HURDLES

There's not a whole lot to update you all on this week: I might have mentioned in one of my last posts (can't remember, and I really don't want to go back and do any scanning), that we had to update our home study, and re-do our medical tests and background checks - per Ukraine's desire that no document be dated older than 6 months. When these are ready, we have to take these new documents down to the state capitol and apostille them again (State level notarization), a process that takes a good 4 hours to complete. 

The good news is, these are done! But such as seems this entire process has gone for us, Our social worker is on a cruise until Friday, and we need her signature on the home study. We got our new criminal record checks back, but the person who notarized them accidentally put 2012 on them, instead of 2013. Thankfully, I was able to reach someone and they will be mailing out new letters to me today. All of this at the end of a holiday weekend, and it's not hard to see why adoptions can take a year!

PRAYERFULLY, I expect to be able to take everything down to the Capitol on Monday of next week. My goal is to have all of our paperwork IN our facilitator's hands by Friday. Ukraine takes a 'winter break' for the months of December and January, and will begin accepting dossiers again on the 1st (from what I understand). Once our papers are submitted to the their government, we wait; which, is old hat at this point, for them to set an appointment to meet with us. tick, tock, tick, tock. 

I'll leave you with the message Rachel sent to me last night: "Every day I think of you. When we had my birthday party and my friend and I walked and reminisced about our families."

It is SO encouraging to us, that she is still so excited to be our daughter. We just melt when she calls us Mom and Dad!