The legal part is done!

Well, I now know why I've been so stressed. I kept feeling that something wasn't being taken care of for the adoption and even though our social worker and lawyer said everything was just fine, I couldn't let it go and then the court date.

Vince and I got the 2 boys ready for court and were right on time at 8:15 a.m. Our laywer and friend, Lance Starr, was there, but no LDS Family Service Case Worker. By 8:30 the judge suggested we call Family Services. They said Margaret Nell was assigned to be there and I let them know she had not arrived, so they started making phone calls. It seems she had a very bad day the day before and totally spaced us off!

Next, she gets on the stand and the judge asks for all the paper work, reliquishment of mother's rights, paternity searches, list of expenses, etc. and it seems that DCFS's paper of reliquishment is only good in Juvenile court, not family court and so they needed the actual court papers showing reliquishment, and so they went looking for them in the mail room, but no such luck, so and so a 3rd and final recess until those could be located. In the meantime, another adoption took place in one of the 10 minute recesses and after 2 hours of being there and 2 restless children we were sent home until everything was ready - hopefully before the end of the day. It was not how we were supposed to be going home!

Vince had planned for us to go to breakfast when we finished, but that didn't look like it was happening, so we still went to breakfast after taking Daniel to school and while playing with my food, I called my sisters and let them know what was happening. When we got home, I took a nap, made banana bread and cried.

By 2:00 we started getting phone calls. It seems they could not find Katharine (the birthmom) to sign new reliquishment papers and DCSF, the guardian ad lidem and lawyers did not have the copies of the originals either. Luckily, a girl named Amy at the court house was willing to look thru the unsealed documents from that date and found them. Bless you, Amy! By 4:00 we were back at court waiting for the social worker to get back from Salt Lake and by 4:30 we were in the judge's chambers as she edited and approved the found documents! By 5:05 we had our certified copies and paid our court fees and we were on our way home!

Friday, was a day to get ready for our big day of the temple sealing and blessing at the church afterwards plus a dinner for all our guests and family. At 10:30 a.m., we got a call from LDS Family Services saying they had sent all our information to the 1st Presidency and when we get a call from our Stake President or Bishop, we could then schedule the temple sealing. I was totally confused! It seams that the birthmom had been sealed to her ex husband many years ago and we were never told! So more stress and trauma. My family still came in from Vegas and Pleasant View for the blessing - which was very nice. Simon loved the attention and we had plenty of food for all those that came. The weather turned from rain to snow - which I loved and so I felt as if the heavens were praying for us too.