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1.28.2011

delicious

I'm not sure which I think is more delicious.

The yummy dumpling being made, or the adorable dumpling making it...

our newest dumpling hand making jiao zi on tuesday of this week for their cny celebration
Daniel's monthly progress report in my inbox this morning was such welcome break from slogging through paperwork ~ and all the holdups we've experienced lately!  Each month we glean just a little more about his personality.  And find ourselves longing to have him home just a little more...

There are days that the paper trail is nothing beyond frustrating.  Like last Friday when I excitedly went to the post office to pick up my two express envelopes from the Embassy.  It was, I thought, our entire dossier ~ minus of course the immigration form that we are STILL waiting on, 67 days now, but who's counting ~ coming back with the final level of authentication done.  What it turned out to be was our entire dossier coming back just the way I sent it.  Apparently by "include copies of your documents" they meant have a copy of the document, which has been notarized of course, with the state authentication on top of it with the state department authentication on top of that and all stapled (in the center at the top if you please) and paperclipped to the original.  Who knew?

So last Friday night while Ian and the kiddos sat on the couch munching popcorn while watching The Cat in the Hat, I had a date with black and white copier number 2 at FedEx.  Pretty funny commentary when my favorite employee there said, "Well hello there.  I almost didn't recognize you without your brood.  Let me know if you need anything, but I know that you can help most other customers by now with your copy experience."  One of these days I'm gonna bring him a dozen donuts or something. 

Then this week I finally got up the courage to call immigration one more time (on day 65) to see if we had been assigned an adjudicator yet.  We had.  Not really knowing what I'd say, I asked if I could be put through to her.  I was.  So she says hello and I start rambling about wondering when we may expect our approval as it was the only thing holding up our dossier heading overseas.  So she takes my receipt number, looks it up and says, "Oh, yes, Kristi, I reviewed your file just yesterday."  I'm thinking "Yee-haw!" UNTIL she follows that by saying, and I sent you a RFE (request for evidence I think) because the NC child abuse registry reopened since your homestudy update was complete and I need new checks run."

Which was frustrating as those clearances arrived about four days after I sent our application and I sent them to the exact same address that is listed on our RFE (which arrived yesterday) back in early December. I had been guaranteed when I called in early January that if I had mailed them to that address with my receipt number on them that there was no way that they wouldn't make it to my file.  But the officer I spoke with then wouldn't check to make sure they had. 

So Wednesday afternoon was spent in phone calls to both our home study agency and our adoption agency getting new copies of the info faxed or scanned to our adjudicator as she very, VERY kindly told me that since she had a working relationship with my social worker at our adoption agency that she'd accept a fax or email scan from her instead of waiting for the hard copy to arrive. 

Hopefully our approval will come by Monday.  Of course it will still have to be authenticated at the state level, the state department level, and the embassy level.  And the embassy is closed two days next week for CNY... 

Doing my very best to trust God that His timing is far beyond better than mine.  After all, the oh so frustrating delays we've experienced in the past have put us traveling with some people that I can't imagine not having in my life.  Some day (when I find the time) I need to sit down and record those delays and the blessings they brought about.  Still though, it's hard when you've got a sprinkle loving dumpling on the other side of the world.

taken back in december on the day the foster home made, decorated, and ate sugar cookies ~ i think he'll fit in pretty well here!
 And two sisters and a brother who ask every night, "Is tomorrow the day we go to meet our di di?"

**Oh, just for the record, I'm not complaining about having spent time feeding a copier.  It is somehow soothing to feel like I'm doing something that will help get my boy home.  I'd jump through flaming hula hoops at this point if it would get him here sooner...

19 comments:

Laurie said...

Wish I had some flaming hula-hoops to send your way because so many of us are dying for you to bring him home soon too!! The pictures you're getting are just precious- he is SOOOO stinkin' cute!

Nancy said...

I am so sorry, Kristi. The wait & setbacks can be so frustrating. I hope everything goes smoothly and you can get that cute little man home soon! Praying for you!

Amy Murphy said...

So frustrating! I pray that God gives you grace to endure all these delays. I do not weather "delays" or God's timing so well.

Grandma Shultz said...

Praying, praying, praying..... What a precious little dumpling maker!

Our Journey said...

What a sweet sweet little face! I'm sorry there are a few glitches in your paperwork. That must be so frustrating! Praying things get moving faster.

Heather said...

Those pictures are just the sweetest! He has the most adorable little face! I know you are just EXCITED!!!! I think you are at one of the hardest spots right now! I'll be praying for you!!!

Chris and Julie said...

What sweet sweet pictures!!! But I'm cracking about the FedEx employee. Yes, there is something soothing about making copies or filling out forms. Plus there's some control over that part too, I like a little bit of control every now and then.
Praying your approval comes very soon!

Nicole said...

At the VERY least, you get those monthly reports and pictures of him. He is a sweetie!!

I am so sorry the wait is so......... HARD. There isn't another word for it!

SOON, he'll be home, but never soon enough!

Robyn said...

Hi Kristi,
I'm going to quit being a lurker and finally introduce myself. My name is Robyn and my husband and I have one adopted son from China. Two years ago this winter I saw a face for the first time that is now your son Daniel. For a year I prayed that he would be our son and as hard as we tried to get his file it was not the Lord's will. After we came home with our son last March, we continued to pray for your Daniel, asking God to give him a family. By August we still did not think he was matched and had decided if he was not placed in a family in another two months we would begin our paper work for him. However, we still continued to pray that God would bring him a family, thinking as much as I wanted him, I was also so overwhelmed with our new son. A mutual friend found out that you had been matched with him and sent me your blog! I am so very excited for you and feel estatic that Daniel will be a part of a loving Christian family! We've prayed for your son for a long time now, during his surgery and his recovery and rejoiced when he took his first steps and celebrated his first birthday! Our sons have the same heart condition, TOF and we also live in the south, Georgia!
Anyways, I hope this doesn't overwhelm you, I am just thrilled that Daniel will soon be united with his family and I cannot wait to follow your journey to bring him home! Praise the Lord for His will and His blessings and for your family willing to be used by Him!
Blessings!
Robyn
PS, he has to be the most adorable kid I've ever seen!!!!

Melissa said...

;), he is just so very precious, and I know your heart is breaking to go get him. So happy you've gotten updates though, and he is going to be a PERFECT fit for your family!!!

Traci said...

Oh How it will be all worth it when he gets here. But I understand the frustrations and anxiety!
Love you guys!

Anonymous said...

We had long wait with CIS over 800A form and now are having unhappy delays for one son's 800. Hard to wait!

a Tonggu Momma said...

I completely understand the sense of frustration creeping in at times. With January most probably being skipped, maybe we WILL travel at the same time. It must feel so hard to wait while staring at photos. (((hugs)))

Sharon said...

hang in there my friend....as you well know by now and have already said it, the timing of it all is so sweet BUT that little dumpling cutie is pretty hard to wait even ONE day more on!!!!

Angela said...

I so understand those frustrating delays. Praying you have peace while you wait for your little guy to be home.

Glenda said...

Such a beautiful picture of such a beautiful boy. You can just see his concentration. Maybe he can show us how to make them when he gets home? I know the wait is hard, but God has blessed you with many "gifts" to make the wait a little easier.

Lisa said...

Sometimes His timing is hard but it is always best. Hang in there my friend...he's soooo worth the wait!

Jenna said...

OOOKKKKAAAAAYYYYYYYY.... you are curing me from ever having to do this again. This brings back crazy memories......of all the delays, the stress, the guessing, and now that immigration is centralized, it's even MORE insane!!!!

Praying it all happens quickly for you now, and that you will be on your way to China SOON, SOON, SOON!!!! Still looking forward to talking to you....was I supposed to call YOU? Give me a call if you ever get a chance!

Our Journey to China said...

I just want to give him a BIG HUG! And 'wow!' how God has covered him in prayer up to this point. God is truly amazing how He cares for our sweet babies half way around the world, even before they come home to be our babies!!! :0)