So the question is... why?
Perhaps it's a lack of time.
Perhaps it's the fact that we don't have anything to say.
Perhaps it's hard to focus on something that we have absolutely no control over so we avoid it.
I s'pose the latter is the most appropriate. After all who wants to think about something that you want but can't have until your time is up... without any control... no opportunity for persuasion... absolutely no way of tipping your waiter to get a better table. You get my point.
Well, today is our 28th month anniversary to our LID. I know it's stupid that we know these things... but we count things... our ages... our years together... the gasoline prices... the number of hours we work... our stock prices... so it's no surprise that we count our adoption anniversary.
Of course, I can't sit here and say that nothing has happened over the past four months.
My parents and I drove to Springfield, MO to visit my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew...
Jenn's brother and his two boys came to visit us...And, of course, spent time with friends and hung around the state of Michigan.
The most disturbing thing that's happened is that our immigration file is missing. Yes... MISSING! Since we left the state of Illinois and moved to the state of Michigan, we had to have our file transferred. Makes sense. Well, when our fingerprints expired toward the end of June and we never received an invitation from the state of Michigan to get them redone... we started asking questions. Ended up getting Congressman Rogers' office involved... then got Senator Stabenow's office involved. Both from Michigan.
The purpose was to open an investigation for the Detroit office to audit all files in hopes of finding ours. The final determination that our file is not in Detroit came down last week. Letrice Bonner, the Congressional liaison specialist with the Department of Homeland Security writes: "... informed me once again that he does not have their file which was supposedly transferred from Chicago." She goes on to say, "if they like, they could just send copies of the original submission with an updated home study and a receipt notice and he can adjudicate the case then."
Isn't that just wonderful news? We can merely send copies to the Detroit office and not worry anymore.
Well, I don't know about you but I really am not thrilled with the fact that copies of our birth certificates, marriage license, tax returns from the previous year, and our original home study is MISSING!
Do I have a right to be irritated? Or should I be thrilled that we can just send copies of these documents to Detroit and have a complete file for immigration which falls under homeland security?
Obviously, we're making the copies... but what about our personal information just floating around... lost. In this age of identify theft... all we need to do is make copies... no worries. "We'll get your file all set up, Mr. McFatridge."
We have contacted Congressman Manzullo's office in Illinois to investigate if Chicago immigration actually did send our file to Detroit. Still awaiting results on that one.
Our caseworker in Illinois said that they just slap a first-class stamp on these files and take them to the post office. NO TRACKING NUMBER. NO CERTIFIED MAIL. NO SIGNATURE UPON RECEIPT. NO NOTHING. Perhaps it's our fault. We should have asked. Or, we should have just gone to Chicago and picked up the file ourselves? I don't know. Hindsight is always 20/20. But we're in yet another predicament. OH wait, did I mention that we couldn't pick up our own file because we could "alter the information." Hmmm... what's happening now? We could alter the information.
They say that adoption is very stressful and a lot of people drop out or just can't take the bureaucracy. We really have been more frustrated with the steps taken rather than the stress or bureaucracy of the whole thing. But this last part has really taken it's toll on us. Both of us.
Our friends are telling us... it's worth the wait. Or, you'll get through it. Or, whatever... Well, let me tell you... it's not helping. It's taking us to a whole new place right now. One of numbness. And, that's not good.
The two couples we started this whole journey with, both now have their second child. One is from Korea... one is special needs from China. Both are absolutely gorgeous. But I'd be lying to you right now if it I said it didn't hurt. But what can we do?
So... we continue to move forward with our lives. We eat, sleep, work and have fun. That's all we can do, I guess. Just knowing you're all there for us is enough. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers to help us through this difficult time.
We are thankful for each other, our health and, of course, our friends and family.
One piece of sweet news is that our friends' sister sent us a beautiful quilt... out of the blue... we LOVE HER!
Peace!