While I'm Waiting...

It's 3 weeks until Serwaa & Konto's visa interview. I'm excited. I'm nervous. But I'm ready. I've made & frozen lots of soup. (They seem to eat alot of soupy stuff and rice at the orphanage.) So far I've got a couple bowls each of Groundnut Soup, Eggplant Stew, Banana Soup, Groundnut/Chicken Stew and Spicy Yam Soup.

I also have plenty of chicken legs in the freezer. (Thanks Nana!)

Next I intend to find out what kind of meals freeze easy. (Any ideas?) Because I'm pretty sure that some days it's just gonna be too hectic to cook!


The girls' room is pretty much all the way ready.


Konto's room is (finally) painted now. And he has new blankets. I still have to get some curtains & stuff. (I'm trying to get curtains made with a strip of kente at the bottom.) I'm gonna pick up some more paintings in Ghana for his wall, as well as a big basket for his toys.


So... that's my pointless blog for the day!

Visa Medicals...

Joseph called yesterday morning (at 6am) to tell me that the Serwaa & Konto had gone to Accra. That means they are getting their visa medicals! They will be there for 3 days. I totally wish I was there with them. I am just dying to take them to the beach. (I don't think they've ever seen the ocean.)


Joseph also wanted to remind me about the Iphone he requested. I finally told him how much they cost, and that he may not get one. He didn't argue. He's so sweet. But, I'll keep looking- just in case.
 

YoYo...

This morning I got an email from the embassy confirming the visa date I requested: September 19th, 2011!




Then, 20 minutes later, I got another email stating they were recalling their previous email.



Five minutes after that, I got a 3rd email. This time confirming (again) my appointment for September 19th.



So, I guess that's it! The kids are set to have a visa appointment one month and 1 week from today! I hope I will get to bring them home before September ends.



Unfortunately, the embassy has recently told someone that they will be taking an additional 1-2 months to process visas. I hope that doesn't happen. I was planning on it taking about 10 days. I am SO ready!

A Complicated Question...

'How old are your children'? Usually, it's a one word answer. When your response starts out, "Well, they're about...", people start to look at you in a weird way. It really is a complicated question. From the first we were told they were 5 & 7. That was two years ago. According to their birth certificates, they are now 8.5 & 11. My guess, from the few weeks that I got to spend with them, is that they are around 7 & 9. Also, based on stories from when they came into the orphanage, they should be around 7 & 9.




So- that's my answer. At least for now. Konto is 7. Serwaa is 9. Malorie is 11. Can't wait til they are all together on one continent!
 

The Dreaded Email...

Well, I sent it. The dreaded email. The one asking the embassy to schedule our visa interview for Sept 19th instead of Aug 29th. Thought it was gonna kill me to hit the 'send' button. But- I did it. Now I will wait for a response. I just hope they'll give me that date, not a later one!

But Not Today...

So today I emailed the embassy again. This time to ask for a visa interview date. And again, I got a response SAME DAY! Unfortunately, they offered a date on Aug 29th! I was hoping they'd give me a date in mid-September since that's when my POA will be back in the US. It's just gonna be such an awful feeling tomorrow when I email them to ask to back the date up by 3 weeks! Ugh...




Anyways, I can't believe how close we are! Still doesn't seem too real though. Today I almost panicked about not having the kids' rooms finished. I almost panicked about how drastically our family is about to change. I even almost panicked that I will be forever committed to driving a minivan. But not today.



Not sure at what point it'll officially seem real. But not today.
 

Visa Packet...

I awoke this morning to a phone call from Ghana. The embassy email I had forwarded to our POA was not received. Panic. (Can't pick up the visa packets without the email.) She was already in Accra & it was nearing 2pm (the time the packets have to be picked up). So, I re-sent it. This time she got it. She was unsure if she'd be able to get it printed from the internet cafe & get to the embassy in time. But she did it! She never ceased to amaze me with her efficiency!

So, next week while she is in the US, someone else will take the children to Accra for their medicals. (They will actually have to stay there 3 days. Also, I think the Acai House has raised their prices. So...we get to Western Union several hundred unexpected dollars. Not my favorite thing to do, but I've never seen my POA spend any money on herself. If she asks for it, I know it is legitimately needed.)

Best part- now I can request a visa interview date! As much as I want to request one NOW, I'll have to request it for mid-September when my POA returns. But if that goes smooth (don't laugh, it could happen!), we'll have them by the end of September hopefully!

Seems like maybe I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!
 

Just in Time...

I sent another desperate email to the embassy this morning. I wasn't very hopeful since the last 5 went unanswered. BUT- they emailed back! They said my visa packet is ready for pickup. It can be picked up any Wednesday at 2pm! Since my POA will be leaving next Tuesday for the US, we pretty much only have tomorrow. So I called to see if it can be done. (It was around 7pm in Ghana when I called.) She is going to try to make it tomorrow! She'll have to leave pretty early in the morning to make it to Accra. I'm so thankful that she agreed to something so last minute!




Furthermore, she will only be staying in the US for one month! I think she originally planned a longer trip. So I'm thankful that she'll be back by mid-September when my visa date will probably be! All that worrying for nothing! I'm sure there will still be plenty of mountains that need to be moved, but at least there is a small light at the end of the tunnel.



And to make the day better, I got to see an old friend that I haven't seen for 8 or 9 years today! It was so nice to talk to her again. And to know that there are still truly selfless, genuine, giving people like her in the world!


All in all- not a bad day!

White Flag....

At least in a war you can surrender. A race you can quit. And in 'Say Uncle' you can.... well, say 'uncle'.

But you can't quit in adoption. You can't give up, even when you feel like there's nothing else you can do. It seems like every force in the world is fighting against us...

My agency kept my dossier 7 months before it went to Ghana.
USCIS moved offices & lost my paperwork for 7 months.
We waited 5 months on a death cert the agency was suppose to have a year ago.
I was given the wrong ages for the kids, so I had to have my homestudy amended.
Our fingerprints expired and had to be re-done...
And a few other more devastating details I won't even go into.

Last night I was told that our POA will be leaving the country next week. I don't know how long she'll be gone, but I'm sure it will be a while. She is the one who was going to do my visa interview. But I can't be mad at her for leaving. This trip was planned a LONG time ago. She's already put it off several times trying to finish the 2 adoptions she was working on. Unfortunately, mine was going too slow. I guess she got tired of waiting on nothing.

So...I have no idea when the kids will be home. We're getting close to the 2-year mark for this adoption. I am too tired to fight anymore. Too tired to pray. Too tired to cry. I feel like Moses in the battle of Rephidim. Can't even hold up my own hands, even though we're losing the battle.