The Real Waiting Begins

I just talked to Pam at Homeland (our international agency). She said our dossier started its journey to China at the end of September. We won't know our LID (log in date) until January, but it should be sometime at the end of October that all our paperwork gets entered into the system in China. I guess right now it is being translated. Then we wait for another 14 months. Grandpa Kent suggested we tell everyone that we will travel to China sometime in the spring of 2008. That way, if it is earlier, that is a bonus. On the other hand, if we tell everyone we will travel fall of 07 and then don't then you all think, "What went wrong?" So, if you ask, I will tell you, "We are planning to travel spring of '08."

So here are my thoughts on waiting. When you look back at the past year, it all seemed to go so quickly. In September Sam and I were up at Pike Lake with my parents. I remembered that almost a year ago to the date, my dad and I were sitting by the same camp fire and he asked, "Have you ever thought of adoption?" From that conversation the whole process started and with in the year all our paperwork was already on its way to China. Looking back, it was a very fast year. Why does it seem so long though when you look forward? So I am trying to keep the perspective of looking back and realizing that the next year or year and half will also go very quickly and before we know it, we will be home with our daughter.

We have two other things to help with the wait. The women at our agencies keep reminding me that I have Sam and that he is a great distraction for the wait. In a way, yes. I am so thankful to have him and I can't imagine this wait for my first child. In a way he makes it harder because he asks about his baby sister all the time and always wants to buy her presents and cute clothes. Our other great distraction is that my bother and sister in law are expecting their first baby any time. We are so excited for them and for all of us to have a baby in the family. They are having a girl, so if all the timing works out, our daughters will be about the same age.

I’ll keep you posted on any new developments. Keep sending cell phones and cartridges. Now we need to raise an estimated $15,000 to cover the remaining fees and the travel.