12/7 The great paper chase is almost through

If you have ever adopted internationally, you know what a mountain of paperwork the whole process requires. There are documents for your adoption agency, your state, the Federal government and the country you are adopting from. Fingerprints and fingerprints again, forms, visits to the notary, seals, fees, certifications and authentications. Doctor visits, shots, financial statements and clearances of all kinds. There were trips to the consulate, documents sent to Chicago and Washington and Houston. Long hours of preparing documents phrased just so to communicate exactly the right thought. The matrix grows ever larger with time. At times we felt like we were fishing with lots of lines in the water...just waiting for something to bite. Fedex, UPS, USPS and by personal courier, our documents crossed America. All along the way, we met and talked to people who spoke a kind word of encouragement. Touched by some aspect of our story -- knowing that a child would be coming home. Then there were the late nights, the hours spent peering into every nook and cranny of the Internet looking for some glimpse of our daughter.

In the Internet age, I got the crazy notion that somewhere out there we would find her... and we did. 5 years ago someone snapped a picture of a little girl sitting in a chair

with one foot pointed out...watching her friends play musical chairs. The picture sat on a long forgotten web site just waiting for us to find it. We'll never have those years back but it gives us a window into her world and where she's been all this time. It is further confirmation that she has been loved and cared for. We are so grateful for that. It is almost time to transfer the flag of her life -- from her caregivers to us. We are so thankful that a camera shutter caught our little sweetheart. It is a window into her world on a happy day long before this all began.