Drum Roll Please!

Dossier #2 is DONE! I just returned from a jaunt to lovely Springfield, Illinois (I waved "hello" for you, Barb!) - home of our State Capitol and, more importantly, the Secretary of State's Index Office. Exciting stuff, I know! It was kind of a nail biter because you just never know if a document will be rejected for some random reason that only makes sense in the world of notaries and the state government.

BUT, alas, all 7 documents were Great Sealed without incident. I counted the staple sounds from the cubicle just so I wouldn't be surprised. While I was waiting I was reading Pema Chodron's The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. She was instructing me to accept what is . . . to accept that the universe is constantly in flux . . . the only constant is change. . . to anticipate things is pointless. And, yet there I was trying to anticipate what was coming next by counting staple clicks. The irony. I have a lot to learn :).

While I was waiting, a young woman came in . . . breathless and confused. "Is this where I get something Apostilled (she pronounced it "A - post - eled")?" She explained it was for Thailand or South Korea. She wasn't sure yet. I wondered if she is at the beginning of her international adoption journey. I also wondered if I should correct her pronunciation of Apostille :). I felt like such a veteran . . . the symbolism of her at the beginning and us nearing the end was not lost on me.

On the drive home I got all choked up when I realized that we will meet the child who will hopefully be our daughter NEXT WEEK. I guess now that we have the papers, diaper rash cream, microfiber towels, Clif bars, syringes, melatonin, and all that other stuff, I am beginning to realize that this is really real (the multiple use of real is intentional).

Don't forget to let me know if you are still out there (see below). I don't mean to sound harsh with the "deleting" and all. I was just looking through my permissions list and wasn't sure who some people are and if they are still checking in.

Safe travels Darlene & Dennis and Regina & Milo!