Finally . . . the Court Order!

We finally have the Permanent Guardianship Court Order!!! It is officially official!

Yeah!!! Yippee-Skippee!!!

We were sitting on pins-n-needles ALL day today - - - waiting, waiting and more waiting for the judge to issue the order. That was the absolute priority task of the day! Our "# in line" or "case to be heard" number was #82 and if you have been following along with the Pakistani court system, that is an "iffy" line-up number to make it into the day's cases to be heard. But . . . at around 4:50 p.m. (court closes at 5:00 p.m.) the judge finally decided that he would issue the order. Nothing like making us wait until the Last Minute!!! Yes, from 3:00 - 5:00 we were on "pins-n-needles"!!!

If the order wasn't issued today . . . there was a certainty that we probably would have not been able to make our return flights home on Thursday (10/15/09).

So, all we have to do now is visit the US Embassy tomorrow (10/13/09) and get Sweet Pea's visa issued! I have to tell you, I'm so glad we are finally almost there. We are hoping that the visa can be issued tomorrow, which is Tuesday or hopefully no later than Wednesday. Then, Thursday, we are on our way HOME! There is still a slight chance that the US Embassy will not be able to issue the visa in 1-2 days time, but we are going to try our best to make it all happen! Sweet Pea will bat those pretty brown eyes . . .

I'm so excited!!! Not that I haven't had a wonderful time in Pakistan, but I am just so ready to GO HOME!

We do have a little administrative task to do first thing in the morning - - we have to attest (certify) the copies of the court order for the US Embassy. That should be done around 9:00 a.m. Then we will leave for the US Embassy at 11:00 a.m. There is heightened security this week due to the recent current events in Pakistan, so we cannot be taken directly to the security gate at the US Embassy. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the shuttle station. We will have to go through a security checkpoint at the shuttle station, then ride a shuttle bus for 1 hour and be dropped off at the security gate of the US Embassy. Then we will have to go through another 20-30 minutes of security before being able to enter the US Embassy American Citizens Services Unit, hopefully making it by the 1:00 p.m. Adoption Interview appointment.

There we will present our final documents: Permanent Guardianship Court Order, I-864 form - Affidavit of Support for a US Permanent Resident and I-600 form - Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative. And then . . . Sweet Pea's Visa!!!

I promise, promise I will post pictures as soon as I can, but the next 2 days are jammed packed full of last minutes "tasks" before we leave. I am in the process of trying to decide on my favorites to post to the blog (it will be hard because there are sooo many!). And . . . honestly today was so stressful that I couldn't think of anything but the court order! I'm exhausted!

. . . But here is a "teaser" to hold you over! The "back" of my sweet baby's head! LOL!

Love to ALL . . . from Pakistan!

~Hugs

Mama, Uppa D & Sweet Pea