larger view

For those of you who don't know, we are in process of adopting a child from China.  When we first started the process, we expected the wait time between submitting paperwork and receiving a referral would be about eighteen months.  We knew it would be longer than our first adoption (a seven month wait), but we were prepared.  However, the wait time has steadily increased, and we are looking at a four year wait approx.  I just want to say I Am Not An Elephant!!!!!!!  That long of a "gestation" period doesn't fly well with humans. 

I'm probably feeling this way because we just started renewing our paperwork - which we didn't have to do last time because the wait time was so much shorter.  There is no binder in the world large enough for all this paperwork.  It's funny, too.  %99.9 of the paperwork is exactly the same, and our answers/responses are the same.  The only thing that has changed is our age!  Our jobs haven't changed, our home hasn't changed, our health is the same, we still have the same educational background we did 18 mos. ago, our criminal records haven't changed (uh, that would be non existant), etc.  I wish all that was required was a new fingerprinting, just to reassure all those involved that we still haven't broken the law.   

I am praying that this will be the only time we have to renew.  I really want this process to speed up - warp speed, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!