Patience is a virtue...

Well, it seems as if we probably won't be starting our 'official' wait until after July 15. The only things missing from our file for the home study are the training certificates. We did all our training online, and the certificates haven't come yet and may not be here for another 2-4 weeks. That's NUTS! I didn't realize that would be the case, otherwise, we would have probably done something else. In any event, our social worker, who again I have to reiterate is WONDERFUL, goes on family vacation and won't return until the 28th of May. Even if the certificates come (or I can get them faxed, which may be an option) and the home study is done, we will very likely not get the I600 approval until after June 15--and that's when I leave the country for a month. I guess at this point, my hope is that I can get all other dossier documents (pretty much done) to Ally and have her check them so I can at least get them all authenticated before I leave (remember, I live in the fabulous state of Maryland, where we have an EXTRA step in our Authentication Process) and then have them ready to turn in the second I get back into the country--July 16. The USCIS paperwork should certainly have plenty of time then, as I've heard it can take up to a month (though Betty told me it was averaging a week to two, once home studies were sent in) but I hate having something so important coming in the mail when my mail is going to be put on HOLD for such a long time. Oh well, guess the post office is a fairly safe place to keep it while we're gone, since that's sort of what they're in the business of. I read on the boards about people who are still waiting for their appointments to go and get their fingerprinting done. I don't know if there is just something else we didn't do and don't know it yet, but I have to say that about a week after we sent the app in, we got a letter telling us to come WHENEVER they were open--no appointment necessary--and it took less than 10 minutes from start to finish. Maybe I'm not giving Maryland enough credit after all...