An Adoption Un-Update and Our Upcoming Vacation

Today I heard back from Amy, the liaison helping us figure out what is going on with our adoption paperwork and approval.  She was in a training today and low and behold, there was Commissioner Clark, the judge in charge of our adoption!  She called me for our case number and was having the judge look it up to give her some information on it.  Basically, the judge was trying to say it was probably our adoption agency's fault, but I've talked to our agency many, many, many (did I say many??) times, and I know they have been on top of things.  I hope Amy can help us get to the bottom of everything!

In other news, we have a vacation coming up next week and we couldn't be more excited.  I really, really, really struggled with whether or not we should go on vacation this year.  I am finding there is a really fine line between living and enjoying our lives right now and planning for the adoption and the future with another child with a disability.  I always feel torn on what we should do.  I had planned to not go on vacation this year, but then re-thought the idea when my mom told me that they had gotten a two-bedroom timeshare in California and that we would be able to stay there for free.  Then I thought about how long it would be until we could take a vacation if we waited until after the adoption went through and we went to bring home Ramya.  That could very easily be 18- 24 months out still.  So, there's that 18-24 months, plus all the time after we bring her home where we need to lay low.  I'm a vacation girl, so that seems like a very long time to me. 

The plan is to drive up to Anaheim, stay for a few nights and go to Disney, then head over and stay with my parents in their timeshare.  The timeshare and our hotel in Anaheim will have kitchens, so I will be able to cook and save some money on the food side of it.  We will drive which saves some money as well.  Plus we are not paying to stay with my parents for that week.  Disney, of course, is not cheap.  That's the part I struggled with the most.  I decided to go, though, because I remember reading in The Connected Child that you should keep newly adopted children away from noisy places, especially like amusement parks and fairs and other places that would be very overwhelming and overstimulating for them ( a child in an orphanage is used to a sterile, white, quiet environment).  That would mean probably not going for a year or so after the adoption as well, if even that soon.  So, basically, I caved :).

Kyla is coming along with us for part of the trip.  She has not been to Disney since she was 4 years old, and is SO excited about the trip.  I'm even more excited just seeing how excited she is :).  Of course, there is Conner and Madi too, who ask me every day if we are going to Disney that day. 

I have a lot going on right now with trying to finish up Dossier paperwork and church curriculum, plus do what we need to for vacation, so I'm a bit stressed out, but I know it will all work out in the end :).