Crazy Day of Paper work

I started the day about 7:30 am with setting up a 3 ring binder with color coded tabs we will take with us to China.

Then, the Visa applications for Matthew & I

I started paperwork this morning at 8:30

 and we finally had to call it quits for the day at 4:30 so we could get the boys in to their costumes.

We completed our Visa applications and we were ready to send them to the courier service that will deliver them to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. 

But then. . .

 we spoke to the courier and she was so concerned about the dates our passports expire (6/15) that she HIGHLY RECOMMENDED we get new passports first, before we complete our VISA requests.  

Apparently, if you passport expires within 6 mths of your travel dates, the airline won't let you fly. 

In this case, choosing to be safe, rather than sorry will cost us an extra $185 per person to expedite passports. 

No fun, but better than being grounded when we are all set to go.

We then headed to the bank to have 4 docs notorized. 

Next, it was on to Walgreens for passport photos. 

The boys were SO well behaved!

I think they really want their sister to come home soon!!

Daddy posing for passport photos at Walgreens!

We were so close to getting the passport docs in the mail this afternoon, but with it being Halloween, we just couldn't get it done today. We will get it done tomorrow.

Now that we just got in from Halloweening. . .

more emails. . .
                    more paperwork. . .
                                                  more fees.

This time they were letting us know our

I-800 docs got mailed out. 

AWSOME!

And they sent the paperwork for our DS-260 

(Michal's US Visa application).

So, a little research on that tonight, then I will pick it up again tomorrow.