Our Dossier is Sent!

Here I am, post-flu, or whatever ick was invading our home and my immune system. It feels good to walk without a pounding headache. I even had a couple nights cough-free. I tell ya, this is some serious nastiness; this junk that's going around this year. I hadn't been sick in about 6 years. Truly. I think maybe I got a bit too sure that I wasn't ever going to be sick again. Yeah... not so much.

So, the cloud of fever and congestion has passed, and Paul and I were able to notarize all the letters, forms, certificates, and picture pages for our new dossier. I drove downtown to the Secretary of State yesterday to have everything certified. Both times I've been there, God has placed His hand of favor over me and our adoption. I walked right in and straight to the "next available" woman behind the counter. (I have to mention that when I finished, there was a line out the door.) This very nice lady took all my papers and checked each one carefully. I saw her place each page in a pile as she reviewed, and then one page was placed ON THE OTHER SIDE. Huh? I just waited to see what that meant and hoped with all my strength that it didn't mean what I thought it meant. Sure enough, she said she could certify all but that one page! The notary wasn't completed in the correct format, she pointed out. I couldn't argue with her, because she was right. All I could do was kick myself for not checking more carefully! I knew exactly what she was talking about, and if I had been more careful I would've caught the mistake. I had to accept the fact that my mistake was going to cause me another trip to the bank and back to SOS - about 40 miles from home. Ugh. Not only that, but it would delay having it sent to our agency before the week was over.

As I waited for the nice lady to print, staple and stamp each document, I attempted to arrange a meeting the following day to "fix" the incorrectly notarized letter. I didn't ask for any special favors, or even try to justify special circumstances, but before I wrote the check for the fees, the nice lady said, "I'll go ahead and certify that other one for you, but make sure you take it back and have the notary sign it on the stamp I place by her first signature." You know when your name is called for an award, or you hear a winning number being read out loud and you realize it matches the one on the ticket you have in your hand? You know how that feels? Aha. That was me! I said, "What? Really?" She smiled and said, "Sure." I thought I was going to pop a blood vessel! I was so excited and SO grateful to God for His favor. He never ceases to amaze me. You are so good to me, Lord!
Here it is... our dossier. All 27 documents, notarized and state certified.

I took the whole thing to Staples today. I needed two copies of the entire packet, and a guy at Staples made copies of our first dossier for us, no problem. He hand placed each one on the machine and did it all while I waited. Well, today was an enirely different story. I asked the girl there if she could make these copies for me, right? She said she had a pile of orders to deal with and it would be at least 4 or 5 hours before she could get it done. I told her I had to overnight everything out today and I hoped she could maybe get it done a bit faster than that. She said, "Well, I have these other orders before yours, and it will take me a while to take all the staples out and..." Uhm. Yeah. NO! I didn't hear another word she said. Are you kidding me?!? I told her you can't take the staples out. The papers are certified and that would simply nullify everything! Poor girl. How was she to know what I was talking about? She looked at me like I was some kind of paper nazi. Yeah, well, don't touch those staples, Girlie! That was all I could think of. Bless her relieved heart. I walked right out of there, mumbling protective words over my beloved dossier.

Needless to say, I spent... a while making copies today. I even had to run out to purchase another ink cartridge. It was worth the sore knees, careful sorting, page-by-page copying, and 126 or so pieces of paper, to have it all done properly. Our dossier is on it's way to our agency who will shoot it to Washington D.C. and then it will go to Ethiopia. God willing, we'll have a court date within the next two weeks or so. Can't be soon enough in my opinion!

We receive updates with pictures of our boys pretty much weekly. I can't wait to wrap my arms around each of them, and tell them that their mommy is here, and tell them how much I love them. Paul and I have no doubt that these are our sons. It's so amazing and great how God really does put that love in your heart for the ones He places in your life!