YIPPEE!!!

Well, right after I had decided that I wasn't going to worry about the Immigration approval and that I was going to wait until my application had been in for a full 8 weeks before calling again....Mr Immigration man signed my I-171-H this week. I guess it is true that a watched mailbox doesn't deliver :) I received the approval today and it was signed on Monday 6/26/06. I was so excited when I opened it and read that they had approved me. Of course this all happens on a Friday afternoon when the adoption agency is closed and no one else seems to be at home to tell. So I am putting it all on my blog who is always here to listen to me. I did scan and email the form to the adoption agency since that was the last piece of paper they were waiting for before sending my dossier to Guatemala.

So, what is next? My dossier (all the documents that have been certified and authenticated) will be sent to the lawyer in Guatemala. They will review the file and then when a little girl is available, they will email pictures and whatever family and medical history is available. I will then have a couple of days to decide whether or not to accept the referral. I then sign documents to accept the referral and sign a power of attorney authorizing the attorney in Guatemala to act on my behalf.

I am attaching a beautiful embroidery that I got back last night from the frame shop. I purchased this piece on a trip to Guatemala in 1990 with my parents, sister and youngest brother. It was purchased in a town called Solala which is located on the banks of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. It is a beautiful town and a beautiful piece of artwork made with silk floss. I have had it in my trunk of Guatemalan treasures for the last 16 years and thought it was time to get it framed. It will go up in the babies room. It matches the room perfectly.

I am sooo happy!! I know that there will probably be other hurdles to overcome but at least I have one behind me now. I should be really good at waiting by the end of this process.