HOMESTUDY WOES AND JAMES' BIRTHDAY!

Hi! Been a bit since my last post; a lot going on! While waiting for PA, we assumed our homestudy was being worked on; I found out at end of April, nothing had been done since our visit on March 26th. Turns out she was sick (I don't know with what) and wound up taking a leave of absence from work. I called and insisted that someone, anyone continue with it. A wonderful woman named Jan Motl, the supervisor, took it on, and we finally got to meet. There were a lot of changes necessary, and it took another 4 weeks! to get it all straightened out, signed, and notarized.
Finally, on this day, June 10th, which also happened to be my son, James',11th birthday, it was done! I (with all 3 kids in tow) drove to Kansas City to pick it up at the Catholic Charities office and then the plan was to take it 3 miles down the road to the State Dept to have it certified. Well, 45" later! I finally found the building (still had to call them and direct me while I was driving). So we go upstairs to get it done, and I'm "late"! It will take 2 to 3 hours to get one document certified! So here I am, in a stuffy government office, wondering what to do with 3 bored kids, and a birthday!
Well, one of the ladies must have been an angel, because she reminded me Crown Center was just a few blocks away! Hooray! We went and had a great time, ate at a restaurant where you order the food and a train brings it to you and it lowers to the table. The food is terrible (I thought), but the kids loved everything about it!
After that, we went back and got our now-certified homestudy and immediately drove another 20" to immigration in North Kansas City and dropped off the homestudy. Come on, fingerprint appointment!
Now, I just want to say, though I'm sure this wasn't the way James wanted to spend his birthday, all the kids were great and we managed to have some fun, too! We did celebrate with cake, ice cream, and presents that night, too. They are all realizing just how involved the adoption process is, even Jazmin. While she (nor I) doesn't understand WHY we need all this paperwork, when I tell her it's all so we can go get Judi, it seems to make the wait a little easier for her.