One less thing.

Many days I feel like we are taking baby steps, but they are finally beginning to add up and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It took a week longer than I expected for our documents to return from the China Consulate in Chicago. No matter really, just glad they are back and safe. At this point in time, everything we can do towards our dossier going to China is completed except that holy grail, the I-171H. Today Jeff has dropped everything BUT that one document at our agency, CCAI, so they can begin processing it for us. They will review all the components making sure there are no problems so that when they get our last document they can translate and send it all off to China.

Finally, last Thursday, three full weeks after I expected it to happen, CCAI notified us they had sent our home study update and other documents to the USCIS for our "second filing." Fancy name for the application to get that rascally I-171H. They gave us such a concise estimate of how long it will take to receive that document; one to eight weeks. I live in total amazement at what we, as taxpayers, will put up with from our government. According to the agency, it just depends on whether your paperwork ends up on the fast person's desk or the slow person's desk. And rumor has it that if we complain our paperwork just might end up at the bottom of the pile, again. The attitude really sets me off.

Anyway, what does that all mean? It means we have no clue when our dossier will actually head to China. After that one to eight week period goes by and we receive our document, we then must process it through the Secretary of State--a few minutes of Jeff's time to walk in and have it certified--and then run it through the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, which will most likely take the two weeks again. If we end up at the long end of the eight week time estimate, we may opt to use a courier for the Chicago run, cutting off a week or more of the wait.

So what are we doing in the meantime? The usual stuff. Katelynn had a short break last week and was able to come home for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Mara, Katelynn and I went to watch Nikki's band march in the CSU Band Days competition in Ft. Collins. Mara was entranced by the bands, especially the band who had a Sesame Street theme, complete with a player popping out of a trash can in full Oscar the Grouch regalia. She loved this band and threw an out and out fit as they left the field. She asked later in the day if we could watch more bands.

That afternoon, we enjoyed the local corn maze with the Collins family. The weather was warm but very windy. Fortunately while we were in the maze we could hear but not really feel the wind. We had a great time finding our way through with fun clues supplied along the way. Especially fun were the interactive clues Nikki read for us. Do YOU know the 21st word of "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes?" I don't either. We then had some time to enjoy other activities like a "roller coaster" made of old barrels pulled by an ATV, an Elvis look-alike roaming the area singing to and posing with customers, kettle corn to munch and a "corn box," (like a sand box but filled with corn kernels,) which Mara and Loe totally loved. Pure Americana. We finished up the afternoon with dinner at Subway where we were able to watch Nikki performing her job. I don't think we totally embarrassed her, but not for lack of trying.

Jeff is still working on finishing the landscaping. He planted a pine tree and began spreading stone this weekend. After all the stone is in place and some bulbs planted, we will be done for the year. Still some to go in the spring, I am beginning to think this is just a never-ending job. Hopefully we can pull it all together before Nikki's graduation party. Gives us a good goal, anyway. Despite the missing finishing touches, it is looking great out there and we so appreciate Jeff's labor of love.