Paper Chasing

For those who want to know....here's where we are in the paper chasing stage. (To explain a little bit, there are three "hoops" to jump through: the local agency homestudy, the Colombian government dossier requirements, and US Citizen and Immigration Services requirements.)

Right now: To complete our homestudy--
*Pete's autobiography (it will probably be written on our vacation!)
*Still have to take a current family photo
*Finish up one last education course
*Our medical forms (Pete & Em)...waiting for our doctors to finish them
***We should be done with our homestudy very soon!!!

Right now: To complete our Colombian dossier--
*Too much to put down, really, there's a list of about 20 documents, all of which have to be notarized and appostilled (which is basically a notary of a notary that costs $10 a page! I've read they justify that exorbitant cost by saying that is what it takes to make our documents legal documents in another country.)

To complete our filing with USCIS--
*Waiting on our homestudy to submit our initial application.
*Then we wait to receive fingerprint appointments and clearance.
*Then we wait for our piece of paper: titled 171H (fancy, huh?) which we have to send with everything else to be appostilled!

So, the theme of this post is insanity and waiting. I think the two are going to go hand in hand for a long time. I was talking to the program director today for Colombia and, for the millionth time verifying that we will probably be waiting 2 years after all our papers are in. I really, really, really don't know how I'll cope. That's a LONG time. I keep going back to prayer and faith in God. I can't doubt now what I know He is calling us to do.

During that wait time, my newest scheme is to audition for Deal or No Deal and win 1 million dollars. I think I have a chance. :) Think of the great human interest appeal for ratings...what would you do with a million dollars, Emily? Oh, adopt our child and I think we'd give the rest to re-model the Lighthouse. I'm actually fairly serious about this idea. I can act ditzy so I can get on the show!!!