It's all done. We're done!!!

When I was 15 I got my driver's permit. It was a piece of paper that allowed me to drive. It was the most amazing document in my little world, and it was on a flimsy piece of paper of all things. I remember on the drive back from the DMV (yeah, did mom let me drive? nope) I worried about how to hold it in my hands. I was worried I would wrinkle it and then not be able to drive. And I was so nervous I was sweating on it! Eep! So I switched it from hand to hand as I studiously wiped the other. I didn't even notice that we had made a quick trip to the thrift store where both my grandmothers worked on our way home.

We walked in the thrift store (Snowline Hospice) and MY MOM MADE ME LEAVE MY PRECIOUS PAPER IN THE CAR. I stressed over where to hide it. I worried about thieves breaking into our car while we stood a few feet away. All of my thoughts, heck, my whole psychic being was focused on our car where "the precious" waited for me hidden under the passenger floor mat. (Because the glove box would be the first place they'd look!)

These were the thoughts going through my head as I waited for my husband today in the Postal Annex parking lot. For one thing like five people walked past who all looked like car thieves, so I can hardly be blamed. ;) I held every document I had collected over the last four months, minus what we'd already sent to my son's home country, in my arms. It was my life on flimsy paper. We'd had almost 50 documents notarized, driven to L.A. to be apostilled, and scanned for verification several times. The medical forms had to be redone twice, the tax forms twice, my employee form had to be redone three times, our homestudy changed, etc. This represented the last of it, all fixed and pretty. And it was all on flimsy pieces of paper. And I was sweating.

I kissed it before I mailed it. It was part of the official directions I was given, for luck. ;) I prayed silently over it, but my thoughts were so stressed I could just think, "Uggggggggggggggggh!!!" I'm sure God interprets crazy. ;)

We mailed it.

It should arrive next week.

It will take at least two weeks to translate and make it official.

Then we wait (oh so) patiently until they let us travel. We're hoping either late June or early July, but it depends on their whim.

It's done. *passes out*

Ugh.

And even though I owe so many people for helping us through this process, this shout out goes to Nancy. If not for Nancy, our state side adoption helper, we would be so overwhelmed by this process. Both my daughter and husband had major surgeries during this paper chase, and we had major delays of the random variety. It put this whole process about a month later than we'd hoped. But Nancy never let us stop. In fact she was famous for these kinds of back and forth correspondences:

Me: Hey Nancy, we just got our marriage licenses! I drove to Placerville to pick them up. Then I drove to L.A. to get them apostilled! (Several paragraphs of that process/headache deleted for space.) But now we finally have them! Yay!

Nancy: Great! Now where are you on these? (Sends list of A BILLION other documents.)

Yep.

In fact last month I sent her this artful rendering of herself entitled, "Nancy is the best." I include it here for your enjoyment.

Thanks Nancy!