August 30, 2006 - Whoo Hoo!! We have her VISA!!

We were told we would hear from the Embassy by 2pm if her Visa paperwork was finished and ready to be picked up. So when 2pm came and went we started to get discouraged that we wouldn't be able to leave early in the morning (1230am). About 10 minutes before 3pm, the phone rings and it's the very sweet girl who works in the Adoption unit of the Embassy, she first apologized for not calling sooner but then asked if I turned in Keere's passport. I told her that yesterday when we were at the interview the guy giving us the interview handed it back to me (which I thought was strange because I knew they needed it but didn't want to make him mad by questioning his actions). She told me to be down there in 1/2 hr otherwise they wouldn't be able to get it done. So off we raced to the Embassy, thank goodness it was less than a 10 minute drive even in heavy traffic. I went upstairs to the Embassy (the entry is on the 2nd floor) while Mom and Keere hung out in the lobby. I took a seat in the room and waited for the lady (wish I had gotten her name). She passed by and waved to me and then came to the window and I handed her Keere's passport. She told me to take a seat and wait. So about 20 minutes after watching her go back and forth behind the glass windows, printing this and that. She came to the window and apologized yet again for their screw-up and in her hands was Keere's passport which contained her Visa and the Brown Envelope. The Brown Envelope is the paperwork that allows Keere to become an American citizen as soon as we land on American soil. It is sealed, stamped and signed and you are not allowed to open it. The only people who can open it is the Immigration officers at your first Entry into the United States. When she handed me Keere's Visa and Brown Envelope, I about bawled, I couldn't believe after months and months of the heartbreaks and disappointments we went through to get to this point and the last month of getting to know my daughter, adopting her and watching her blossom that we were done and heading home. The word "Home" never sounded so sweet.