Blog Archive

About Me

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

What?

We have not shared the news of our adoption journey with very many people.  Why? Well there are many reasons, but number one is WE JUST DON'T KNOW.  That is, we don't know when our court date is, when the visa issue will be resolved, if the visa issue will be resolved, and sadly, if we will get the favor we need to get Joseph home before he is sixteen.  Writing this, I can barely control my emotions.  Just saying the words, "if he gets to come home" is enough to knock the wind out of me.  Will he ever know how much he was wanted, how hard we tried?  Day in and day out the world keeps on turning and all I hear, see, think and feel is this adoption.  I just think it would be too much for me to face the questions if everyone new.  I went to the gym this morning with my happy face on after hearing some bad news in the Ugandan adoption world and it was all I could do to keep it together.  I have told a few people and their support has been invaluable.  I've told a few family members and their response has been pretty positive.  I think the difference with an older child is the reaction you get from others.  Some people just don't know how to react.  There are some people you tell and they never mention it again.  That hurts.  My life, my world is revolving around this adoption.  Joseph's hopes and dreams rest upon my shoulders and the only person who can lift that burden is my Maker.  I find myself crying randomly, praying, pleading, even begging.  I will survive if this doesn't work out, but I fear for Joseph.  The abandonment he has already dealt with in his life does not need to be compounded by the promises we have made possibly going unfulfilled.  The only people who have read this are most likely from the adoption world, I haven't given the blog out to very many people with the exception of a few close friends.  Any advice?  Yes, I'm whining.................I can't help it.  I feel sick about it. 
Sunday, March 28, 2010

Malaria

Malaria..............a silent killer of millions.  Today, my son has malaria, but he is not a statistic.  He is a living, breathing, loving beautiful boy.  It killed me today to talk to him, you could hear the weakness in his voice.  I told him today that in America we don't have malaria.  I told him that the next time he was sick I would take care of him.  I hope I can keep those promises.  I hope.
Friday, March 26, 2010

Discouraged

I am somewhat discouraged.  I have heard nothing but negative regarding the situation in Uganda.  I have so had my hopes on getting Joseph home by summer.  If things don't clear up, I don't know what is going to happen.  Time is not on our side. I wrote to the consular at the US Embassy in Kampala and did not hear back.  I've sent a deposit of $2000 to an attorney in Uganda who never answers my e-mails.  I'm just plain worried.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

It's Out of My Hands...........

They're off.  All 250 pages of documents are gone, out of my hands and into FEDEX's.  I kissed them and said good-bye, Peanut was with me and she kissed them (a little too long) and said good luck.  I feel like my life was in that box.  Now, the waiting begins.....................
Sunday, March 21, 2010

How Many Pages??

Two hundred and fifty, yes, that's right, 250!  That is how many papers we are sending to Uganda.   There are 90 documents totalling 250 papers!  It feels like we are sending a tree! We had the bank notarize everything (no easy task) and I had everything ready to go on Saturday with the exception of our homestudy.  I new it would be there with the mail and then the plan was to combine it with the other documents and Fedex the package of papers to Uganda that day.  But, it was not to be.  It's a good thing that I did a "proofread" on the homestudy.  The last page said Ethiopia instead of Uganda.  Can you imagine!  I almost sent the papers to Uganda and they weren't even correct. Not only that, but USCIS (immigration) is waiting for a copy of the homestudy and if they received it with a mistake like that it would delay our I600a!  I'm a little frustrated as I was very anxious to get the docs mailed on Saturday, now it will be at least Tuesday.  There's nothing I can do, so we are just pushing forward and trusting.  There are many things going on in Uganda that could lead us to believe that this may never happen.  We are choosing not to believe that, and are moving forward with faith that Joseph will be able to come home.
Sunday, March 14, 2010

Waiting is Hard

Today we talked to Joseph.  The connection was poor, so the call was cut off during Shawn's conversation with him.  I wonder, how is feeling................his English isn't so great, so having deep conversations via the phone is never easy.  One thing he can communicate and does every week is the question that is haunting me.  "When are you coming to get me"?  I don't know Joseph.  We are waiting too.  Waiting for our homestudy, waiting for our fingerprints, waiting for the visa issue to get taken care of in Uganda, waiting, waiting, waiting.  But, we are coming.  We promised you................................
Saturday, March 13, 2010

So, I love the FBI............Dept. of Homeland Security, Not So Much!

Received a notice from D of HS last week saying they received our I-600a and that we should get a fingerprint appointment shortly.  Well, on the letter they sent, my name had a typo.  Being that fingerprinting must have our correct names I called the customer service number.  After many, many transfers they finally said that they would send an e-mail to wherever my application is at and notify them.  This could delay things.  Yuck!
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Update: FBI, I Really, Really Love You!

Two weeks ago I sent off our fingerprints to the FBI.  It normally takes 3 months+ to get back your criminal clearance, time we don't have.  Well, yesterday, I got our clearance!  It took them 2 weeks exactly.  Yipee!

Also, I have every document done and returned to our social worker for the homestudy.  We have our last visit with her next week and then she will write it and we will be done.  She said it's about the fastest homestudy she has ever done.  I should say so!!! Now I'm awaiting word from immigration and hoping to get the I600a processed quickly. 
Monday, March 1, 2010

I Love You FBI!

Called today and the fingerprints are slated to be done and mailed back to us on Monday of next week.  That means we will get them back in about 3 weeks instead of the average 13.  Wow!