Trevor and Tynsleigh. I had to find a house with enough rooms for my family. I had to find a house with enough property for my son's outdoor animals (horses and mini goats). We finally found one and moved. All of my older children were great with helping us move. I am still not unpacked but slowly working on it. We are in a great routine and Brennan is finally sleeping through the night in his own bed.

So now what? I have had to start over saving for the adoption. Our need right now?  I need about $700 to get my dossier certified and authenticated. I had a few great people donate some money to help us get to this goal and I had a yard sale this past weekend that I was able to raise some more of the funds. I am still $250 short of this.

My deadline to be DTC is Oct 28th. I am so very stressed about meeting this date. If I get the documents overnighted to Tallahassee tomorrow then my friend will walk it in to get certified. Then we can get them to Houston to be authenticated and off to my agency. I am hoping to make the date but not quite sure I will. I really need help with reaching this goal of just $250 tonight! Please share and help us. Once we are DTC we wait for LOA and right now they are only taking about 5 weeks. :) I could have LOA well before Christmas.

Please help us reach our goal!!



https://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/barrett-family-adoption-/269042

                                               

Brennan baby picture and Brennan now!

    

 

Drowning....

Hello to all who are still reading my blog. Not sure how many people out there who still are but thank you. I do not update it like I should and for that I am sorry.

On May 6 I requested an update on my sweet Tynsleigh (still no update)
On May 13 I found out our I800a had been approved on May 11.
On May 14 We had our family photos done for our dossier!!
On May 21 I got my renewed passport and my certified divorce decree in the mail.
On May 22 My son, Andrew graduated from High School
On May 24 My grandson, Carter, was baptized.
On May 29-30 I had a yard sale for the adoption and didn't quite make $300
On June 2 My step father passed away
On June 11 My granddaughter, Ameliya, had surgery and is recovering nicely.

I received an email from my adoption agency stating the following fees were due before I could be DTC.
China Program Fee 1 $2400
China Program Fee 2 $2400
Dossier Finalization fee $250
Homestudy review $400
Humanitarian Aid Fee $700
Translation fee $1360
Administrative fee $300
In Country Coordination Fee $1000

That is $8,810.00 plus dossier certification fees. That is $9,000 due in the next few weeks!!!!!

I have been working very hard to finish my dossier but one document is holding me up from the CPA and I hope to have that very soon...then off to certification!

It has been a very stressful past few weeks and at points I have felt like I am drowning in my list of things to do and finances for this adoption but I am hoping things come together soon so I can get my girl home. Please pray for us through this process and for my dear girl. 

I am waiting to hear about a few grants I applied for and would LOVE if I was approved! It would help so much. Without them I have no idea how the finances will come together. 

We have a youcaring site you can donate to http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/barrett-family-adoption-/269042

We also are selling many items in our Fundraising Page on Facebook "Treasures for Tynsleigh" https://www.facebook.com/groups/790715917640575/

Thank you all who are still following our journey!!!!!

Very hard but still progressing

Why have I been silent? Well....

What has been happening in the adoption? Well...

How is everyone doing? Well...

The past few weeks (or months) have been so very hard. BUT who says adoption is easy? IT IS NOT! (BUT trust me it is worth it).

The adoption was going smoothly until the end of December. Then I wasn't getting the answer from China to our submitted paperwork. Then the holiday break came, then the system upgrade shut down came and then my agency went through a 3 week suspension. Once all of that was done I kept pushing to get the answer and they still couldn't find it. Finally they let me know they had done it wrong in December and caused many issues. The next month I spent trying to fix it and get it back on track. No possibility. (I think the agency made things worse).

In March I decided to switch agencies and did the paperwork. We got it all done in no time and they were so helpful. I was able to get sweet Tynsleigh's file released from the old agency and under the new rules her file has to go back to the shared list and resubmit for PA. I have had my PA since November but now I have to ask again...and the rules have changed for single women. LOI was submitted. Several weeks went by... we were getting nervous (my agency and myself). China coordinator contacted CCCWA and they spoke several times. There was talk that my I may not be able to adopt from China until Brennan was 6 years old (he is only 3), then there was talk about the paperwork/issue that the old agency messed up for me and was causing issues, then there was talk that my old agency did some things to mess up her file too, then there was other talk. All of this was just running through my head constantly for two weeks while I wait to hear of a decision from CCCWA about PA for Tynsleigh. My adult children were so wonderful and supportive during this time. The night I got really bad news and was dying inside my kids took me out to dinner with all of the family (there is 13 of us when we all go out). So...I waited...and waited...and waited...

During the wait all of my little ones and grandkids all passed around the stomach bug (each kid had it for two days each and some overlapped...not pretty days around our house). My daughter is moving so I'm helping her pack (not moving away just moving to a bigger house since they outgrew the one they live in).

My 18 year old son (who has autism) wanted to go to his Senior Prom (last minute) so I had to shuffle to find a tux he would be happy with and not have him back out from going. He found the one he wanted and he looked so very handsome. He had a blast and I am so happy for him. He graduates in just over 4 weeks. I am so very proud of him.

I found out that our Pastor is leaving. I work for the church as the Children's Ministry Director and she has been so very supportive of our work and we have been able to grow so much. I have been working on quite a bit of work with recruiting new volunteer teachers and curriculum and writing our VBS program again this year.

My oldest daughter is 7 months pregnant and I spent the entire day yesterday in the hospital with her because of an infection that had her in so much pain and not being able to keep anything down. She is feeling a little bit better and so glad her and baby, Ensley, is doing better.

We have been house hunting to find a house big enough for our family and big enough for our animals (2 dogs, 2 fish, 3 pygmy goats, and 3 horses).

My next oldest daughter got a great job and got her license (she was in a serious car accident two years ago and refused to drive even though she is 20 yrs old). This job is in her field of Social Work and is extremely excited.

My oldest son graduates the Police Academy in 3 1/2months so happy and nervous all at the same time.

My youngest son, Brennan, is doing amazing and he acts and talks like he has always been here. He is so very bright and will give me a run for my money with his education and keeping him challenged.

My fingerprints and my oldest two living at home still have valid fingerprints for USCIS. In two days my 18 yr old will get his fingerprints done and hopefully approval will be soon after. I am hoping to be DTC in MAY!!!

I will keep you posted. We have a lot of fees due when we are DTC (Dossier to China) so if you feel led please consider donating or buying something from our fundraising shop. I have begun to work on three big fundraisers coming up.

Keep checking back!!!