Back On Track

Thank you for all the input and words of advice you gave me about adopting in other countries besides Russia. Despite some of the news we have received lately about Russia, I had a fantastic talk with our agency yesterday and feel like Russia is truly where we are supposed to be. It certainly isn't the cheapest or easiest country to adopt from, but it's the country we feel pulled to again and again.

Our social worker told us to send our fingerprints to the FBI to get those processed. She wants us to send them in the first week of April, which seemed so far away until I looked at a calendar and realized that is next week! The FBI used to turn background checks around rather quickly but after moving to a new location a few months ago, the process has become rather lengthy and the background check is required for a court date.

I asked if we were still looking at traveling in June and our social worker informed us that it's looking more like the end of May or very beginning of June. We haven't received our official notice to travel but at least we have a ballpark time. I thought traveling in the summer would be nice compared to the dead of winter when we met Artem, until I checked airfare last night and discovered plane tickets are double the cost in the summertime over winter. You win some, you lose some.

In the words of the TV show "Facts of Life"...you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have...the USCIS, cue the dramatic music. After fighting that government agency during Artem's adoption, I thought for sure this time around it would be easier. Wrong! I sent our completed I-600A application to Lewisville, TX over 5 weeks ago. It includes our application, home study, Randy's fingerprints from the Abu Dhabi Embassy, and our money order, and it's lost. We should have received a confirmation receipt within ten business days and it has been over a month. I emailed the USCIS office and for the past 2 weeks they have been trying to find a contact number for me to call someone at Lewisville to speak with them about our application. Two weeks trying to find a contact number, unbelievable, but not surprising. I've decided that I'm going to call our Senator on Monday and see if they can help us again this time around. I'm hoping it doesn't have to come down to the all-out war we waged with that office two years ago.

Open For Input

I am looking for input from people about other countries to adopt from. I am having some second thoughts about going back to Russia and I'd love to hear from other people about different countries that are International Adoption friendly.

Care to share your story with me?

Video Camera

We need some input on video cameras. Our current video camera is about eight or nine years old which in the technology world puts it in the same category as 8-Track tapes and vinyl records and cannot tape longer than 30 seconds without giving us a message that the heads need cleaning, even if I just cleaned them 30 seconds ago.

I'd like something that doesn't use the little tapes, is lightweight and compact, has great clarity, and doesn't cost a fortune.

I've seen the little Flip cameras but I read online they are limited to 120 minutes of recording time and while we are in Russia we will have times where we exceed 120 minutes.

Any suggestions on a good camera that can keep up with us but not break the bank?