Rock the Boat: And it's off....

The last four days have been a complete whirlwind of adoption focused insanity. Our fundraiser was such a blessing and the amount of money raised is staggering to me. The only expenses we have left now are for travel, which is super pricey, to say the least. We're hoping to spend under $15,000 for that. God will provide, though, and I'm not even ready to think about that part of it yet. The best part of the James 1:27 event was when I was trying to help get desserts set out and labeled and Justin started calling me. I yelled, "just a minute" but he responded that I should turn around NOW. So, I did and guess who I came face to face with?? My mother, brothers, mother-in-law, and step father-in-law!!! They drove all the way from Clovis to be there for 45 minutes before driving right back home. We were so touched and of course I bawled like a baby and, I'm sure, had makeup all over my face. Having them there and having them see what we're doing was powerful for us. Also knowing how much they support us with this adoption is really comforting.

Then yesterday was a whirlwind of a day, focused on getting our dossier and I600A in the mail:

Woke up at 5:30 and to take a nice, warm, bath by candlelight as I prayed for the day ahead.
Got all the kids dressed and to the doctor by 8:30.
To Office Max to make copies of some stuff for La Familia
Detour to Target to buy clothes for Maci because she had an accident. [what the ?!?!?]
Drive all the way down in Albuquerque to La Familia and hand off the last of our paperwork to Tammy.
Eventually find Justin's office to have lunch. I'm directionally challenged and even my GPS gets annoyed with me.
Get the call and rush back over to La Fam to get the official homestudy!
Try to be nice and make small talk as I'm freaking out on the inside, doing the math to see if I still have time to get everything done.
Zoom back to Justin's office to make more copies.
Race to the Brittain's and throw the kids at Kat.
Detour to McD's drive thru - really need caffeine by now!
The drive to Santa Fe takes forever and then WHERE DO I GO? Why are there so many tourists walking around in slow motion?! Don't they know I'm on a mission to get my son home? Good grief --- see the sidewalk?? Use it!!!
Found a nice guy who escorted me right to the Secretary of State's office.
Took about 30 minutes to get two documents authenticated. I really did try to sit still the whole time, but I think the receptionist got annoyed by my fidgeting.
More panic as I realize I need to make even more copies and the FedEx I have in my GPS does not offer that service.
Justin attempts to guide me to a Kinkos FedEx, which ends half an hour later with me in tears and him on the phone with the store. What's that? Oh, it's behind a bunch of trees in the bottom of a parking lot with no sign? Why didn't I think to look there?
More copies, going through everything three more times *just to make sure*
Throw up in my mouth a little as I pay to have our dossier overnighted to Holt and our I600A to USCIS. I knew how much it would cost, because I'd estimated online... but, still.... yowza! Made the shipping deadline by five minutes. I cut it close, but it's done! USCIS has already been delivered today and the dossier should go out shortly.
Rush, still a bit in panic mode, back to Rio Rancho and make it to KJ's baseball game just in time.
They won the game, but I think I slept through part of it on Justin's shoulder. Mom of the year award right here.
Too exhausted to think about cooking, we headed to Dions for pizza. Maci had to go to the bathroom, so Cade put her alone in the women's room while we were ordering [um, ok???]. She tried to escape and got her fingers caught in the door and we were alerted to the disaster by her screaming so loudly that the whole restaurant stopped talking to see what that horrifying shrieking noise was.
The rest is a blur, but apparently we eventually made it home and into bed because that's where I woke up this morning.

Now, we play the waiting game. Probably until October. We're going to be ready to go to court right when they close for the rainy season. :(

I don't know how to put pictures on the blog, really. They look fine when I compose and then all funky when I publish - with funny spacings and such. Oh, well.....

Me, Tio, Mom, Jon