What happens next?

Many of you have asked, so here is a breakdown of what’s going on and what steps are next… 

1.      We are still waiting on our USCIS approval.  Hopefully that will show up in the next month or so.

2.      We went last week for fingerprinting.  It was very different from last time since we had appointments this time around.  We were at the courthouse less than 20 minutes.  And other than a clerk that almost experienced the wrath of Preschool Teacher Jana because he refused to use his words and instead just jerked me around where he needed me to stand to get my fingerprints, it was an uneventful process.  Plus, I scored a lunch date with my husband in the process.  Win-win for all involved.

3.      I am getting our dossier documents together (AKA all the stuff that goes to China on our behalf).  That will all be sent immediately when our USCIS approval comes in (AKA I need to get that done soon so as to not delay that process.  Like tomorrow…).

4.      I apparently like to use AKA.  And parentheses.

5.      Next, we wait.  For a referral.  Usual timeframe is 3-6 months.  Maybe longer.  Maybe less.  Who knows?  This is the part that I have to completely trust in the Lord for.  Because I’ll get all worried and wonder when it will all happen.  It’s a lot of unknowns and I don’t do unknowns.  I do lists and calendars and planning and preparing.  Not unknowns.  Just ask my husband.  Because he will bear the brunt of my stress over this.

6.      We get a referral.  YAY!  Timeframe from there is roughly 3 months.  Again, this is international adoption.  And while China has a very stable and predictable program unlike how Ethiopia was when we were in process with the boys, you are still dealing with the government of another country.  Things could change, go faster, go slower at any time with little or no notice.  Oh, you’re stressed out by all the uncertainties??  Yeah.  Me too.

7.      Let’s go to China!  When we travel, we will spend a week in her providence and another week in Guangzhou.  If I had to guess/plan/project, I’d say we will travel sometime next summer.  Now, China did not approve this plan or ask my opinion, it’s simply my thoughts on how it should go (AKA I can’t proceed with life without some sort of plan, so I pretend I know what’s going on…).

8.      Come home.   

That’s what our next few months will look like.  Sam asks me on a regular basis if he can see a picture of his baby sister.  Like I’m holding out on him and not letting him see her.  And Charlie is just worried about where he will stay while we are gone.  Clarifying that he wants to stay here.  Not go to China.  My poor child…just like his Mommy needing to know every step of every day…

Sam, on the other hand, asks every other time we pull out of the driveway if we are on our way to China.  He doesn’t quite have that concept of distance and oceans and miles and miles away…

So we continue to gather paperwork.  And wait.  And trust that God has our precious baby sister hand picked and waiting at just the right time for her forever family.