Chicago trip #2

We had to leave our paperwork at the Consulate in Chicago.  Then we also had to make another trip to pick it up in person.  The kids and I headed up after gymnastics (10:30) and drove straight there with no problems.

 

Here are the kids with our authenticated paperwork! 

We picked up the papers, had ice cream at McDonalds and got right back on the road home. 

 

 

We are now ready to send our dossier to our agency in CO for critical review and translation.  We are thrilled to have another step done!!

It was like we were in the movies!

One of the last steps of preparing our dossier is to get all of the paperwork certified and authenticated.  We could get both done by roadtripping to Chicago to the Secretary of State's office and then the Chinese Consulate.  We left early this morning (5:10)!!  Whaat we thought would be a fun day in Chicago turned out to be a bit crazy! To save a lot of time and typing I will do the rest of this post in a timeline of events....

4:21 Max up
5:10 Leave Morton
8:45 parked and walked to Sec of State office.
9:47 we find out 1 paper had an error - It was Adam's job verification that his boss had to sign and notorize.  Adam calls his boss, asks him to get another one made and notorized.
10:45 - new paper is ready at CAT
Adam's dad was in Morton while his car was in the shop.  Adam called his dad, who borrowed my grandmas car, picked up the paper from CAT and headed to meet Adam half way to Chicago. The kids and I stay in downtown Chicago for lunch and some shopping.
12:20 - Adam meets his dad at exit 217. His dad hands the paper to Adam and Adam gets right back on the interstate.
1:35 - Adam hands me the paper out of the window, our 2 youngest hop in the van and Mitchell & I run the paper back up to Sec of State office.
2:07 - We have the paper certified from Sec of State. Adam takes paper and takes off running to the Chinese Consulate. (Leaving me to drive the van, with the kids, in downtown Chicago :)
2:16 - Adam gets a ticket in line at Embassy....they close at 2:30!!!!
2:30 - Consulate closes
3:05 - All paperwork is successfully turned into Consulate for authorization
3:06 - we are ready to enjoy Chicago!!

Having lunch at Subway, overlooking the river!



Max & I on the bridge.



The kids at Buckingham fountain.

 

 

Elsa & I at Lake Michigan.