Waiting.....

Not much new on the adoption front to report in this post, although I will ‘ramble’ nonetheless. We are currently awaiting receipt of our I-800 Provisional Approval from the US Immigration Service (USCIS). This typically takes about two weeks to process, and we overnighted our application on Tuesday, April 21st, so they received it on the 22nd. Assuming we get it this week, our next step is to wait for an Article 5 Letter. Here is how that process works: After USCIS provisionally approves the I-800 it transfers the case to Consulate Guangzhou through the National Visa Center (NVC). At the same time, we will send a copy of the Provisional Approval along with a DS-230 Visa Application for Cameron to our agency. The agency will then send these items along with a copy of Cameron’s growth and medical reports, original signed LOSC (Letter of Seeking Confirmation), and a passport sized photo of Cameron to Consulate Guangzhou. Upon receipt of all required documents and fees, Consulate Guangzhou provisionally adjudicates the DS-230. Consulate Guangzhou signs the LOSC and issues and signs an Article 5 Letter which gets sent directly to the CCAA. An Article 5 Letter is a document from the Consulate stating that Angie and I are suitable adoptive parents and that Cameron will be able to enter and reside permanently in the United States. This is what the CCAA needs in order to issue Travel Approval.

It still looks like we are on track to travel in mid-June. However, there is just a bit of uncertainty right now as a result of the swine flu scare. We are hopeful that this does not impact us; however, there are some indications that the CCAA is advising against travel for adoption at this time, and may hold processing of TA’s until they get a better feel for the severity and scope of the flu’s impact.

Nevertheless, we continue to prepare for Cameron’s arrival. We have been working on two online older child adoption courses, have completed one, and should complete the other within a week or two. Upon updating our home study with our social worker, we agreed to complete these courses when we decided to adopt an older child, and have found them to be quite beneficial.

Angie’s workplace is planning a ‘baby’ shower for us within the next few weeks. It is so difficult for us to recommend what to get, as we are unsure of Cameron’s clothing size. We are planning to do most of our clothes shopping for him upon our return from China. I cannot say enough about the way Angie’s co-workers have taken an interest in and supported our adoption efforts. As I blogged previously, they even gifted us with a handheld electronic language translator that is likely to be invaluable on our trip and immediate return.

Angie continues to work on the master bedroom/bathroom remodeling project. As you can see, she has been painting the bathroom today. Next comes installation of new light fixtures and window treatments. Her next project is to paint Cameron’s bedroom, and she is hopeful to begin that next week.

Angie has been working with her friend Wendy to begin honing her Asian cooking skills. Wendy is a young lady we were introduced to at church who is a native of China, married an American, and is now a US Citizen. Her parents recently immigrated to the States, and her father had been a chef and owner of a restaurant in Shanghai. They invited us over for lunch a few months ago, and the food her dad cooked was absolutely incredible, but quite different from what you are served in most “Chinese” restaurants in the States. Wendy was quite gracious in readily offering her services to assist Angie in learning how to cook some authentic Chinese dishes. They met at Nam Hai (an Asian supermarket) a couple weeks ago so that Wendy could advise Angie on the sauces they use. As you can see from the picture, you are not likely to find these at most neighborhood grocery stores. We also ordered a wok online this morning (once again, with Wendy’s feedback), and Angie picked up a rice cooker last week. I can’t wait for the cooking to begin!!! Wendy’s dad cooked two dishes in particular that I can’t wait for Angie to master. One was a scrambled egg dish that was unbelievably good, while the other was a green bean dish that seemed simple, yet delicious and unlike any I had tasted before.

It’s been raining buckets around here for the last few days and the lake level is quite high. The area east of us (Claremore and Pryor) had quite a bit of flooding, as some areas got up to 8 inches of rain within a matter of hours. Since our house sits on a bluff overlooking Lake Oologah at a height above the top of the dam, we have no worries, but do sympathize with those not so fortunate. A couple years ago the water level in the lake got so high that the whole parking lot at the dam was underwater for quite some time and the boat ramps weren’t open until mid-July. It was strange to see a nearly empty lake until mid-summer. Hopefully that won’t be the case this year.

Along with the Spring comes lots of yardwork. In our case that means LOTS of yardwork, not due to its size, but rather its makeup. We absolutely love where we live and the wonderful views we enjoy from our house. However, most people have absolutely no idea how much work it is to maintain this yard. Our house sits on a bluff, with dropoffs and uneven ground. My father-in-law actually fell partway off the bluff last year and was extremely lucky to suffer only some large and nasty bruises…..it could have been much worse. The area below the bluff is inaccessible to anything motorized, is very rocky and uneven, and steeply declines toward the edge of the lake. Have I mentioned the ticks and poison ivy? Hopefully the photos give some idea of just how rugged it is. Unfortunately, these areas are out of reach of any mower, and get overgrown extremely fast if not kept in check. Due to the sheer number of rocks interspersed throughout, a weedeater is not very effective for much of it. However, I have discovered (or rather was introduced to by the two brothers who built our deck) an effective herbicide – Crossbow. This stuff is awesome, although it’s a pain in the butt to apply. When mixed with diesel fuel, it kills EVERYTHING! That’s the good news. The bad news is that due to our yard’s terrain, I am currently relegated to a hand held (and hand pumped) sprayer. This is extremely time-consuming and sometimes messy. It can also be mixed with water, but doesn’t seem near as effective. Needless to say, since this has to be applied regularly throughout the Spring and Summer, I don’t enjoy this part of our yardwork one bit!

Angie and I don’t watch much television, but recently came across a show we have become somewhat addicted to. It’s called The Locator, and is on the WE channel on Saturday nights. In a nutshell, it’s about a guy who re-connects lost loved ones. How cool would it be to have this guys job? Is anybody following our blog familiar with this show?

I get a quizzical look every now and then when I write down or tell folks about the name of this blog. For those still unsure of its origins, here goes: The Okie part is easy, as I live in Oklahoma The term ‘Okie’ was made famous (or infamous) by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath. (As an aside…..Will Rogers, an Okie immigrant to California himself, once remarked jokingly that the Okies arriving in California increased the average intelligence of both states!). As for Ramblins, that comes from my alma mater, Georgia Tech. Tech’s mascot is the ‘Ramblin Reck’, a 1930 Ford Model A Sports Coupe. Tech students and alumni are often referred to as Ramblin Reck’s, as in “I’m a Ramblin Reck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer.” So there you have it. And no, there is no “g” on the end of Ramblin!!!