The Chase is Over

Our US CIS approval letter came today!!! I was initially bummed when I checked the mail and went through all of the official-looking letter size envelopes (mostly bills...imagine that!). I didn't think there was any way the manila envelope with a handwritten address was our approval letter. But when I saw the return address, I did a little dance in my driveway! Amazing how something so huge, so life-changing, is contingent upon this one single piece of paper.
People in the adoption world call this first phase in the process the "paper chase." Quite clever, because that's truly what we've felt like we've been doing for the past 4 months! Our dossier should be in Ethiopia in no time, which means we will officially be on the wait list for our referral~the phone call/email that will introduce us to our baby!