For those who love scavenger hunts...

Midnight-- July 4-- return from vacation to Canada and previous trip with students to Costa Rica.... Celebration of 5 years of marriage on June 10....  Alas, we are back home with deadlines for adoption paperwork closing in.  I have been anxious to get it taken care of.  Yesterday, as I was driving up to the Secretary of State's office in downtown St. Louis for the 2nd time in two days (the notarization of our I-171H was rejected the previous day due to the notary using a stamp with the incorrect expiration date on it.  I had that form notarized at two different banks before going back yesterday-- thank goodness, because one of the two attempts was rejected again due to the notary's failure to use her middle initial in her signature as it is printed on her stamp.  The Secretary of State is VERY attentive to detail! )..... as I was saying, while I was driving I heard about a summer activity for students called letter-boxing.  Apparently, it is like a scavenger hunt by kids and for kids posted online.  Various participants have created these scavenger hunts in public places, hidden neat little trinkets, and deposited a journal for those who find the treasure to sign in.... hmmmmmm.... this sounded a lot like what I have been doing for the last year, and there are people who do it for fun!!!  At any rate, yesterday, during my final trek to gain the last golden seal, my childlike spirit of adventure kicked in! V-day! Happily, yesterday marked the completion of the last scavenger hunt.  The last apostille.  The last sets of copies rolled off the copier.  The last check mark.  Upon inserting the last piece of the puzzle into the rompecabeza, a sense of contentment settled over me.  I marched over to the downtown post office, purchased the most expensive postage possible for my scavenger hunt of the last three months, and submitted our paperwork.  Right now, I am in delivery.  The 9.9 pound dossier is in Dallas, Texas-- just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the agency and  its final destination in Honduras.  What joy!  I feel proud of Mike's and my efforts to produce such a beautiful, immaculate pile of papers-- but more importantly, I can't wait to see the little one that they will produce!  It is amazing to think about where this process has taken us so far, and where it will lead us in the future... Con cada paso estamos más cerca de ser una familia-- por eso cada búsqueda vale la pena.  Tu papá y yo estamos viniendo.... vamos a encontrarte hijo/a en cualquier lugar que estés.  Te queremos, amor.  Y si quieres jugar a búsquedas así cuando llegues, me enstusiasma por tales juegos.

                              Our dossier.... complete...

Me, with the final product of the scavenger hunts.... can you tell that I am doing a victory dance?