it's an obwald life: First Day of School 2014-2015

Sunday, July 6, 2014

First Day of School 2014-2015

It's so fun to take First Day of School and Last Day of School Photos. I love looking back. Sometimes it's hard to remember each kid at each stage. What a gift we have in photos!

C-dub - grade 6

Fashion Faith - grade 4

Jumping Joy - grade 2

The whole gang

This is the last month of facial hair for this bearded principal. As of today there are only 10 days left for our Beards of Hope fundraiser to get us to Aunna-baby. Check out the Beards of Hope website!

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who we are

Their story started about 28 years ago. They met in 1990, in jr. high, at the church youth group. They started dating in 1994, with a brief interruption ;) and dated into college, finally getting married in 1999.

Now [he] is a pastor, mediator and adjunct university professor and [she] is working part-time with her dad after homeschooling for 7 years, who loves color, office & craft supplies so much that in early December 2017 she created Everyday Opal.

Everyday Opal is a company with heart. They create paper products [like Bible Journaling supplies] to connect mothers & daughters, sisters & friends around Biblical truths by spending time crafting together. They give 25% of their proceeds to help get orphaned and vulnerable children into families with Show Hope grants.

In 2014 they adopted their youngest daughter (16 months at the time) from China and quickly followed that up in 2015 by adopting their youngest son (4 at the time), also from China. Both of their adopted children were born with congenital limb difference. Don't be fooled, they are overcomers!

Follow their story here.

Son of Courage: timeline

12.2.14 saw CCAI's post of Tu

12.2.14 talked through looking into his file

12.3.14 called CCAI about his status

12.3.14 received his file

12.9.14 (Tu's-day) requested to LOCK his file

12.9.14 started the process to get Tu home!

12.15.14 application sent to CCAI

12.17.14 CCAI application approved, 1st fee to Chinese gov't

12.19.14 intake meeting with home study agency

12.20.14 file officially LOCKED!

12.26.14 Pre-aproval from CCCWA

12.30.14 1st CCAI Agency Fee PAID

4.3.15 I800-A sent off

4.7.15 home study complete

4.9.15 UPDATE of Ty received with pictures

4.24.15 fingerprints done for I800-A

4.29.15 2nd CCAI Agency fee and CCCWA fee PAID

5.26.15 received our I800-A back

5.28.15 sent 3 docs to be sealed in Sac & SF

6.11.15 received our "sealed" documents from courier

6.11.15 sent docs to CCAI for review

6.19.15 dossier sent to China!

6.23.15 dossier received by China CCAI

6.26.15 we are LOGGED-IN!!! (LID)

7.18.15 received SHOW HOPE grant

8.19.15 soft LOA arrived to CCAI

8.21.15 hard copy of LOA received by CCAI

8.26.15 received hard copy LOA at home, signed and sent back to CCAI

8.27.15 I800 received at USCIS

9.14.15 provisional I800 received today!

9.17.15 sent info to NVC

9.17.15 notification our info sent to consulate by NVC

9.17.15 completed DS-260 online

9.20.15 papers delivered to consulate

10.1-10.8 Chinese offices closed

10.13.15 received Article 5

10.14.15 Article 5 returned from US Consulate Gen., Guangzhou

10.19.15 received Travel Approval!

10.20.15 got consulate appointment date

10.20.15 made flight arrangements

11.5 to 11.20 IN CHINA!

11.9 Gotcha Day

11.10 Forever Family Day

lightening hope: timeline

We started the process of adopting a little girl from China in Dec. 2012.

Here's how its gone:

12.21.12 Turned in Medical Checklist to CCAI

1.10.13 Approved to work with CCAI

2.22.13 1st Agency Fee

7.15.13 Dossier Received by CCAI

10.11.13 2nd Agency Fee to CCAI & 1st Chinese Gov't Fee

10.26.13 I/800A Sent to CCAI

11.8.13 Dossier Sent to China

11.15.13 Logged In!

4.19.14 MATCHED!

4.20.14 Sent LOI to CCAI

4.22.14 3rd Agency Fee

4.22.14 File Locked!

5.22.14 Received soft LOA

5.24.14 Post-Adopt Fee Due

5.27.14 got hard copy of LOA

5.28.14 I800 sent by agency

6.13.14 received I800 provisional approval

6.16.14 emailed NVC

6.17.14 notification our info sent to Consulate by NVC

6.17.14 completed DS-260 online

6.17.14 both sent to rep in Guangzhou

6.26.14 sent in visa applications to SF

7.1.14 got Article 5!

7.10.14 got our visas back in the mail

7.11.14 got our Travel Approval (TA)

7.14.14 requested our consulate appointment

7.16.14 got our TRAVEL DATE!

8.20 to 9.5 IN CHINA!

8.25 Gottcha Day

8.26 Forever Family Day

fundraising we have done

One of our favorite parts of this adoption journey is how God has supplied our financial needs alongside our friends and family. Here is a list of what we have done to raise the money we needed.

-a huge garage sale

-a dinner

-selling thirty-one gifts www.mythirtyone.com/erinobwald

-selling Norwex www.erinobwald.norwex.biz

-friends (and us) saving recyclables to turn in for cash

-selling handmade bird sculptures (donated by a friend)

-Dave teaching classes, on the side, at FPU

-tax return

-Show Hope Grant www.showhope.org

-donations through Lifesong (tax deductible) www.lifesongfororphans.org

-Katelyn's Fund Grant www.katelynsfund.org

It has been a joy to see the excitement it gives others to join us in bringing our little girl home. We have experienced true community and look forward to continuing this ripple effect in helping others on their adoption journey!

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Sunday, July 6, 2014

First Day of School 2014-2015

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