ready to wait.

I was able to make a deposit to our savings account today that was joy-filled. And gratitude filled. We knew that in the next several weeks, we'd have to pay a bunch of little fees that add up to a bunch of money and we're ready thanks to some of you! Get this. When our dossier is submitted to the State Department next week and then the Chinese Embassy after that, this is what we need to be prepared to do:

1. Write a check made out to the courier we're using for $15 per document. Plus, a new surcharge of $5 for the increased cost of fuel. FYI: we have about 10 or 12 documents! Yow.

2. A check made out to the "U.S. Department of State" for $8 per document. Two separate checks if more than 15 documents.

3. A money order or cashier's check (they won't accept personal checks) made out to "The Embassy of China" for $20 per document for a 5-day turnaround. Add $20 per document for overnight turnaround. Good gracious. We won't be going the overnight route.

Holy cow. I only include all this so you can 'feel' how crazy this process is. It's a weird kind of crazy. Exhilarating while at the same time exhausting. I dunno. One minute, I'm pumped up and in 'battle mode' and the next, I feel the weariness of the last eight months setting in.

I was telling some sweet girlfriends last night that the timing's perfect for us to wrap up our dossier and get it sent off just in time for summer. Then the summer will be our waiting period. Perfect. We'll be in and out, here and there and I won't have to be checking email constantly, having conference calls, running to the post office, running around town. All that will be done. Until we get a travel date. Praying that will be sooner rather than later.

Trucking right along...