Nearing the finish line

A long time ago, when I lived in Arizona (and was much thinner), I ran a marathon -- just one, but I did it. This wait has reminded me of that experience in many ways. When I started the marathon, I was confident, in control, excited -- maybe even running a bit too fast. I settled into a comfortable stride as I began passing the mile markers. But gradually my pace slowed, and by mile 20 or 21, I found myself nearly alone and wondering if I could really do it. A man who had started a conversation with me early in the run (and who had completed 6 or 7 marathons previously) dropped out. A friend who was riding her bicycle along with me had sprinted ahead for awhile. I was walking more and more. But as I approached the end of the course, I got a burst of energy. My friend on the bike rejoined me, and my race buddy ran a few hundred of the last yards with me. I was determined to be running as I turned the corner to see the finish line, and I was -- only to discover that the race organizers were getting ready to take down the race clock. I summoned the energy to scream, "NOOOOO!." Startled, they left it up until I finished (I think the official results had me fourth to last).

Lance and I started this child adoption marathon feeling strong and confident. I actually thought that the home study and paperwork was the worst part. I even told some folks, "well, I've done all I can do. Now we just have to wait."

Just wait. Yep, that's all!

The good news is that we've rounded that last corner, and the people in charge are NOT taking down the finish line! We have the goal in sight, and we know we'll make it there SOON.

Friday and today, families whose dossiers were logged in a few weeks before ours are receiving calls from their agencies telling them they have been matched with a child. They'll now start their sprint toward the finish line. And we are right behind them, picking up the pace as we turn the corner. I feel very confident that our referral will be in the next batch, which I would expect to be out by the end of August.

That's only four or five weeks!

The CCAA has not yet updated its website to say how far the current matches go, but the agencies are telling their clients that the last day matched is July 13. We are logged in July 25.
Today is going to be an exciting day on our July Yahoo! group, as happy families start posting photos of their precious children. You can see many of the referrals also posted on our group's public website. Click on the referrals link to see what's there. So far we have listed a few expedited referrals (special needs children, or children referred to folks of Chinese ancestry), but later today you should start seeing some new little ones (some only 7 or 8 months old!)

So we have rounded the corner, we see the finish line, and we know the race clock will not be taken down before we cross it. In less than 30 days, we should be admiring our own little one's precious face -- and sharing it with all of you.

I expect to be updating more frequently as we near this exciting milestone, so please check back often!

Excitedly yours,

Susan