I-171H Madness -15th Wedding Anniversary
 
Yes, we got our blessed paper (I-171h) in the mail on May 24th. I was in bed half way asleep, tired from the last day of school, when Jeff told me. I was so exhausted I just started sobbing. It’s not like I have been sitting on pins and needles waiting for this last paper to arrive. I’ve been barely struggling to keep my head above water from the rigors of teaching 25 first graders. But at the moment he told me the news, I felt one step closer to her, one step closer to our girl, one step closer to not having to teach school, one step closer to my SECOND retirement. My first one was in 2000 after teaching fourth grade. On the 25th, I packed up my classroom all day and Jeff was in San Antonio on business. I wanted to be getting the dossier documents together and double checking them. On the 26th this is what we did and this is when the stress began! What? We didn’t have EVERY document notarized already?? As we drove madly around town getting signatures from doctors and rude notaries I was so mad at myself for procrastinating. I was also mad at Jeff for being too laid back with the paperwork. Well guess what? All of the stress and bickering that day was for nothing. Here’s why...This was my perfect foolproof plan: (AND IT WAS A GOOD ONE DANG IT!) *Monday -29th- (Memorial Day-no offices open) *Tuesday -30th-be in Austin at Secretary of State Certification office when they open at 8AM *Wednesday- 31st-be in Houston at Chinese Consulate to get dossier Authenticated *Thursday-1st- be at Great Wall Adoption Agency to give them our completed dossier so they could mail it on Friday morning to CHINA! There were a couple tiny details I neglected to consider.... #1-$3,200 for adoption agency second installment payment #2-close to $1,000 to get our dossier documents authenticated within 24 hours Oooops, I guess the 4 grand is in her closets where she’s clothed until 4 years of age!Okay, so our gears shifted a bit and I chilled because I knew it was out of my control. Yeah, it will happen someday, but I can’t force this to happen on the exact day I want it to. So, we are sending our dossier documents (along with $100) to Austin to be certified today, May 31st 2006 Next step-overnight those same dossier documents (along with a few hundred dollars) to Houston to be authenticated Last step-send or take completed dossier to Great Wall Adoption Agency in Austin and make a $3,200 payment Then......hope there are no mistakes in our dossier and WAIT for her referral; the first time we see her face *By the way, before I forget, last night on the 30th there was a rainbow sighting * Later, after the pitiful Maverick playoff loss to the Suns, I was online reading China adoption travelogs and I found out the awful truth. The wait time is now up to 12 months!! This means that from the time our dossier gets to China to the moment we get her referral is TWELVE MONTHS-ONE YEAR!!! AAAAGGGHH! What is up??? I’m going to be a senior citizen before I’m a mother. Oh yeah, last but not least, our 15th wedding anniversary is just around the corner. (by the way-could I have fluffed my hair out any more? Jeff, of course looks foxy!) This is one of the big ones. Would I like to spend that $4,000 in Kauai, St. John, or Playa Del Carmen? YESSSSSS! maybe later P.S - In looking at our wedding picture more, I realize that I may have married arguably the most gorgeous man in existence. RRRAAARRR!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006