a few steps closer.

And there you have it.

As with so much in the process of adoption...nothing happens, and then everything happens.  It's almost predictable in its unpredictability.

I was on a plane, at about 35,000 feet, flying home from St. Louis this weekend.  I don't normally bother, but this time I paid my $8 for internet service and decided to catch up on a little bit of life.  Naturally, that included my email.  Jon had been home with our daughter, but it was Sunday and that's football day.  Jon hadn't checked his email, especially not his work email.

When I audibly gasped and said, "Oh my GOD!", my seatmates looked at me oddly and asked if I was okay. 

I was very okay.  The email I was reacting to was one with the subject:  You Got It!

We got our signature on Friday of this past week from the minister on our Article 5 paperwork.  From there, these documents have to be submitted to the Bulgarian court system.  This happened on Monday in Bulgaria.  Now we want for the judges to return to full time service so that a court date can be obtained and our case can be heard before the Bulgarian court.  Assuming there are not any legal issues, our future son will be made legally ours.  After a fourteen day waiting period, the decision of the court will become effective and we will be cleared to go and get him.

The hope is that we will have a court date in 2-3 weeks, but this is Bulgaria and so while I pray for this, I am not holding my breath.  (Okay. Maybe a little breath holding, but I'll try to be patient).

Beyond that, within a few weeks we should be cleared to go and get him.  Target date is still looking like late October/early November.