Approved!!!

Long time since my last post....I know. I kind of fell into this writing slump since nothing was really happening for a while. Which the next chapter of the adoption process is going to be a whole lot more waiting.

It's sad but true that when nothing is happening you almost forget that you're going through this process. I guess in some ways that's good b/c it means we're not overtly anxious and frustrated that nothing is going on, but at the same time we're still passionate about what we're trying to accomplish.

All that to say....WE'RE GLADNEY APPROVED!

We got the email last week and they sent us our official approval packet. So many people have been telling me that Gladney is the most difficult agency to get approved through. To be honest, I don't know what they're talking about. Not once have I felt that we wouldn't be approved. Whether that's God or just straight up confidence (or probably a little bit of both), I'm glad to finally get the news!

So now what this means is that we have one more "entity" to be approved by and that's CIS - Immigration. A copy of our homestudy was sent to them for approval and now all we do is wait for them to tell us when we go get fingerprinted. In the meantime, we do have a few more items to get straightened out with our dossier ppwk. Early last week we sent in all of our ppwk to Kate and there were a few pieces that needed tweaking. Not too bad, if I must say.

Looking at the "finish line", everyone still says that we're looking at anywhere from 1-2 years until placement, but God knows where our boy is and I'm comfortable waiting for when he shows up. Meanwhile, John and I booked a cruise this year for our vacation since we're sure we won't be needing to travel to adopt until at least 2010. Our first stop on the cruise - Honduras! And yes, we did choose the cruise because of it. I found an independent tour agency that is highly recommended for the area that we're docking at. One thing that is special about it is that they give you a tour guide for the full day and should you wish, they'll take you to an orphanage/school to see the local children. I am ready to do it in a heartbeat when John gives the "OK". He's still not sure whether he wants to do it or not mainly b/c he doesn't think he can take the heartbreak of leaving them once we've visited. I just think the visit will make our trip and our upcoming adoption that more special b/c of the experience getting to connect with some people in Honduras.