You've got to be kidding me...

Well, back to the old drawing board.

The lovely dossier that I thought was complete sans the immigration approval? Yeah, well, today Ally sent out the new checklist. Some of the same stuff, but 'substantial' changes as she calls them. Uh, ya think? Now we have to get a psych eval, I have to get a new medical cert as my doctor is gone and I need her signature or a new one altogether, our realtor's license, new home study cover sheet (since the COMPLETED HOME STUDY cover sheet I certified TWO DAYS AGO has things that are no longer needed) new certification, new authentication for our marriage licenses (oh, and now it is saying that they need to be Apostilled? I need to ask Ally about that) the FBI clearance--though we have one already, we didn't get our card back and it isn't stamped the way it now has to be...and the list goes on. Though this is supposed to make things easier? Yeah, right.

I'm so sad. After ALL the work I've gotten done, now to have so much more...and to be leaving for A MONTH and not being able to do anything. I just feel so helpless because in about 12 hours, I'll be incommunicado for the most part and my baby girl (who I am now DEFINITELY convinced is not conceived yet) won't be home as soon as I was hoping. I know, my problems are small apples compared to so many of those on the boards who are in the midst of worse--I guess it's that feeling of loss of control that I now have since I will be gone.

Not sure when the next posts will be, but I'll try to keep updated on everyone and pray that everyone out there waiting for their children has a contented heart knowing that while they may not be in your arms tonight, they are always in the Lord's.

I've got the right stuff!!

Ok, Ok...be warned....this post is going to SCREAM with my excitement about going to see....

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!

I know, I know...they are men, husbands, dads...even a little bit creepy in their new video with those little hoochie mamas they are dancing with, but I don't care. I LOVED THEM in my high school days. Let me emphasize the word LOVE just a little bit more. LOVED THEM. I had my room covered with their pictures, magazines, scrap books--sang all the songs, loved the dances, went to see them in concert (with Tiffany!) and basically worshipped everything that was NKOTB.

Now, I should tell you, I feel like sort of a heel because the ticket is coming via a sweet little girl's decision to be kind and let me have her ticket. Nanci, of Nanci's Nikes, bought two tickets--one for her and one for her sweet 5 year old. This was before she knew that I LOVED them (funny how we find out things about friends in the oddest ways) and thought she might be able to talk her daughter into Disney on Ice or something like that so that I could go and be a crazy fanatic with her. She let her daughter make the decision (THANK YOU, GA) and she decided that Miss Lori should go with her mommy. So, now, I get to go!! 3rd row seats. They cost an arm and a leg, really, but will be SO worth it if nothing for the good time we are bound to have together and the lovely trip down memory lane for me. I'll just be Hangin' Tough until October. Ha ha.

As for adoption news....well, glad I rushed around to do all I did yesterday. Because today was NADA. I had a terrible migraine, and was out of my Imitrex (AGGGGGGGHHHHHH) and since I no longer have a doctor (thank you, military health care) and couldn't get an appointment (again, thank you military health care) with anyone else...I suffered. No matter, though because after faxing all that stuff to Ally, and emailing a couple of questions, I heard nothing from her today. So...maybe she finally got tired of me being a big pain in the butt. I know I would! Honestly, though, there's a LOT to go through, so I am sure she is just going through it. I had already resigned myself to not getting to actually send the dossier until I got back in July, and that's still the case, so no worries.

I'll save my worries for the fact that I am about to leave the country for A MONTH and have not yet packed a single thing. Not one thing. I am leaving tomorrow...well, at least for mom's, since she lives by Dulles and we leave Saturday AM, and have NOTHING prepared. No mail stopped, no medicine refills picked up, no itineraries for family members in case we need to be reached, nothing but my little Rick Steve's Italian popular phrases book I bought yesterday. I'm crazy. I would like to note, though, I do my best work, and always have, under pressure. I think that's why God gave me the wiring he did--as much as the anxiety KILLS me, He knows that I thrive under those MUST DO conditions...and I really do. So, I am not worried about packing. I'll pack what I can, get what I can get done tomorrow done and be off to Europe for a month...praying I come back to my lovely little immigration approval form.

Thanks for the comments about the gas pump! In hindsight, I laugh hysterically. That is so typical of my life. Good friends of mine say that those kinds of things only happen in LoriLand. I agree. LoriLand is a quirky little place to live, let me tell you!

Until the next post, I'll Be Loving You Forever! (TOLD YOU I WAS EXCITED!)

Go and Stop...

Well--good news! Our home study is OFFICIALLY done and I am picking it up tomorrow morning, getting it certified (remember, lovely Maryland requires certification of the notarization before it can be authenticated) and hopefully getting the rest of the documents I have certified here in good old St. Mary's county. Then, my goal is to get to Annapolis on Thursday and authenticating it all at the state level, and THEN wait for our immigration approval so that our dossier can get sent to AA! In July, of course. Which is the stop part! I am SO excited about our trip, but on the same token, it does put a damper in our dossier submission. In light of what many people have told me about how long that wait is, I guess I am really blessed that I have a great vacation to take my mind off of waiting. My fear is that there will be some snafu while we are gone, and won't get to take care of it until I get back, which will make the dossier submission longer...and fall right in line with our process as of late! I am just not going to worry about it, though. It is what it is. Like the CPA bill. For the work she did in April, $700. Now, while that sounds like a load--and it is--don't get me wrong, it is a very discounted rate from what she quoted me. She originally quoted me $140 an hour and expected it would take about 4-5 hours. Ahem. It didn't. Due to her integrity and dedication to thorough accuracy (for which I am appreciative) it took about 2-3 times longer. She DID however, cut us a big break because she was excited to be part of the adoption process--so, she lowered her hourly rate to $54.27 an hour. Which was extremely nice of her. Mind you, there's still a bill coming for the work she did in June, which includes her driving to meet us and the notary to take care of all the paperwork and will probably be a few hundred dollars more, but the bright side is that she did give us a humanitarian rate. Was it an arduous process, working with such a stickler? YOU BET. Would I have preferred someone who was not quite the stickler (and was cheaper)? Of course, a teensy bit, but in light of all the things that I read on the boards every day, I am just fine with someone who wants to do everything she can to be as honest and forthcoming as she can, all the while covering my back. Which, I feel both she and my social worker did COMPLETELY. So...chalking it up to a little less money spent in Europe. Ha ha! Who am I kidding? With the Euro kicking our butt, there will be a LOT less money spent in Europe!

Speaking of Europe, I am excited, but I have to say that I am addicted to the blogs, the boards--all of it surrounding the bringing home of our girl, and worry I will go into withdrawal from 24/7 access to my computer. So, if there are fewer posts in the next month or so, realize it is because I don't have access. If any of you who read this find out anything that you feel I must know, please send it to me via email because I hope to be able to check it at least every couple of days-
johnandlorimd@yahoo.com

Today was the official last day of a hellish school year. Thank you LORD for helping me through it. I can't express the weight I feel lifted right now. Next year is going to be better, I know it is. Mainly because I plan to bring home a baby girl at the end of it!!