Readjusted Hopes

Well, I'm disappointed to say that our home study is not yet resting at the USCIS office. It IS finished but I know our case worker was getting it checked by our stateside facilitator and then I think our worker has to send it to the agency's main office in Boise so the director can sign off on it, too. I requested permission to pick it up at the agency and take it directly to USCIS rather than have the agency mail the completed home study from Boise to me so I can mail it back to Boise USCIS. I guess I'm just feeling like everything is moving so s-l-o-w-l-y and I was hoping it would be snappy quick this time. USCIS called clear back on June 30 to see when our home study would be submitted and I told them 4 weeks!! That was hopeful thinking for sure! We commited to this adoption on the last day of school, May 30, and now school is starting again in just 2 days. I was so hoping to have our dossier done by the end of August :( I guess I feel like I'm letting both our son and the people at Reece's Rainbow down by not getting it completed sooner.

I have to remind myself that we have the medical letters done, the local and state police clearances done, 3 sets of fingerprints done, the certified copy of our deed done, one employment letter in the process of being apostilled right now. We already have passports but I do need to photocopy them again. One employment letter is being re-written for the 3rd time.

We are awaiting the pertinent information so I can finish typing up the cover letter, the petition to adopt and power of attorney forms. The other dossier forms are already typed up.

My hope is that by the time we get our 171H the rest of the dossier will be ready to go as well. I really hope to be back in Eastern Europe in late fall. It boggles my mind to think that almost 1/5 of this year could be spent abroad.