And so it starts

December 1, 2011. Last night Rachel and I got the email we had been waiting for since we learned we would be adopting Harold Smith (or Harry, as we have come to call him. I wonder if the nicking of names is common in Colombia), we got our travel dates. so its on! we need to be in Colombia by January 10, 2012, meet and 'pick up' (it makes him sound like dry cleaning when I say it that way) Harry, our new son.
This is also when the madness swells. It seems the Colombian government closes down entirely for the Holidays, from December 15th to January 16th. Then it opens again to what I can only assume is a flash-mob of people looking to get their government related paperwork signed, stamped, authorized, endorsed, corroborated, upheld, certified, vindicated or verified. Including us. On top of this, the timing of this adoption is right around a Colombian national holiday, so flights are more expensive and harder to find. We also need to get to New York City to get our Visa Especial application processed, and they, too, close for the Holidays. and we needed to be there yesterday. Plus, it seems our fingerprints have expired. I had no idea they could even do that! so we need to get re-fingerprinted (for the fourth time!) in Buffalo, NOT Rochester before we can go. This is not as easy as it sounds, especially with a 4 1/2 year old on long car rides to Buffalo at 6 in the morning. The first time is fine, the second time has all the appeal of wet underwear.
The stress is palpable in the Larson home. Poor Petey just wants walkies! But we are excited nonetheless, I can feel it increasing the more I think about finally getting Harry home. The pic above is the Larson's as it stands now, 3 of the eventual 4, in Colorado this last summer. I thought of photoshopping Harry in but that would just be weird.