Hanson Family: We have a DATE!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

We have a DATE!

My mom and I are leaving Sunday after church for Guatemala! We will get Willow on either Monday or Tuesday. My agency says they're "busy" on Monday, so I'm suggesting I get Willow without them (the irony...) and do whatever business we have left when they're available on Tuesday. I have HAD it with the delays! Either way, I will get my girl next week.

Our embassy appointment is on Wednesday at 7:15am.
We have to stay 'til Friday morning so we can pick up Willow's visa on Thursday.
Our flight gets in out of Houston on Friday night at 4:20.

A week from today we will be over the worst of the transition (I hope). My next update might just be from GUATEMALA! Thanks for cheering us on for such a long, long time. There are so many faithful friends who've never given up hope that this day would come - and I can't thank you enough.

My timeline

3/13/09: HOME
3/11/09 7:15am Embassy
2/26/09: 2nd DNA
2/5/09: Birth Certificate Complete
11/13/08: OUT of PGN
May 26, 2008: Resubmitted to PGN
April 18, 2008: Letter state sealed, apolstiled, and couriered to Guatemala City!
April 9, 22008: Kicked out
March 7, 2008: Enter PGN
March 5, 2008: Exit family court!! Major delay (of several months compared to other cases) was due to the social worker's broken computer.
February 29, 2008: First email from Sandra. Best part of the process since Willow's referral to me!
January 19, 2008: Pre-Approval Granted (day 47).
December 4, 2007: 99.9999% results received at the U.S. Embassy. My wait begins for Pre-Approval for Willow's Visa from the U.S. They allowed themselves up to 60 days to grant this Pre-Approval. My case can't move forward 'til I get it.
November 30, 2007: DNA sample collected from both Willow and her birth mother and interview completed with the birth mother. Again, this took much longer than it should have, due in part to the birth mother missing at least one appointment.
October 8, 2007: DNA authorization (permission to complete the DNA test). The sample is collected in Guatemala, and sent to an approved lab in the U.S. It is done to prevent corruption. Most families get this approval at the very beginning of the process. We'll never know why mine took so very long.
June 19th, 2007: Willow referred to me (I got her pics and medical information).
June 4th, 2007: Willow born as Amanda del Pilar Zabala.
March, 2007: Vietnam closed with that agency. Happily switched to Bethany in pursuit of a baby from Guatemala. Began the paperwork saga.
February, 2007: Began pursuit of baby from Vietnam with Children's and Family Serivces