every little step counts!

So I was going to rename the blog to paperwork mess up!!  But through all the ups and downs with our paperwork we are getting it back from authentication tomorrow!!  Yep- that is right, meaning that we will be sending the paperwork to WHFC tomorrow afternoon!!  OMG!!  We are about to be waiting- we will actually be waiting in a few weeks (not sure how long it takes from them receiving to us officially waiting).

A bit of fun we are going to have for Easter though....Duane and I are light on celebrating holidays we don't live close to family and well some of the holidays we just do not go crazy on so I decided we needed to practice being better at this so when our little ones come home to us we are ready to go!!  So I decided I am going to put in a hat- papers that are labeled girl or boy with ages 1 to 4- we are each going to draw one and then create Easter baskets for them!!!  I am very excited about this!  I know kinda cheesy but should be a lot of fun to see what we each come up with!!! 

Adopting from where we were called...

When my husband and I decided to adopt (almost a year ago) there was very little discussion of where we were going to adopt from.  There was discussion but we knew we were called to Ethiopia, everything pointed to that Country.  As we have been telling people throughout the past 8 months we have had some surprises, some people were concerned with the interracial piece, but nothing that I did not expect.  Overall people were very supportive.  Then it came this weekend, I got myself into a conversation that wanted to make me explode...

I was at work and talking with one of my subordinates  ( I specify this to that you all understand why I did not blow a gasket!) and he was unaware that I was adopting, so as I was telling me he said "Please tell me you are adopting in the US" and I said no we are adopting from Ethiopia.  He then went on to tell me that -I was wrong for doing that, that we should take care of our "own kind" first- I replied that ALL children that are orphans need a home and that human beings are "our kind", but he kept going...stating that all these people who adopt internationally are WRONG that we do not need to worry about other Countries children.  I just stood there in awe, I could not believe what I was hearing, he wasn't irate or heated, but just so matter of fact about it.  Being this was occurring at work and I am his boss, I turned and walked away. 
I just don't understand how people can be so closed minded.  Everyone has a calling when it comes to children, some people don't want children, some want 10, some will adopt, some will only birth and some will do both. When it comes to adoption you do choose, you choose country, health, age, siblings or not...it is so hard to make those choices it is not as easy as when you get pregnant.  So for people to judge where your going to adopt your children...
I am still fired up about this and need to move on, it is his issue not mine but...I don't do well with stupidity!

Happy Valentines Day from UCIS!!

It has been determined that we are able to furnish proper care to an orphan(s)... YIPPEEE-
Just got off the phone with Ray in DC- authentication going out tomorrow
Sent an email to WHFC- looks like we could be "waiting" with NOTHING to do in the next two weeks!!!  (barring some crazy paperwork snafu!!- I am prepared for it!!)
How AWESOME!!! 

Timing

Ok- so no one told me that adoption time was like football time.  You know how a football game would only be about 50 minutes if there were not so many timeouts, commercials....that is how I feel adoption time is...Duane got his fingerprints completed a week ago and the lady at USCIS told us when he got them she would have results in 48 hours...guess what still NO results...ugh we leave town tomorrow for 9 nine days and now no paperwork on the way to authentication...booooooo.

Is there anyway to check my status online???