Holidays

Don't you love this time of year? I think there are few things that beat the lights, music, food, and good times of the holiday season. Ryan would beg to differ I'm sure, as he favors shorts-weather over just about anything. We will both get our wish since we are going to CA for Christmas.

We had hoped that our adoption would be a little further along by now, but it isn't, and that's OK. I expected I would be particularly contemplative and distracted around the holidays and be bummed about not having our child by now, but I'm OK. Ryan and I are excited to have a nice holiday together.

Things are very busy at work, but I am hoping to take most of next week off and enjoy family, friends, food and fun. I'm hoping to put the blackberry down and only boot up the laptop to surf the internet and check our fantasy football teams, but that may be a little optimistic.

I just want to send all kinds of good thoughts, vibes, feelings, prayers, etc. to a couple of families who are very close to having their children home. We're thinking about you, and learning from you!

Merry Christmas all!

Immigration Processing

On December 1, we sent the final homestudy report off to immigration (USCIS). We understand that this processing can take 3 months or so. This approval letter will be the last item we need to send our dossier to Poland. I would love to post here on March 1 and tell you that the dossier is on its way. We'll see how the timing really works out though!

There are a couple of steps for us to do in the meantime:

(1) Get our priest referral letter;
(2) Take pictures of us and our house;
(3) Finish online adoption classes;
(4) Have all documents authenticated/apostilled; and
(5) Have USCIS fingerprinting done (we are waiting for the appointment to be scheduled).

So...there will still be things to report on while we await immigration.

Omaha Mourning

This week's shooting at Westroads Mall has shocked and saddened all of us, and there is nothing I can add to the comments of many in the newspaper and on television.

One of the victims was John McDonald, the father of a partner in the litigation department at my firm.

One of the wounded is a 34 year old lawyer in town with whom I went to law school.

Please keep the victims' families in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.