Today's thoughts...

My friend Jamey got word today that she not only had a court date, but she PASSED, AND she will be in Ethiopia in early May to pick up her daughter!
I am so excited for them!! She has waited quite awhile for this and as we have followed each other's progress over the past several months, I am sad we won't be traveling together, but very excited for her to be there to pick up her baby girl so soon!

Why is USCIS so slow??
We are waiting on our 171H, or some word of a "request for evidence" and they are unreachable.
Many emails from our Social Worker, letters and emails from the congresswoman's office and the senators office... and still... no answer. Now I worry about making someone mad and getting stuck at the bottom of the pile. There is no way to speed things up with them and we have been waiting on them since February. Of course, our $830 check was cashed way back then...

I only have about 6 weeks left at my job. Its bittersweet as well in that I do love working with my family every day, but I need to be home for my kids at home now, and the ones coming home this summer. I need to be there for skinned knees, Popsicle clean-ups, and trips to the pool this summer as well as getting the house cleaned and de-cluttered for bringing 3 babies into our family. I will miss seeing my parents almost every day. I will miss my mom bringing me a chocolate bar "just because it's Monday". I will miss talking to grown up's and having patients tell me how much they love our office and our staff... because we are so nice and never make them wait. I will not miss calling insurance companies.

So... today I am so incredibly happy for my friend... but worried for my own immigration status. I don't want our babies to have to wait any longer than they have to. I want them home soon where I can feed them things that will help them grow and be strong and healthy. I wanted to travel with Jamey, but now I just want to travel sometime before August. I can't imagine traveling in early August then coming home and getting the 4 back into school right away while transitioning 3 into the home. Yuck.

Please, Lord... let us get that 171H soon. And please don't give us that court date until we have it! I don't want to go back in the bottom of the pile.