Happy New Year

We had such a wonderful time last night at Billy and Brie's house! They had ordered a craps table so we played that all night, while the kids hung out. Carmela had a tough night, as I expected, but all in all it was fun. The kids stayed up until 12:30 am. Carmela insisted on watching the ball drop and staying up until "midnight" and Joey was along for the ride. We will pay for it today I am positive. But it was so worth it to see their faces at midnight. They were SO happy, and SO tired. Especially little Joey. At midnight, we all screamed and we did cheers and the kids gave me big hugs. Carmela walked up to everyone in the room wishing them a Happy New Year, and Joey followed suit. I got many compliments on just how well behaved they are, and that always makes a Mama proud :) Carmela and I also did a special prayer to Juliana at midnight after she came over to me looking like a sad puppy saying "Mommy I miss Juliana". I am not SURE where that came from still. The only thing I can think of is that I told her earlier that we had permission from our government to bring Juliana home, so maybe that is why she was on her mind? I don't know. But when she said that, I told her lets do a special prayer, and we did, and we both admitted that "adoption seems like forever" LOL!

On that note, I want to say that while it does seem like forever, especially to a 4 year old, I am TOTALLY blessed and downright lucky to get my I600 approval so fast. I'm also lucky to live in a state that works with my agency. I have nothing but good things to say about my agency. They are truly ethical and FAST and that is what I want in my agency for an adoption. My heart goes out to those people with other agencies who are waiting, waiting and waiting some more. Just recently I was talking to someone who was waiting 18 months for a referral, with still no end in sight. When I think about it my entire process will probably take 1/2 that. Thanks to my agency.

A few weeks or months back, I posted a list of what we had to go through to get Juliana home. I'd like to update it now :)

1) Homestudy -DONE
2) File I600A with immigration (done)
3) get fingerprinted for I600A - DONE
4) Get referral!!!!!! (which can happen anytime after Cecelia, the executive director of our placement agency, Love the Children) - DONE
5) receive legals for the specific child - DONE
6) File I600 with immigration -DONE
7) I600 approval goes to National Visa Center
8) Receive Emmigration Permit (permission from the Korean government for my child to leave the county)
9.) Embassy requests packet of info from agency to complete visa (P3)
10) Get visa interview
11) Get our travel call
12) Pick up our child at either LaGuardia or JFK airport!

So we have items 7-12 left. I have been poking around to try to find out what that means in timing, and from what I see (and someone can correct me if I'm wrong), babies normally come home about 4-8 weeks after I600 approval. We shall see. What it mostly means for us is we have to rush to get this baby's room done, Joey's big boy bed and Carmela's room painted! We will have a busy January!!!!

We want to wish everyone a happy New Year! I hope 2009 brings everyone everything they wish for, and more! I know it will for us :)

And to our beautiful Juliana, as we said last night as we prayed, we are blessed that you are being taken care of in your birthcountry by such a loving woman. I actually feel lucky and happy for you that you are celebrating the New Year in your birthcountry, as I know how important New Years is in your culture. Celebrate today big, Juliana, because soon you will be home with us. As someone told me recently, God knows when you'll be home. He has that date all picked out. I just am a bystander watching it all unfold. In God's timing you will be home. We miss you and we love you.