Looking Back at 2007

I can't believe that 2007 is already over!! What a year that it has been for us. Coming off of a very difficult 2006, all in all 2007 was pretty good. Like a roller coaster that makes you a little queasy, yet you find yourself wanting to continue the ride. Here's a little recap:

The beginning of the year was pretty much status quo. Nothing terribly exciting, except finalizing our decision to adopt. In March, we took a giant leap of faith, submitting our application for adoption to our agency. We were one step closer to finding our child in Vietnam. The end of March saw the beginning of our home study;and it also saw the arrival of Baby Thorn, my best friend's baby boy.

In April, we continued our paperchase, completing our interviews with our social worker and collecting a mountain of paperwork. We celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary and my brother's wedding to an awesome girl. She has been a great addition to the family.

May meant a trip to the USCIS office in Fairfax to have our fingerprints taken. May was also the beginning of what I like to call the "Great Fingerprint Debacle," which would continue well into the summer, holding up the completion of our home study and causing me to suspect Larry had a secret life (Just Kidding).

Summer rolled in with June, which meant I entered my thirties. I celebrated by going to an amusement park, riding all the scary coasters and realizing that I actually felt thirty when I stepped off the final coaster. I thought I would throw up my toenails. Our niece Hannah graduated from high school and the fingerprint saga continued. We lost our beloved cat Loba, but gained our new kitten Josie.

July was probably one of the best months of the year. A Harry Potter movie and a Harry Potter book...how much excitement does a girl need??? Harry and his gang were completely overshadowed, when my sister announced her pregnancy.

August saw my annual trek to see Kenny Chesney, a perfect set of fingerprints for Larry and we finally got our approved homestudy!

In September we sent off for our I71H...and waited to hear anything from USCIS.

Along with Halloween, October brought a letter from USCIS requesting clarification on a few things...including questions about a daughter that I don't have.

November was a hard month for our family, as Larry's father passed. I'm still sad our child won't get the chance to meet him.

And then came December with the arrival of our I71H and the holidays.

That is the abridged version of the journey we are on…and what a journey it has become. We’ve learned much about Vietnam, adoption, parenting and patience. There have been moments of anxiety and excitement, joy and despair, peacefulness and uncertainty; there have been tears of joy, laughter and heartache. And certainly there is much more to follow. Here's to a great 2008.