We're on our way!

Our home study should be finished this next week.  This is exciting!  It has taken about two months, which is normal.  But our poor social worker, Tom had to change some of what he had already done when we switched from Ethiopia to Eastern Europe. 

Also, we just received our passports today!  So as soon as our home study is done and our agency reviews it, the social worker will make a final draft and we will turn that in with the first dossier"dah-see-ay" In Anna's country, there are two dossiers required.  The first one is mostly forms and committments, and the second one is the biggy that goes to Court.  The agency will review the dossier for errors, make copies and then forward it to their coordinator in country who will translate it, have it notarized and submit it to the Committee in the region where she is from (this will take about 3 weeks.)   Then, it can take anywhere from two to eight weeks before they officially register us as prospective adoptive parents and give us a travel date to go and meet Anna!  After we make the first trip to meet her and accept the "referral," then they schedule the court hearing that we have to attend, which is two to four months later.  After court, we take her to the US Embassy in to get permission to bring her to the US.  Then we get to come home.  So the 2nd trip can either be short (if we want to come back home after court then return 10 days later) or long if we can wait things out there (there's a 10 day waiting period from court to Embassy.)  If we end up doing the latter scenerio, one of us can leave after 5 days.  It sounds like they will occasionally waive the 10 day wait requirement.  Oh, we can only hope.  It would sure save us a lot of money and time away from our kids!

So, did you get all of that? :) Lots of details.  Hang on, it's going to be a wild ride!  But so, so worth it when we have her home with us. You really have to take everything in stride in international adoption because you have NO CONTROL! But the Lord does. We know it will all happen in His time. We just hope we can get her home by the end of the year so we can get our $13,000 adoption tax refund next year! We'll sure need it. :)