Paul and Cherri Korean Adoption: Frequent Flyer Miles Donations

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Frequent Flyer Miles Donations

Paul and I have decided to have Sami Bee escorted to LAX from Korea. Paul and/or I plan to fly to LAX to meet her there and then fly home. We were wondering if anyone has frequent flyer miles that they would be willing to donate for us to use to fly to LAX. If you do, we would love to hear from you and discuss how they might work. Our best guess is that we will need to travel the end of September or sometime in October.

Please just send us a note via this blog. If you are a friend or family member, you may email us directly. Thank you for your interest in our adoption. We are truly grateful for people thinking of us.

Cherri

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WHERE DID ALL OF THE MONEY COME FROM?

State Adoption Tax Credit = $2,825 (25% of Federal Adoption Tax Credit and used the same way)
Federal Adoption Tax Credit = $11,300 (this will be carried for up to five years and help to pay back the loans)
Total Grants = $18,000
Total Fundraisers = $2,600
Total Loans = $13,500 (Notice that the tax credits will help to pay this amount back)
Round Trip SW airline ticket donated 10-10-08
$4,000 grant matched with donations 10-5-08
$4,000 matching grant 9-23-2008
$5,000 Grant 9-18-2008
$5,000 interest free loan 8-29-2008
$5,000 Grant 7-30-2008
$1,500 (garage sale fundraiser 6-28-08) to pay for I 600 orphan petition and fingerprinting
$8,500 P&C loan 5-08
$1,100 (garage sale fundraiser 3-20-08) to help pay for adoption physicals, background checks and application fees, etc.

A little info on the Family

Paul...dad...high school counselor is his day job...He also sings with a country group, "The Boys of the Fort"...now getting national radio play time for their first single release.
Cherri...mom...full-time executive director of operations for daily life and activities of the family. Very nosy and has to know about all of their business. It's a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it. And by the way, she also operates a home daycare business with five full-time kids and two part-time kids. This is in addition to all of our children.
Loryn...oldest and first born...age 19...Attending a nearby University full-time.
Landon...age 14...He is an avid outdoorsman. Some of his passions are fishing, bow fishing, bow target practice, and going to the creek with his friends.
Jamison...third born...age 12...loves all kinds of animals (snakes and bugs are his favorite), likes to play Wii, and likes to build things. He wants to be an architectural engineer when he grows up.
Jintry...age 5...born in S. Korea...joined family June 2003...wants a sister from S. Korea! Jintry is attending all day kindergarten.
Simon...age 4...born in China...joined family June 2006...loves Thomas the Train! Simon loves to go to school on the school bus.

Adoption Timeline

Korea 2008
Adoption Timeline

Summer 2007, Jintry began talking about wanting a sister from S. Korea.

Early September 2007- I (Cherri) begin feeling my spirit wanting to search for a child. I felt that there was a child out there somewhere for us. I looked into various waiting child profiles.

9-10-07- I ask Alice at Dillon International, Inc. for new Korea passwords for the Waiting Child (WC) site.

Paul and I were not in agreement on any current waiting children that we came across.

1-15-08- New waiting girl posted on Dillon Korea site (which we did not know until 1-18-08)

1-18-08- We saw the little girl on the WC site and inquired about her information. Received her referral information and medical reports.
Dan Bee….DOB 6-27-07

1-25-08- We asked a pediatrician to review all of her medical information

1-25-08- New information about child arrives in the mail, recent update

1-29-08- Our questions submitted to Eastern Social Welfare Society in Seoul, South Korea. This is the agency that works with Dillon International, Inc. to place children.

1-30-08- Video of her arrives in the mail. It was taken of her in Korea a just ten days earlier.

2-5-08- Submitted WC application and ask for pre-approval

2-11-08- Medical questions answered from Eastern

2-11-08- Dillon ask Eastern for pre-approval, due to a few family conditions that they have to approve on a case by case basis. For example: Korea only allows adoptive families to have four children in the home prior to applying. We have five, but one of those children is 18 and will be in college this fall.

2-27-08- Pre-approved received from Eastern.

3-1-08- Application part 2 received

3-17-08- Physicals, blood work, etc for everyone…over the next week ($200+)

3-21-08- Garage Sale Fundraiser, $1,100 raised

3-26-08 State & SRS background checks submitted by mail, $120 (** 4-22-08** The state has now changed how they do this and we have to go have our fingerprints done at our local police station. Once we have the prints done, they will go to the state for cross-referencing for background checks.)

4-1-08- Reference letter request mailed (We have to have five letters of reference from people who have known us for at least three years and know us in a variety of capacities...jobs, neighbors, church, assigned guardians of the children, etc)

4-9-08- Application part 2, submitted via mail

4-14-08 Application part 2 received by Dillon International, app 2 fee $200.

4-28-08 Application part 2 formally approved

5-2-08 First payments received by Dillon for Program management fees 1&2, HS, refundable deposits

5-3-08 Schedule HS update visit

5-5-08 We have to have our state background checks re-submitted with fingerprints from the local police department. This will have to be done before the home study can be approved.

5-14-08 We have our home study update visit with our social worker.

5-28-08 We receive our home study update rough draft to proof read.

5-30-08 Dillon Int. receives a copy of our proofed home study. We hope to hear that it is formally approved by June 6, 2008.

6-12-08 Call to follow up with the state background checks.

6-16-08 Homestudy offically approved.

6-17-08 Acceptance papers sent to us overnight via FedEx.

6-18-08 We sign and get notary for all acceptance papers. Fill out and make neccessary copies of all the I-864 form that will be sent to the US Embassy in Seoul.

6-19-08 Sent acceptance papers and I-864 back to Dillon overnight

6-20-08 Dillon received all the above mentioned papers, confirmed at 1:30 pm.

6-27-08 Dan Bee turns 1 year old, we have a garage sale fundraiser.

7-1-08 We submitt our I 600 (orphan petition) and have our fingerprints done.

8-14-08 Sami receives Emmigration Permission from the Korean government.

9-2-08 Sami receives VISA approval. It is now on its way to the NVC.

9-4-08 Sami has her passport.

9-12-08 Sami's US VISA Approval is logged into the National Visa Center.

9-24-08 Sami's Visa arrives in Seoul.

10-1-08 Sami's exit visa interview in Seoul

10-2-08 Exit Visa Issued

10-7-08 Official Travel Clearance call from Dillon International

10-10-08 Forever Family Day!! Samara Dan Bee Escorted to LAX from Seoul, South Korea by Jan Dunn, Korean Case Manager for Dillon International

Paul and Cherri Korean Adoption

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Frequent Flyer Miles Donations

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Resources4Adoption.com's Fan Box

Simon before Surgery

Union Station Walkway

Here are the Kids, July 2009

Outside Atkins Museum of Art

Fun at the Museum

Our Kids under the tree

Simon with Antlers

Sami having fun with a big hat

Merry Christmas!

Yeah! New front teeth

Jintry and Simon got to see Santa

Jintry with her new kitten-Elle

My Blog List

The Joys of Cat Ownership

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Sami does not love Halloween

Sami's two-year pictures

Cool shades

Fashion

Wild hair

Our Family, November 2008

WHERE DID ALL OF THE MONEY COME FROM?

Sami and Jintry at Thanksgiving

Sami gets to play outside

Sweet smiles from Sami

Sami likes spaghetti

Ears in the bath

Sami as a lady bug

Big Eyes Sami

Peek Sami

Happy Sami

More smiles everyday!

Sweet Face!

Sami with a smile and a curl in her hair

Sweet Sleep at Last!

Sami B. taking first bath at home

Sami B. with Auntie B.

Our Family all together at our home airport

Wecome home sign made by the older kids

Here she comes!

Waiting at LAX for Sami B.

Last Picture update from Korea

Dan Bee one year old, June 2008

Dan Bee being silly

Dan Bee with Foster Mother and Social Worker

Dan Bee at age 9 months

Age 9 months

Dan Bee

Dan Bee

Paul and Cherri and Family

A little info on the Family

Some of Cherri's Favorite Song Lyrics

Money needed for Adoption

Favorite Quote

God's Surprises

Adoption Timeline

How all of this got started

Adoption and Orphan Related Links

Glossary of Terms...sometimes commonly used in adoption circles (not a complete list)