not so much...

well, here we are through the first week of October. Nothing much going on really. Wednesday we're meeting with our SW (social worker) so we can complete our update interview and she can write up her little one page report. Once she does that and the HomeStudy Update is reviewed and approved, our agency will send in the filing papers to the USCIS. They already have our I-600A so all they'll need to do is what ever it is they do and send us a new I-171H form. Shouldn't take too long apparently. In other words, we should definitely have the new I-171H before we are ready to travel. which is obviously a good thing...

our agency had a 'waiting families social' this past Saturday. we went and met several other couples/families and talked with "mentor families" who've already been through the process at least once. There was one couple we didn't get to meet however and we were bummed. But all in all it was a neat time. There were three of us as couples that don't have any children and this is our first so it was easier to relate to each other. We, obviously with the 8.10.05 LID and being ready for referral in a couple/three weeks, were alittle more relaxed and less "in the dark" about what was going on. I say that not out of disrespect but because one of the couples had an April 06 LID and the other and August 06 LID (just joining the waiting game) and of course at this point, it's hard to say when they'll get to referral. We tried to be supportive in talking about the wait and what we had been doing during ours. I think it was good for all of us there.

The best part of the time there was seeing all the girls. Alot of the mentor families brought their girls so there they were from 2.5 years old up to 5 probably...all running around having a good time. There was one that was very eager to show everyone the pictures that her parents had taken when in China. It was sooo adorable. She came up to one woman and with a big smile on her face said "come look at my pictures!" and ran over to the table where the photo album was... that was so sweet to see.

other than that though...a relatively quiet week. Two weeks from tomorrow is the 23rd...and hopefully...hopefully we'll hear sometime that week (if not by then) that the referrals are being sent...or that they're on their way. i'm already getting alittle goosebumpy thinking about it...i can't imagine how i'm going to be ...how the wife's going to be in a couple more weeks. :)