Waiting for a Court Date

On September 16, we got an email from Kay at Tree of Life saying that the Bulgarian agency asked about our dossier and that they are waiting for the signature and consent of the Minister of Justice in Bulgaria. After it is signed, our dossier will be sent to court. After our court date is set, we will be able to officially start the countdown. Seven days after court, if all of the documents are in order, the Bulgarian governments approval of our adoption will be final. Usually it takes 6-8 weeks after the court date to complete the remainder of the paperwork (get a new birth certificate, set up an embassy interview, arrange travel) and travel to bring her home. The way I understand it, since we are under the I-600 petition with the Department of Homeland Security, we will apply for Gracie's visa after her embassy interview. Then we will wait in Bulgaria while the visa and passport are processed. That is why our second trip will probably last 7-10 days.

The past few weeks have been busy, which helps the time to pass more quickly. This week, midterms were due as well as benchmark exam results, parent-teacher conferences have started, Mark is still working a couple of twelve hour days every week and one day each weekend, my class goes on a field trip this week, I am observed and evaluated by Mr. T. this week, and we have been trying to catch up on the yard work and getting Gracie's room set up. Our garden is also overflowing with tomatoes and I have been canning apple sauce and salsa. I won't have to worry about being bored...

On Friday night, we went to the premier of The Informant!, a dark comedy that was filmed in Decatur about ADM's price-fixing scandal complements of Donna, my coworker. We had a great time looking for all of the Decatur locations and spending time with the other teachers from school and their spouses. After the movie we all went to the Bizzou, a restaurant downtown for supper, too. It was so nice getting together with the teachers outside of school.

I find myself frequently wondering what time it is in Bulgaria and imagining what Gracie might be doing. During church today, she would have been eating supper...I really don't think that anyone is talking to her about her new family or the adoption. The concept of family has to be foreign to her. I wonder also if her best friend, Emanwewe, has been adopted yet. Usually domestic adoptions are expedited, so Grace may have watched her best friend leave the orphanage with her parents and not return. Maybe this will help her to be prepared. I do hope that she is healthy and doesn't think that we have abandoned her. God, please prepare her heart for joining our family and help us to get a court date soon.