tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67623352146002151592024-02-18T19:33:55.500-06:00Paddack Adoption BlogHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-3909580547342734412011-09-03T13:02:00.000-05:002011-09-03T13:02:21.569-05:00The Waiting Continues....One Year LaterToday marks the one year anniversary of our dossier(LOADS of paperwork) being sent to Ethiopia to start our waiting period. At that time, the estimated wait time was 7-11 months and it seemed as though things were moving even a little faster than that. Now, one year later, our agency has increased the waiting period to 11-18 months.<br />
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We never imagined that we would still be waiting at this point. We knew going into adoption that things could change at any point and there would be bumps along the way. Aside from the wait time increasing it has been a smooth journey for us to this point. There have been many families ahead of us that have had incredibly hard roads to travel during this process. We know that we could have tough days ahead as well with court and embassy appointments still to come. <br />
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We are just so ready to see her face! I find rest in knowing that this is God's story and not mine. He knows how everything will play out...perfectly. Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-39987774127628217772011-03-24T11:48:00.000-05:002011-03-24T11:48:07.582-05:00Best Fundraiser So Far!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05eThOHsAP1YSeNf_TPrQ1ADAOI9tvhL9iqUjnFsdAmIvky4GqWGq0pYVY_Zl9r5Lz2rqwJT93wvGr0_8XOQ-Ja7_6qCMIHb0wcoIAHa3U_yPqjGw3XxK8XtNXJ1klnNULf47TPSi_y4n/s1600/_MG_9376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05eThOHsAP1YSeNf_TPrQ1ADAOI9tvhL9iqUjnFsdAmIvky4GqWGq0pYVY_Zl9r5Lz2rqwJT93wvGr0_8XOQ-Ja7_6qCMIHb0wcoIAHa3U_yPqjGw3XxK8XtNXJ1klnNULf47TPSi_y4n/s320/_MG_9376.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This was a great fundraiser for many reasons. The best part was all the amazing people that showed up! There were 55 bowlers and from what I could tell, everyone was having a great time! Thank you to those that came out and for those that sponsored Caleb and Corbin.<br />
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It was also very successful because we raised $597 just from the night of bowling, not including pledges that will still come in!!! <br />
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Here are a few more pictures from the event....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKleiwz4cWVeR5sGtj6WF6-eQAEJbAk0QfW3G3kKkxEuv9UePQ5z6GOnbidn-DfgEOcqVfZ32E5CBgmoQfye-lvFyKEOwuhQ8wnIhynDJXp_Yj2BKUvD1ePFb48tynYkKYjmFuauzaS1-_/s1600/_MG_9402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKleiwz4cWVeR5sGtj6WF6-eQAEJbAk0QfW3G3kKkxEuv9UePQ5z6GOnbidn-DfgEOcqVfZ32E5CBgmoQfye-lvFyKEOwuhQ8wnIhynDJXp_Yj2BKUvD1ePFb48tynYkKYjmFuauzaS1-_/s320/_MG_9402.jpg" /></a></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-89080667486194209562011-03-23T10:22:00.000-05:002011-03-23T10:22:13.846-05:00Change in Age RequestWhen we originally started this process, about a year and a half ago, we requested a baby girl up to 12 months of age. We've recently decide to raise the age to 0-24 months. We did this for a few reasons....We want her to be younger, but still close in age to Carson who will be 3 on Saturday. We also see a greater need for families to adopt older children. There are so many requesting babies (which is still greatly needed) and not many families requesting older than 12 months. <br />
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We know God knows who Cadence is and we are so thankful that He is in control. He has the perfect little girl for us. All we can do is wait on Him.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-35076093750998732322011-02-21T20:17:00.000-06:002011-02-21T20:17:58.049-06:00Bowling Anyone?We are so excited about our new fundraiser and hope that you'll join us for a fun night of bowling! You do not have to live in Omaha to be involved! <br />
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Here are the details:<br />
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When: March 21st 6-8pm<br />
Where: Sempeck's in Elkhorn (Behind Menards)<br />
Cost: Adults - $15 Kids - $10<br />
What's Included: 2 hours of bowling, shoes, pizza and sodas for each lane.<br />
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Out-of-Towners here are your details:<br />
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Caleb(age 9) and Corbin(age 6) will be bowling 2 games each. Their scores will be combined and you can choose an amount to pledge for each point scored. For example, if you pledge .10 per point and they both bowl 100 each of the four games you would give $40. They will be using bumpers! If you'd like to pledge please email me and I will get a pledge card to you asap.<br />
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If bowling is not your thing, or you're afraid that Caleb and Corbin will each bowl a 300 then you can sponsor a large pizza and sodas for a lane for $20.<br />
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Please let me know if you would like to sign up so that I can make sure we reserve enough lanes. My email address is hpaddack2@yahoo.com <br />
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We greatly appreciate those who have donated to our adoption...whatever the amount. You are helping us bring home our daughter and we are so thankful.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-43583404056570870882011-02-08T11:16:00.004-06:002011-03-07T12:48:11.170-06:00Waiting and PrayingWaiting for something or someone is never a fun game. We've been waiting for a referral for our baby girl for a little over five months now. We know that the expected wait time is between 7 and 11 months. It seems like we've already been waiting longer than that.<br />
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Unlike the reminder of a growing belly that comes along with a pregnancy we have no idea when this baby will come into our lives. When you're pregnant you know about how much time you have to prepare for the new addition. I'm feeling very unprepared at this moment. Our sweet girl doesn't have a room of her own yet....I hope to accomplish that soon.<br />
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We know that we serve an amazing God that knows how everything will work out, but it's hard for us to fully trust Him with it. All we can do is pray and believe that He will take care of it.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-7576940603097089242010-09-10T14:28:00.008-05:002010-11-28T20:59:00.185-06:00Updates on FundraisersI just want to keep everyone up to date on the different fundraisers we have going on right now. Since we're not up to our ears in paperwork anymore we are concentrating our efforts on raising the money we need to bring Cadence home. Here is what we have going on right now...more will be coming...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Puzzle</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our boys are putting together a puzzle to help raise money. With a minimum donation of $10 you can sponsor a piece. We will put your name on the back and once the boys have put together the puzzle we will glue it together and frame it for Cadence's room. She will always be able to see who helped bring her home. We've had quite a few pieces sponsored already and we will post a picture showing the progress once we have a few more pieces to add. To sponsor a piece click the "chip in" button on the right to give your donation. There will be a space for you to make a note that it's for a puzzle piece. You can also make a check out to Matt or myself. If you need to mail it and don't have our address email me... holly@paddackphotography.com<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Family Photo Sessions</span><br />Schedule your session between now and Christmas and the proceeds will go directly to our adoption fund.<br />A minimum donation of $100 per family will include:<br />30 minute family session<br />images on a disc<br />copyright release to print images<br />outdoor location<br />Please contact me to schedule your session - holly@paddackphotography.com<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thirty-One Party</span><br />These bags and accessories are sooo cute! A portion of the sales will go directly to our adoption fund. Get a great bag and help us bring Cadence home at the same time. To make sure your order goes to me, click on the "Place an Order" button on the top of the page then shop under my fundraiser. If you have any questions just let me know. Click on the picture to start shopping! </div><div style="text-align: center;"> <b>This fundraiser will be ending on September 28th.</b><br /></div><br /><img src="file:///Users/paddackphotography/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/AmyHyden/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEazkvpnz1Ip4rkXC2K8chq0OSi9Oosx3o2sTcDlwS_SfZCMvxKejN6RjewlXlp4d8Syv4jIRWJEPV7lrXzzJDyR9F41OYPUL_N7ozTqSqgMI4s4nGGzqAaAzEHG4HQJs8_IXDNO-Id_2v/s400/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515375996025261378" border="0" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-76728192658157588312010-09-08T11:08:00.005-05:002010-09-08T11:24:58.701-05:00That was Fast!<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I was expecting it to take so much longer, but our dossier has been delivered! It was sent out on Friday, September 3rd and was delivered today, September 8th. <div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>We received an email last Friday from America World with details and tracking information for our dossier's trip to Ethiopia. In the email we were told not to worry if the package made stops in Europe and other countries for long periods of time. We were also told that the staff representative would come to the FedEx office to pick it up and that it could be a few days before she did so. I'm so thankful that we didn't experience any of these delays!</div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-28118575916765623332010-09-03T14:51:00.002-05:002010-09-03T14:57:45.977-05:00It's Official! ~ DTE 9.3.10I've been checking all day and the email finally came at 2:07pm! We are DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia) 9/3/10. This means that our dossier is on its way to Ethiopia! YEAH!!<div><br /><div>And now we wait.....</div></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-23170601049753758132010-09-01T21:38:00.004-05:002010-09-01T22:45:47.325-05:00More Fundraising!It's no secret that adopting a child is expensive. We've tried to come up with different ways for our friends and family to be involved along the way. We would love any support you could give. We know God has called us to adopt our little girl from Ethiopia and we know that He will provide the way.<br /><br />We are doing a great new fundraiser with a company called Thirty-One. My sister is a consultant and wanted to do a fundraiser for us and I'm so excited about it! This company has the cutest bags and accessories! A portion of all the sales will help with our adoption expenses. This fundraiser will run from today, September 1st through September 28th. All orders will be shipped after the 28th. You can save on shipping by having the order sent to me (if you live in Omaha). This would be a great time to start thinking about Christmas presents!<br /><br />Click on the picture below to start shopping. Make sure to go to "Place an Order" at the top of the page and shop under my fundraiser so the proceeds will go to us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/AmyHyden/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpGcXK6P7jz2JcVKGD-srA3cpdSEVol7XuOPntsmoZS8oX-kkVYuC_s43yr_gqguYlqWY_HEB5STzG2gANFKWBfUgUrGYS036DmC-9Zn41B-8E9K5OUFQRQqJBaauRzrd0Qxczg9c7T6E/s400/2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512155115081520610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="file:///Users/paddackphotography/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-2.png" alt="" />Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-31541668166719436112010-08-26T16:06:00.003-05:002010-08-26T16:23:09.189-05:00We Need Puzzle Pieces<div>Caleb and Corbin would love to start putting their puzzle together but they need more puzzle pieces. We've had ten sponsored so far. You can sponsor a piece for a minimum donation of $10. Just click the "donate" button on the right side of the page and you can make your donation through Paypal's secure site. You can make a note that it's for the puzzle. We will put your name on the back of the piece and once the boys have completed it, it will be glued together and displayed in Cadence's room. She will be able to see who helped bring her home.</div><div><br /></div><div>We will post pictures of the puzzle so everyone can see the progress. Thank you to those who have already contributed!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuziuRU_7vNi4f4iegzHR7dZ3htHdnFyAzeauVPiRgzN3x6P9A9Wxvj24qlo_PgYqwxsUQTN5YjuL2yFZ19UE1VJ3XfFloMOZ-PEWzI-ySPQXTv07r7Itg-lvtuDyCl98llRrB-OUplBvh/s1600/IMG_4769.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuziuRU_7vNi4f4iegzHR7dZ3htHdnFyAzeauVPiRgzN3x6P9A9Wxvj24qlo_PgYqwxsUQTN5YjuL2yFZ19UE1VJ3XfFloMOZ-PEWzI-ySPQXTv07r7Itg-lvtuDyCl98llRrB-OUplBvh/s400/IMG_4769.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509829497704566594" /></a>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-63915747908354184562010-08-26T11:26:00.002-05:002010-08-26T11:36:59.237-05:00Package DeliveredWe sent our dossier to America World on Monday evening and it arrived safely on Wednesday morning! It will be reviewed twice and if everything looks good it will be sent to Ethiopia on September 3rd. This is what's referred to in adoption language as our DTE....Dossier To Ethiopia. The waiting officially begins at this point. The current wait time for an infant female is 7-11 months, although recently the trends we've seen have been as short as five months. We have a lot to do in the mean time to prepare for her. We will try to stay busy and pray that God will give us peace and patience through the waiting.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-65082477418841486242010-08-26T11:03:00.003-05:002010-08-26T11:26:13.433-05:00The Final Piece<div>I don't think anyone would ever mistake me for someone who is very organized. We had been waiting....and waiting for our I171H (the last document needed for our dossier) for a few weeks when I decided to go ahead and email our contact to check the status of this much anticipated piece of paper. As I was looking through our paperwork to find the email address and our receipt number for our case, I came across a document that we had received in the mail almost two weeks prior. I noticed at the very bottom in tiny print was written, "I171H". WHAT!!! I've had this important piece of paper in my possession for almost two weeks??? Needless to say, I felt very silly!<div>After kicking myself and laughing about it the rest of the night, it finally sunk in that we were finished with our paperwork! I spent the next morning making copies and making sure everything was perfect before sending our dossier off to America World that evening. It took us longer than most to finish our paperwork and it has been frustrating at times, but we know that God has a plan and every piece of this adoption puzzle is happening in His time and not ours. He has the perfect little girl waiting for our family and we are so excited to be one step closer to meeting her.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTqpO3YHp1TZOYLW9B9fNmj60LfkNCoxxcZuHq9B19Ec3FqceEzb5aRjDCMGaKpA1p57yeSPaoASOOdRJIBfoMLls0ZGnnfuJeyhBiOrQAN_TRabxkCYxzMeYmTPpKfaNBN7kbS1z0AQA/s1600/IMG_4765.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTqpO3YHp1TZOYLW9B9fNmj60LfkNCoxxcZuHq9B19Ec3FqceEzb5aRjDCMGaKpA1p57yeSPaoASOOdRJIBfoMLls0ZGnnfuJeyhBiOrQAN_TRabxkCYxzMeYmTPpKfaNBN7kbS1z0AQA/s400/IMG_4765.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509755047306680386" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaMPVXbV5d-XRsOfqRzjKtm6i7Bg_TtdEUvWkFAz0r_Kx7JANtTsUI4dRyBeUhmutK1CD1N9zFAtCFMhEzudIWW5BbcI5HnE1RgIln1bEGK7wsXVcSm7usj67hd99-kwCdulLEUD51Ihw/s1600/IMG_4766.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaMPVXbV5d-XRsOfqRzjKtm6i7Bg_TtdEUvWkFAz0r_Kx7JANtTsUI4dRyBeUhmutK1CD1N9zFAtCFMhEzudIWW5BbcI5HnE1RgIln1bEGK7wsXVcSm7usj67hd99-kwCdulLEUD51Ihw/s400/IMG_4766.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509755047119593026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_29bUSQ3mjTg1mfzulTsl5EnbB34SW4eGliDATIpzOjD09JRyVN_FSWH7Pms4BwePW64H1LSTcpWSiNA-NBAH_9sBGFSB6nx9WusJ1V1wDkKO2Nl3CNHXi1YEVeQwNbCnXgSYeRNkw9tM/s1600/IMG_4767.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_29bUSQ3mjTg1mfzulTsl5EnbB34SW4eGliDATIpzOjD09JRyVN_FSWH7Pms4BwePW64H1LSTcpWSiNA-NBAH_9sBGFSB6nx9WusJ1V1wDkKO2Nl3CNHXi1YEVeQwNbCnXgSYeRNkw9tM/s400/IMG_4767.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509755037873309090" /></a><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02FtPWX7F4KnfUIBc8fLiwfEhQ9pdN4wB8WqvzS-Iai2gp3rMEtVbUkfsM7LvcRBj0L8nbxMypZ7GozAwNfCXkWsO2vVcjUfxXzD1lRXE85B79gtNzkyRWKhGK-rF7N8igz0zl2yxNOVR/s1600/IMG_4768.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02FtPWX7F4KnfUIBc8fLiwfEhQ9pdN4wB8WqvzS-Iai2gp3rMEtVbUkfsM7LvcRBj0L8nbxMypZ7GozAwNfCXkWsO2vVcjUfxXzD1lRXE85B79gtNzkyRWKhGK-rF7N8igz0zl2yxNOVR/s400/IMG_4768.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509755030824618978" /></a><br /><br /></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-78687690229862988602010-08-12T22:11:00.003-05:002010-08-12T22:21:52.753-05:00Help Our Boys<div>Caleb, Corbin and Carson want to help raise money to bring Cadence home! Is that enough "C" names? They have picked out a puzzle to put together but need your help with the pieces. They can't start putting it together until pieces have been sponsored. We are asking for a minimum donation of $10 per piece. We will put the names of those who sponsor a piece on the back and once the puzzle is complete Cadence will be able to see who played a part in bringing her to her forever home. You can donate using the button on the right side of the page and make sure to make a note that it's for the puzzle. We really appreciate your support!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJcR-i__Wnvca6TLJpMFLVZCraYhemxJyFjZAwg-ZmRO9DOgr-Gf0yDgimt59jhvkHrg_2ScNb1EZI07q0pcJ9Wvo-pCFHZVkSekAmLfPsC7HYvZ-RzRj_JRDsurrm3Az-36FNJ3-fKMv/s1600/_JP_9818.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJcR-i__Wnvca6TLJpMFLVZCraYhemxJyFjZAwg-ZmRO9DOgr-Gf0yDgimt59jhvkHrg_2ScNb1EZI07q0pcJ9Wvo-pCFHZVkSekAmLfPsC7HYvZ-RzRj_JRDsurrm3Az-36FNJ3-fKMv/s400/_JP_9818.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504728486551552546" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-50762697088390517712010-08-12T21:36:00.003-05:002010-08-12T22:10:53.480-05:00Revised FundraiserWell, we realize that it's August and it's HOT outside. And the last thing people want to do is go outside and have a family photo taken. So we've changed our family portrait fundraiser to better serve everyone.<div><br /></div><div>Instead of designating specific days for the pictures, we are asking for a $100 donation and you can schedule your family session anytime between now and Christmas.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are asking for the money up front because, frankly, we don't have enough right now to move forward. </div><div><br /></div><div>Right now we have about $3500 in our adoption fund. We need $4500 more to be able to send in our dossier....we are waiting on one final piece.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are interested in donating and having family photos taken you can click the "donate" button on the right side of this page. You will be taken to a secure site where you can make your donation and leave a note stating that it's for the portrait fundraiser. If you would rather send us a check please email me and I can give you our address. holly@paddackphotography.com</div><div><br /></div><div>You will receive the following with your session:</div><div>- 30 minute session</div><div>- images on a disc with copyright release</div><div>- outdoor location TBD</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-61911332013398399522010-08-07T14:43:00.003-05:002010-08-07T14:57:23.239-05:00Garage Sale Success and Other Exciting News!Well it may have not been that much fun, but it sure was worth it! We raised $870 at our garage sale! We are incredibly grateful to those who donated items to make this such a huge success.<br /><br />We also got a letter from USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) regarding our I-600A. We have been approved and our application has been forwarded to the National Visa Center! It shouldn't be long before we have our I-171H....the final piece of the paperwork puzzle!<br /><br />It has taken us soooo long to do our paperwork. It will feel great when everything is sent in and we can be put on the waiting list.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-63522547113037800802010-08-02T22:08:00.002-05:002010-08-02T22:36:56.485-05:00Two FundraisersAs of right now, we are short on the amount of money we need to send in our dossier to America World. Which means we can't move forward in our adoption journey until we have the necessary funds. So, we have scheduled two fundraisers to help us get where we need to be. Here are the details.....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Garage Sale</span> - Aug. 5-7<br />I'm not really a fan of having garage sales but at this point I'll do just about anything. If you have any items you would like to donate we would greatly appreciate it. Just let me know soon!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Family Photo Sessions</span> - Aug. 19 & 26 ~ 6:00pm - 8:00pm<br />- minimum donation of $100<br />- 30 minute session<br />- 5 images on a disc<br />- sessions will be held at an outdoor location TBD<br /><br />The last photo day we did filled up quick so schedule your session soon! You can email me at holly@paddackphotography.com to reserve your spot.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-16269224860721974902010-07-30T23:29:00.003-05:002010-07-30T23:45:49.136-05:00A NameWhen we first started the adoption process, and up until just recently, we had decided not to name our daughter until we knew more about her. We wanted to consider keeping her name, or maybe just tweaking it a little. We wanted to see her sweet face in a picture. Then we realized...it's hard to pray for and care for someone you don't know, who is very far away. Once we started talking and praying using her name, instead of "our daughter", I've felt a deeper sense of longing for her. I have a beautiful baby girl in Ethiopia that I can pray for by name! It's so exciting to know that God has orchestrated this and he knows exactly who she is and that she will be perfect for our family.<br /><br />Her name......<br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Cadence</span>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-54772065886753301142010-07-30T21:56:00.002-05:002010-07-30T23:28:11.554-05:00I'm An Awful BloggerI'm just not good at blogging. Even when there are things that I should be updating, I just can't seem to keep up with a blog. So I'm trying....again...let's rewind a little. I want to catch everyone up on the progress of our adoption....there's a lot!<br /><br />Here's a time line from the beginning until now including the cost of each piece:<br /><br />September 7, 2009 - Application sent to America World $250<br />September 24, 2009 - Ethiopia Program Acceptance!<br />September 27, 2009 - Ethiopia Program Agreement and 1st Program Fee Payment Sent $1350<br />*Then we start gathering paperwork*<br />November 5, 2009 - Holly's Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate are approved $30<br />November 9, 2009 - Agency Recommendation Received<br /><br />*The holidays came and we just couldn't seem to concentrate on paperwork...which is why there is a huge gap here.<br /><br />March 22, 2009 - Holly's physical exam approved<br />April 1, 2010 - I600A Application sent to USCIS $830<br />April 9, 2010 - Passport Photos Taken $20<br />April 12, 2010 - Reference letter #1 approved....we need three<br />April 16, 2010 - Police reports approved<br />April 26, 2010 - Documents Approved:<br /> Holly's Unemployment Letter<br /> Application Letter<br /> Proof of Medical and Life Insurance<br /> Power of Attorney<br />May 5, 2010 - Reference Letter #2 approved<br />June 22, 2010 - Home Study Completed $1300<br />July 19, 2010 - Financial Statement and Reference Letter #3 Approved<br />July 28, 2010 - Federal Fingerprints Taken<br />July 29, 2010 - Matt's Birth Certificate and 1 of Matt's Empoyment Letters Approved<br /><br />So as of right now, the only things we are waiting on are Matt's Employment Letter from the church and our I-171H (Approval from USCIS that allows us to bring a child from another country to the U.S. and is required for the child to gain U.S. citizenship)<br /><br />Once we have all the pieces we will send our dossier to America World along with more money.<br /><br />Here's the breakdown:<br />2nd Program Fee - $1800<br />Translation Fee - $800<br />Post Placement Deposit - $1000<br />First Half of the International Program Fee - $3750<br /><br />Right now we are short on the amount we need to send in our dossier. If you are interested in helping to bring our daughter home there are several ways to do that. Click the "donate" button on the right-hand side of this page or buy coffee from our online coffee store through Just Love Coffee. We are working on more fundraising ideas so stay tuned. I'm sure Matt will be doing a family portrait day soon!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-72532131283062633432010-03-14T22:10:00.003-05:002010-03-16T21:25:10.630-05:00UpdatesWell, it has been several months since I've updated the blog so there are a few things to address. At this stage in the process there isn't much going on but I'll bring everyone up to speed on what's been happening.<br /><br />1. We are finally starting our interviews with our home study agency tomorrow morning at 9:00am. We are really hoping that we can go through this stage as quickly as possible. We are so anxious to get the paperwork behind us get on the waiting list.<br /><br />2.Ethiopia has changed their guidelines for court appearances. Originally, someone would represent us at court in Ethiopia. Now, both adoptive parents must appear in court. This means we will be making two trips to Ethiopia. We will go 4-6 weeks after receiving our referral and then again 8-10 weeks later. There are good things and difficult things that go along with this. This is great for the Ethiopia program because they really do care about the kids and want to make sure everything goes well for them. The down side is that we will get to meet our little girl and then have to come home without her. I really am not looking forward to that. I will be such a roller coaster of emotions. To be so happy and excited to finally meet her and be able to hold her and then have to leave her there, will just be just heart wrenching.<br /><br />3. Finally, we will be doing several fundraisers to try and offset the cost of the adoption. We have set up an account with Just Love Coffee. When you buy a bag of coffee $5 will go towards our adoption fund. Here's the link <a href="http://www.justlovecoffee.com/thepaddacks">http://www.justlovecoffee.com/ThePaddacks</a><br /><br />I will try my hardest to update everyone more often!Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-78899138083680942162009-11-27T22:07:00.008-06:002009-11-27T22:35:47.645-06:00Christmas Card Picture: Fundraiser<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">A few weeks back we did our first fundraiser. For those who may not know we own a photography business here in Omaha, so since we are getting really close to the holidays, I thought it would be a good idea to offer family photos to friends and family. We were able to schedule 16 families in one day! That was a long day... But with all the proceeds going towards the adoption it was well worth it. Here are a couple fun ones from that Family day.</div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmH41EYLUBik8aPfNsiABG-oCJuxQq-Gk4N7W7TOFDEaXJtJzNa9IyfNGWez_padAYXnahY01K6iP2IV85MHqF37IB2qjt1g7e93SQhFNiA-gd7PWExstpcL1nSSRSs9B07O7E1B4j-1H/s1600/Bechstrom+2009-12.jpg"></a></span>Side Note: We will be doing more of these over the next year. So if you are in need of a new family picture at a great price and for a great cause, keep an eye on the blog for the next session day.</div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_bGWigujMV44fN9LazFxHMoFiSKr7awgqdNeXevNf9V7VcJCouYW0Bezs42KGAjlbL4uoMfBn38IiLFeI3WXilv10AJH9fvG-1-bqy-2nsVK2OwjpMgJXVDIISqZKhYcwwoh0Vb0WHzx/s1600/McLaughlin+2009-37.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_bGWigujMV44fN9LazFxHMoFiSKr7awgqdNeXevNf9V7VcJCouYW0Bezs42KGAjlbL4uoMfBn38IiLFeI3WXilv10AJH9fvG-1-bqy-2nsVK2OwjpMgJXVDIISqZKhYcwwoh0Vb0WHzx/s400/McLaughlin+2009-37.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409004880750571746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzlFjqfdxp7ADvDnzk1O2mM7Iw5nZouqCWn09hao7GbLTBwjD-bS_cZB6w-VF5fmquA3hk6Tf2p6HVHo1JcYXa_jwcgWX5n5kI06ezibyKzbMQIox6T7TTkTbfRlZvjXCMayKSf2JdIRe/s1600/Paddack_Family__099.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzlFjqfdxp7ADvDnzk1O2mM7Iw5nZouqCWn09hao7GbLTBwjD-bS_cZB6w-VF5fmquA3hk6Tf2p6HVHo1JcYXa_jwcgWX5n5kI06ezibyKzbMQIox6T7TTkTbfRlZvjXCMayKSf2JdIRe/s400/Paddack_Family__099.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409004876684022930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdgd4X_dWGnh1XEeVZO9p4Q6_XAE28vPhBvQtQBjMBhjaR03cNjfrhJgTKOuipk7YLv1CGh6rgJe2gznHY-5doy9uxn9wtloBAoXyvDU9kmqAEHK1Vdg0QzSjKpk0lJTzkL2B-fGJg8d0/s1600/Drickey+2009-35.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdgd4X_dWGnh1XEeVZO9p4Q6_XAE28vPhBvQtQBjMBhjaR03cNjfrhJgTKOuipk7YLv1CGh6rgJe2gznHY-5doy9uxn9wtloBAoXyvDU9kmqAEHK1Vdg0QzSjKpk0lJTzkL2B-fGJg8d0/s400/Drickey+2009-35.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409004867433610530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZalEoHR7YXrhq_q9dZ2_6jrdkdzJ8ZvRPFypYqgKGphOSrp18P4w1FbrORqYKZ-uY-vvOwqz_sDKSmxrcVmOSYRFgTZsiMCXjQTkPowR_yuN-vvo-RY1C3gE-wq8COpT_2Em7KVjtlnH/s1600/Bechstrom+2009-12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZalEoHR7YXrhq_q9dZ2_6jrdkdzJ8ZvRPFypYqgKGphOSrp18P4w1FbrORqYKZ-uY-vvOwqz_sDKSmxrcVmOSYRFgTZsiMCXjQTkPowR_yuN-vvo-RY1C3gE-wq8COpT_2Em7KVjtlnH/s400/Bechstrom+2009-12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409004861814560514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdgg3WIYZMNYdd1KDawdZi7Oe9cA9y1Tm6zRabXl8jL7DPNEJZh2rSZxDlHocKtmNAjlUhWeZBXQo9kePt24KGf0nRewD_gi8M67ORx0WbAC8mQZPmH_BX3bVuOIZFK8jIFHYpM-fMgAg/s1600/Barret+2009-29.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdgg3WIYZMNYdd1KDawdZi7Oe9cA9y1Tm6zRabXl8jL7DPNEJZh2rSZxDlHocKtmNAjlUhWeZBXQo9kePt24KGf0nRewD_gi8M67ORx0WbAC8mQZPmH_BX3bVuOIZFK8jIFHYpM-fMgAg/s400/Barret+2009-29.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409004858020539586" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAi3FYCNOZ3X_j5hetSth25CwspV376T7AVe5wHVRIvWTipr2p_6t51FrQ58z4O9D-JCdN0ctDbR2W6McfWsbnKQ9Srrk15BPSymjvoQDljHVeyuT1RjRLraNapWY1dz9l-LV7fCdV36YZ/s1600/McLaughlin+2009-37.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762335214600215159.post-73334612201115585952009-11-27T21:35:00.001-06:002009-11-27T21:40:55.323-06:00The First Of ManyWell we have finally been able to get an adoption blog up and running. I (Matt) would not allow our blog to be standard and boring so we had to wait until I had time to sit down and edit the code to make it worth looking at. We started this process back in October and we are still in the "paper chase" phase. This really just means there isn't a ton to post about yet, but we will do our best to keep everyone up to date as things progress.Hollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11981121480025105234noreply@blogger.com0