Mission Accomplished!

After much hoopla about the snowstorm headed towards Asheville, it actually didn’t even amount to a dusting. Itty bitty, tiny little flakes started fluttering to the ground around 12:30 today and the winds started picking up. It did look a little daunting around 1-ish and I would have been pretty nervous had we been driving on these switchback roads. However, now that it’s all said and done there’s not a whole lot of anything to talk about. I have no idea what the conditions were like to the east of us, towards the Durham area, so we could be in for a nasty little surprise on the way home but we’ll worry about that tomorrow if we have to. Prayers for safe travels please.

When we woke up this morning, we still weren’t sure what the day would have in store for us. We didn’t know if we’d be meeting C and handing in our dossier, or if we’d be stuck inside the hotel room all day. I was thrilled when C called my cell phone at 9am and asked if we’d be up to meeting her at 10am instead of 3pm. Absolutely!

Her office is about 2 blocks from our hotel and is in a beautiful Victorian house. We were able to meet her husband as well, who is just as nice as C. We talked to C for nearly 3 hours and are confident in our choice of being assigned to the Moscow region! C was able to put our worries about traveling “blind” and the 8 dr. medical thing behind us. It looks like C is going to ask one of the families traveling NEXT WEEKEND (Jan. 26) to take our dossier with them and turn it in to S in the Moscow office! Beth, I’m not sure if she meant you & Nick or another family but how fantastic would it be if she asks you? For those who don’t know, Beth & I signed up with our agency nearly the same day and have been on this journey together basically since day 1!

Oh, and to the other families from our agency: Is anyone else familiar with their other office mate Julia? Norm & I “met” her today also. If you don’t know who she is let me know and I’ll send you an email or comment.

We’re not exactly sure of travel dates yet since we’re waiting on our 171 from USCIS. However, C feels certain that we can wrap things up by the beginning of May. When she first said this, we thought she meant the first trip. That’s not the case – she actually meant that our entire adoption journey could be finalized before May! Oh my gosh – I’m still trying to process the possibility of having Baby C as 100% ours in April/May. Wow…

The only other thing that would have made today perfect is if the weather had cooperated early enough for Ana & Russ to make the drive. We missed not being able to meet them but honestly, I would have done the same thing if I were them. In their honor, we did eat lunch at the restaurant where we were going to meet them. Ana, when you forwarded me the menu and said “yummy!” you were right on! The food was fabulous, the ambiance was so cool, and our waiter was awesome. We really wish we needed a table for 4 but it gives us something to look forward to in the future.

So we head home tomorrow with our mission accomplished. How cool is that, when not that long ago I was stressing over fingerprint issues and thinking we would never move past the paper chase stage??