The Time Line | Reece's Rainbow

The top question everyone wants to know right now is WHEN? That is a big question, so I'll do my best to answer it. There are several steps and red tape  that we have to go through before we can go get Quinn. Here is a quick summary of each step:

1. The Home Study (see previous post on this here)

2. I-800A - 1-2 months. This is a form we file with USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration) that approves us to adopt from an approved Hague country.

3. The Dossier (Doss-ee-ay) - 3-12 months. What the home study is to the US, the Dossier is to Vietnam. It is several documents including an application to adopt, copies of our passports, a copy of the I-800A, a copy of our home study and many other things. These all have to be notarized, state certified, and authenticated by the Vietnamese embassy in Washington D.C.

Once Vietnam receives these things they will do some research on Quinn and try to locate his birth family again (they were not ever able to identify them after his birth). I'm assuming this is where the 3-12 months comes in.

4. I-800 - 2-3 weeks. USCIS - This form approves Quinn to be adopted into the US

5. Two more forms that I have no ideas what they are for. They are a little far out at this point and I'm sure I'll get more info as we get closer.

6. Travel approval! Apply for our Vietnam Visas and book our plane tickets!


After our Dossier is approved (step 3) our timeframe for everything else (steps 4-6) is about 5-6 months.

We are currently on step 2. Of course we are praying that things move faster than expected, but are also trying to be realistic. Right now it is almost easier to not think of when we go get him. I prefer to focus on each step and what we can actually do right now. However, we are hoping to go sometime between May and August 2017. That seems so far away, and as I type that, I'm really really hoping it doesn't take that long, but all evidence is saying it will.

We know we are being blessed through this entire process. We know we are following God's plan for us, and because of that I think He is helping us with a general sense of peace and "rightness." It doesn't mean that I'm not anxious and dying to have him here... it just means that everything will turn out when it is supposed to, and that's ok.

So, in the mean time we are focusing on what we can do now: making sure our paperwork is filed the minute we are able to, getting our house and Quinn's room ready for him, fundraising efforts (I'm selling French macarons to people that live in our area), and being excited about our life as it is now. We are doing that by going to movies, hanging out with friends, being together, working in our church callings, and basking in our childless state while it lasts. Last year Mark won a travel voucher through his work that we have/get to use this year. We are planning a trip back East to visit Mark's sister Wendy (woohoo!)

That being said we still can't wait for Quinn to be here!