We did not get the news we were hoping for. As is so dang common in international adoption, we have hit a delay. A necessary piece of paper was missing from our file, and so our case could not be approved at the hearing. I do not really understand why the paper was not ready since our case was submitted forever ago (back on October 7), but it wasn't, and our case wasn't approved, and so we wait so more.

Our agency rep called this morning and said that the agency person in Ethiopia was going to go into the government office on Monday to try and obtain the letter and that if they are able to get the letter, they might be able to get the case approved that day and we may not have to another court date. That is a whole lot of "ifs" and "maybes" and I hate to even get my hopes up, because this let down (crash down) really is pretty miserable.

Even though Monday is Christmas Eve and most adoption agencies will not be working, our agency has promised that they will contact Ethiopia and let us know whatever they find out. So we will have to wait out the weekend and try not to get our hopes up too high. Maybe, just maybe, I will get what I most want for Christmas. Maybe will get the wonderful news that Solomon is ours and that we can officially plan our trip to go and get him. And maybe this saga will drag on a little longer. There is not a whole lot I can do about it but have a good cry and go back into wait mode.

Thanks for the prayers and positive thoughts from many of you. I am sorry I don't have better news to share. It is a good lesson for those starting off on international adoption. Delays and hangups are a miserable part of the process, and almost all adoptions hit one sooner or later.

I will post good news on Monday if we get it.