So..... what's next?

Well, the kiddos are legally ours, now what? The question we hear twenty-eight times a day is, "so when do they come home?". If only I knew! I can tell you that something just doesn't feel quite right about having 4 children who belong to me in every sense of the word living on another continent without me. So here is the run down of what is next:

1) Wait for the official adoption decree. That usually takes 2-3 weeks to be issued. Three weeks from court is July 4th. Once that is issued we can...

2) Travel to Ghana to file the I600, which is immigration paperwork that the kids need to come to the U.S. and...

3) Meet and smother our children with love and hugs and kisses (#2 and 3 are not necessarily in the right order!)

4) Return home to wait for the I600 approval, which usually takes 3-4 weeks.

5) Wait for the kids passports to be issued, which could happen any day, or a couple months from now (but praying hard for sooner rather than later).

6) Once we have the I600 approval and the passports, the kids Visas will be issued. Those are pretty fast, a couple days to a week.

7) When we have a Visa pick-up day we will travel back to Ghana, have a good-bye party at the Home for the kids, and take permanent custody of them. Oh what a joyous day that will be!!!

So, if everything goes perfectly (don't hold your breath), we could have the children home forever the first part of August. I would love that. But if that is not what God's plan is, I will try to wait joyfully and patiently for His perfect timing and will to come to fruition.