11-09-07...E-mail sent to family and friends

Items posted prior to today were just some things I had saved on my computer as I have been moving through this process. They show as all posted yesterday, but I included the dates on the post of when they were written or stored.

Subject: Adoption update

Hello All,

What an overwhelming process this has been so far, and I have really only just begun!
First of all, I need to try and explain to all interested that an international adoption from Russia has some political issues involved with it at this point, which has slowed down Russian adoptions tremendously. All agencies lost accreditation with Russia and are in the process of getting that accreditation back as fast as they can....Russia seems to be in no hurry what-so-ever. With that said, the agency I am working with has not yet received accreditation, but hopes to "any day now".

My goal was to have this paperwork done by the beginning of Sept. I did get it done, but ran into some problems with the home study agency and social worker not sending me all of the documents I needed from them. I also had a big delay (I think six weeks) with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services. I actually ended up taking a day off and going to the Field Office in LA to get what I needed, instead of waiting for more of an exchange of documents and the mail man. This trip to LA was a whole adventure in and of itself.

About two weeks ago I sent a large amount of documents to the Secretary of State. They apostilled the documents (basically notarized the notaries). I picked up all of those documents yesterday from the post office. It was pretty cool to look at them all and see the CA State Seal on all of them. Today I sent all of those documents and an additional one from INS, along with a fat check to my adoption consultant, Pete, in Arizona. Pete will look these over and make sure everything is in order. Let's all cross our fingers and pray on that one! I have tried to be very thorough, but this paperwork seriously has been unbelievable! I think it was easier getting my MA! Pete will send my documents to Children's Hope International (agency I am working with) main office and from there they will add more documents, translate and send to Russia for registration. And so, the real waiting begins....

I wanted to briefly share with you my adventure to downtown LA and remind you all of how much I love my son. I tell Dylan we have to go to downtown LA to get some documents. While we were there I thought we could go to Olvera Street, have lunch, look around a bit after I take care of the adoption stuff. Cool, Dylan is excited about the trip and we make an afternoon of it. We get in the vicinity of where we need to be, the Federal Building. I decide I need to find a parking garage and it will be easier to figure out exactly where I need to go once on foot. We park, find the building and entrance, and proceed to go inside. Of course security checks before entering right?

We walk up towards the building, see the signs for security and Dylan says, "Oh crap, there is a metal detector."
I assure him it is OK we can bring our CELL PHONES in.
Dylan...."No, mom the cell phone is not the problem!"
Me..."What do you mean, what is?"
Dylan...."Well you told me we were going to downtown LA!"
Me...."Yea...and?"
D...."I can't go in this building. Sorry mom, but you said downtown LA and well, I brought a knife and I think it best that you don't know what knife I brought!"
Me....um....maybe you can all guess my response!!!!! "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!!!!!....

Those that know Dylan, know that he has a pretty good collection of swords, daggers, and knives going on here. It just didn't occur to me that he thought he might need to protect his mom and himself in big bad downtown LA...I can appreciate that about him, but honestly it did not occur to me.

Well, he is not staying outside that is for sure. He has to get rid of the knife, sorry!!! We go through this big fricken ordeal about him finding a place outside to hide this knife. He asks me not to follow him and to let him hide it on his own because it will be easier and he takes off down the street. Well, he is not getting out of my site in big bad LA. He sits up on a retaining wall about half way down the street and fiddles around in his pocket, comes back and give me the thumbs up. All the while I am still thinking to myself, "You have got to be kidding me!!!! Sheeesh!"

We finally get into the building. All I can focus on is getting what I need and the only thing he can think about is the hope that no one jacks his knife! We get back outside, stupid knife is fine! I tell him that the knife is staying in the car and that is that....no one is going to get us! I still have not seen the knife and have no idea what he has with him. After we get home from our days adventures, I request the knife. HOLY COW!!!!!! That is all I have to say is HOLY COW!!!! I have never seen this piece of his collection, no idea where it came from ......and HE will never see this piece of his collection again!!!!! I do love him!

Anyway, sorry so long, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue this process! Sorry it has taken so long to update, there really just has not been much going on to report.

Love to all of you,
Jenni