Oh Happy Day!

I was checking email and stalking blogs this morning when my cell phone rings. I looked at the incoming call and saw a 503 area code. My first thought is, "Oh, Tania is calling me" because it is a Portland area code. I answered and it was Radu on the other end. He tells me he's been thinking about the travel package I am putting together for him and that he just sent me some information he wants me to include in it. I go to my computer and press the "send/receive" button. Sure enough, an Adoption Avenues email pops into my Inbox. He tells me to open it, which I do. All it says is "Hello. How are you?" But then I notice there are 3 attachments and immediately tears well up in my eyes. Is this my referral? Radu, is this my referral? YES!!!! I'VE RECEIVED MY REFERRAL!!!

So I call Lucia, who I promised would be the first to know. I'm reading all the social and medical information to her: 8 month old girl, father passed away, mother has no means to care for her, she's healthy, from an area southwest of Addis. Now I'm ready to see her face. I forward the photos to Lucia because she wants to see her the same time I do. Okay, ready, 1, 2, 3 DOUBLE CLICK.

WAIT! Mine isn't opening, don't look at her before me! It didn't work for her either. I called Radu and told him I couldn't open the photos. He has me download some viewing program and told me to try opening them again. To make a long story short, when I saved the photos as Word Documents, the medical/social information opens up. So they weren't even photos to begin with.

I now have 3 copies of the paperwork, and no photos. I plan to accept her regardless, but I really want to see her face and look into her eyes, the windows to her soul.

That is all I can tell you right now. I cannot post photos until she is legally mine. Wow, legally mine - my Janissa.