Just thinking...

We spent Friday afternoon/evening putting up and decorating our Christmas tree.

We do this each year and end the day watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the glow of the tree lights, while munching on cookies and drinking hot chocolate.

The girls love helping with the tree and each year look forward to hanging their ornaments that we have been collecting since they were born. (When they are all married and have their own trees, mine will be so empty!)

I usually hand out the ornaments and Billie assists with the hanging, to avoid the "cluster" effect.

As I watched my girls do something that is so normal to them, my thoughts drifted to the daughter that I've not had the privilege to meet yet.

What will she think of this tradition that we have? Will she approach it by jumping in with both feet, or will she hang back to see what happens?

Will she even be old enough to realize what we are doing? Or will she be so young that she just merges into this part of our family like she will merge into so many other aspects of our family life? Just as a newborn biological child just "picks up" these things that we do as a family.

Then I started thinking about the fact that we could have her home by next Christmas.

Wow.

That's an exhilarating and terrifying thought all at the same time.

What a blessing for Billie and I to have one more daughter to love and teach about the greatest Love of all.

What a blessing for our girls to have one more sister to share a room with...laugh with...play with...fight with...and love.

What a blessing for our family to have one more daughter with which to share the true meaning of Christmas.

This season, I am so thankful for this journey that the Lord has brought us on. It hasn't been without its bumps in the road.

But because of those bumps we will be even more grateful when we reach our destination.

Fingerprints...check!

Yesterday was the long awaited fingerprint appointment. We drove to Atlanta on Monday night and stayed at a hotel in order to avoid having to make the drive from Hawkinsville (2 1/2 hours) for our 8am date with the Dept. of Homeland Security.

We were a tad late, having underestimated the back roads traffic...it's been so long since we've lived in a busy city!

We had to leave everything in the car. No purse, camera, cell phone, etc...I'm surprised that they let us bring the girls in!

I was assisted by a rather nonchalant gentleman...I didn't feel the need to explain to him just how important his job was at that very moment!

Billie and I were both finished about 20 minutes after we walked in the door. I felt that there should be more waiting since we had driven so far...but they wouldn't have accommodated me anyway.

So that's that. Pretty unexciting if you think about it, but a rather necessary part of this whole journey. So that makes it exciting for US!

Also found out today that our dossier was sent to ET last Friday, which just happened to be Billie's 31st birthday! It arrived on Monday. I'm not sure how AAI works as far as our log in date is concerned.

I'll let you know just as soon as I know!

For now...we're on our way!

Alright!

We have a fingerprint appointment! Just got back from Atlanta today and we get to go back next Tuesday. Our appointment is for 8am, so we will probably crash with some friends on Monday night, so that the 2 hour drive isn't quite so brutal.

Just one more step down...a few more to go!

Good times...

Today I received an envelope from the Dept. of Homeland Security. Seems our I600A made it to the right place. Finally.

Hopefully in 2-4 weeks we'll have a fingerprint appointment.

The paper says that this should be finished in the next 90 days. We'll see.

You know how government stuff goes!

Anyway...a bit of relief that everything made it to where it's supposed to be.

Now on to more waiting!

Too cool!

I was just surfing online the other day when I came across this:

Now I know that this little girl's first name is probably Ella and the middle name is Grace. So it's not exactly Ellagrace's name...but I thought that it was cool anyway!

And here we are, thinking we were being original! I guess we're still a little bit on the original side, since her first name will be the two names joined together.

Anyway...I finally got our I600A sent off again. Hopefully my friend in the brown uniform can get it to the right place.

Fingers are crossed!

A sigh of relief...

Today I received my I600A application, birth certificates and check back in the mail.

I guess it takes a while for the USPS to return something to a person.

At least I have it now.

I'm half tempted to drive it to Atlanta myself just to make sure it gets where it needs to be. We're still contemplating that one.

I will probably give it another shot. This time I will use the lovely brown truck again.

Second time is a charm I hope!

Stinkin USCIS office...

I can't believe they don't have a phone number!

We were given the wrong address to file our I600A. I tracked it to Atlanta and it showed up as received. Turns out, it was received at the wrong address, but was handed back over to the postman to be returned to the sender. That would be me. I'm the sender.

That was last Friday. It's now Thursday and I still don't have my returned package yet. So needless to say, I called the bank yesterday and cancelled my $830 check. If someone stole my package, at least they can't cash the check now.

So one of two things has happened. Either (1) the envelope is on its way to my house OR (2) the nice postman delivered it to the correct address.

If it's the second option, when the USCIS office goes to cash the check, they won't be able to do so. Then I'll have to mail another check. Oy Vey...

If only there was a phone number so that I could call and actually talk to a human. That would be nice. After all, our tax dollars are paying these people. I should at least be able to get ahold of them.

In other news...our dossier was sent to the state department on Tuesday. That's the same day AAI received our paperwork in the mail. That's what I call a quick turnaround.

Our dossier will not be taking its trip to Ethiopia for another 2 weeks or so. That's okay though. I was just hoping for it to be on its way by the end of the month.

As long as things are progressing...

The USCIS office on the other hand...not so much.