In Hiding....

Over the weekend some friends asked my husband, daughter and I to come to their pool. It's a weekly thing. We all (about 7 couples) get together and just hang out with the kids at the pool. But this weekend- I wasn't interested.

I haven't even wanted to hang out with the extended family lately.

I try to escape church before I see one of our friends after the service.

I avoid making new friends.

Truthfully- I'm afraid someone will ask about our adoption. How is it going? And I don't want to have to answer.

I'm tired of saying "I don't know." Or "We're still working on it." Or "It's just going very slow"....

I'm tired of explaining where we are in the process, and why it hasn't changed.


I'm in hiding.


Praying that something will happen. Soon.

NBC.....

Just as sort of an update... I am still waiting on my 171H. I filed the I600A in January. My homestudy was sent to DSS in March. DSS sent it to USCIS in May. On July 1st, all local offices sent all of their I600A's to the MO National Benefits Center to be processed. I have called twice a week since the first week of July. Everytime I call I am told "I apologize, but your file is still in a box in the back. We can't give you a timeframe of when your case will be looked at." Someone is supposedly unpacking the boxes and entering the information into their system. Then the file gets assigned to a worker. My case isn't in the system yet.




So this time I asked the rep about the cases that she is currently working on. What date were they filed? The answer: July. So the people who have filed recently are getting approvals VERY quickly. (Which I am glad about. I wouldn't want anyone to wait.) However, all the new files are being worked immediately. They haven't made time to even take the old files out of the boxes in the back room.



Seems a little backwards, doesn't it?



Anyways- someone suggested that I contact my senator to get involved. (Glad she thought of that. I'm not that resourceful!!!) So, I called them today. They are very nice. They emailed me a form to fill out and send back to them. Hopefully they will be able to help!

So Tired of Waiting......

I am seriously losing my patience! When we first started this whole adoption process, I thought for sure our kids would be home by this time! Instead, we haven't even met them! Haven't been to court. Haven't really progressed at all in the last 5 months! I understand things just go slow sometimes. But geez louise! I want my kids!!!

My Three Wishes....

Remember when you watched Aladdin when you were younger? (Yes, I was actually a kid when that came out. I'm not too old!) Well I always think about my 3 wishes. Even as an adult. What would I wish for? Then it occured to me.... I actually have the 3 things I wanted out of my adult life!



Wish #1:   I wanted to marry a UPS man.

Everybody has dreamed about being with their UPS man, even if they won't admit it! They are right up there with firemen and policemen! How can you not love those little brown shorts?

Well, I married my UPS man almost 2 years ago! (That's right, I'm kinda a newly-wed still!)



Wish #2:  I wanted to be a housewife / stay-at-home mom.

I was layed off on Christmas Eve of 2008. Not the best way to achieve the goal of housewife. It was actually devastating. But, it has all worked out. I get to play in the creek with my daughter on hot days. We get to dress up in my old hats and dresses. we have tea parties... It's so much fun!

Also, last year I was able to homeschool my daughter since I wasn't working! I LOVE homeschool! And for the icing on the cake- guess who delivers the school books we order? That's right- my UPS man! It just doesn't get any better than that!



Wish #3:  I wanted to adopt children.

Ever since I saw the orphan chior at my Aunt Verna's church when I was little. Ever since those 'Feed the Children' commercials started coming on TV. Ever since the missionaries started showing those slide shows at my church. I wanted to adopt. Children. Not babies. Not one child. I wanted to adopt children. And here we are. Adopting a little brother and sister for my first daughter.


Sometimes I feel bad having my dream life when so many people are so unfulfilled. But not today. Today I just feel thankful.

I Spoke Too Soon.....

The other day I said I was glad my I600A was being handled at my local office in Charleston. Shortly thereafter, I got an email that said 'I600As are no longer being processed in Charleston'. So, all the files there are being shipped to the office in MO where they will be handled. Back to the bottom of the pile, I guess!

Immunizations

Forgot to mention- I got my immunizations on Monday! I am so glad it's over with! I felt kinda like a pin cushion! And I got it ALL!  (Hep A, Tetnus, MMR, Typhoid Fever, Yellow Fever and Polio!) Ouch!

Al (the hubby) couldn't get off of work this week. So his appointment is next week. I'm sure he can't wait!

Where O Where Is My 171H?

Who knew it would take so long? My homestudy was done on March the 4th. That was the last thing needed for my I600A. I know my social worker got it to DSS that very same week. (DSS has to review the completed homestudy before they forward it to USCIS to be added with the rest of the I600A application.) I recently received an email back from USCIS. They received my homestudy on May 18th. Why it took DSS over 2 months to send my dossier to USCIS I will never know. But either way, it's there now & being "reviewed". Hopefully that part will go pretty quickly. Everything is being handled at my local office in Charleston. Which makes me feel a little better.

As far as the dossier- you guessed it. Still not in Ghana. I have been assured (again) that it is going very soon. I hope and pray that it will actually happen. SOON!