Our foreign dossier is complete. Yippy!!! (Scroll down to see pictures)


Well as we said before this journey began in mid February 2006. This is when we began the “Dossier.” We feel a lot of weight lifted off of our shoulders and you will see why if you read all that has went into this dossier. First we had to obtain our birth certificates, mine from Riverside County in California, and Misty’s from Dallas. Then we got an official copy of our marriage license. Then we had a social worker come to our home to do a write up of us both, individually, and as a couple. Next we had to have backgrounds checks done by the Texas Department of Safety and be fingerprinted. We both had to have physicals and have HIV tests and have all of our fertility tests reviewed and documented on our medical papers. Additionally we had to have letter of recommendations written by about four people and letters of employment. Then we had to have a name declaration form where we listed all of the names we have gone by in all of the documents presented thus far. Once all of these documents were prepared, they first had to be notarized by a notary, then they had to go to the Texas Secretary of State to be authenticated, and then once these come back they all have to go to the Guatemalan Consulate of Texas to be re-authenticated. The final step was to obtain a power of attorney for our lawyer in Guatemala to represent us, and this document had to go through the above steps to be authenticated.

Well today we received the power of attorney and this completes our dossier. About 10.30 am this morning I sent the rest of the documents to our adoption agency! Now the legal process of our adoption can start.