Here We Go Again...

So remember back when we were putting together our dossier and we needed to have practically every bit o' paperwork notarized...

Then we needed to take it to the Secretary of State to have it certified (they say, ya this person who says he is a notary is in fact a notary)...

Then we needed to send it to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago to have it authenticated (they say, ya this Secretary of State is in fact the real live Secretary of State in Colorado, USA)...

And after each step our stack o' papers became larger and larger because there were so many additional papers being stapled to each document...

And we had to have our awesome amazing friend Lisa (yay, Lisa!) and my awesome amazing Mom (yay, Mom!) spend hours and hours and hours in lines at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago...

Remember all that we went through?

We need just ONE more document to be notarized (well, actually two copies of the same document but let's not get technical). And then certified. And then authenticated.

Crikey!

We need powers of attorney to complete the adoptions separately. Notarized. Certified. Authenticated.

I have been trying hard not to let my thinking go to that place that blames. Blames our adoption agency for not telling us months ago when we happened to mention several times that we were going to travel separately to the provinces to complete the adoptions. It would have been convenient to have this last paper dropped off a couple weeks ago with our visas, since our visas were just in Chicago visiting the Chinese Consulate. But, as our 6 year old has been reminding me, I need to treat people how I want to be treated. So I should think of people kindly like I want to be thought of too. So I will not blame. It is what it is.

Our adoption agency is AMAZING and has been completely on the ball every step of the way, leading us by the hand. And it is my understanding that they will really take care of us over in China, which is the most important part and where we will be the neediest. Our friend that just returned from China with his daughter said, "You don't need to use any brain cells while you are over here (in China). They tell you exactly where to be, when to be there, and what to bring." I like the idea of not needing to rely on my brain cells while we're in China :-) 'cuz they probably won't be working very well.

So I still love love love our adoption agency, and I'm driving to the Secretary of State tomorrow morning... anyone want to ask my Mom to go to the Chinese Consulate again for me?
~chris


Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
~ Luke 6:31