guess what we got?

Anybody know what this is????











Now this sweet little document is on it's way to be notarized and authenticated and obtain whatever official kind of stamps you might imagine a single sheet of paper could possibly need.  Then it begins it's journey across the Pacific (along with a inch-thick pile of paperwork, aka our "dossier").

In other words, we are now officially in a position to apply to the Chinese government for permission to adopt an orphan.  If that doesn't sound like much to you, think again.  We re-started the adoption process in early July, and it's taken four months just to get to this step :)

At this point we've spent over half of those four months just waiting on this ONE piece of paper!  So we are THRILLED to have it and move on to the next step... which involves (drum roll please.......)




MORE WAITING!

But at least we're waiting for something different now, right? 

I head out of town on a rare business-type trip tomorrow (Wednesday) evening.  When this opportunity popped up a month or so ago Matt called one afternoon to find out if I was willing to do it (in an odd twist he is actually responsible for this, and several similar trips).  My name was on the list of potential invites so he called and said "can you do it?" and I said "well, I think that depends a lot on your answer to the same question!"

Matt is often looking for chances to let me get my feet back in the game for a bit.  So he encouraged me to go.  I spent a lot of today prepping to be gone for three days :)  Turns out it's a lot of work for me to get out the door.

Matt will be doing some double-time, home with the kids and working as much as he can (his schedule is pretty ambitious, as you might imagine!)  If my return flight is on time I just might be back to see the kids before they fall asleep on Saturday night.