INS approval arrived

"It has been determined that you are able to furnish proper care to an orphan as defined in Section blah blah of the Immigration and Nationality Act."

In the whole scheme of the paperwork trail that we have followed in the international adoption process, getting approval from INS may seem trivial (although if we didnt get that approval, we werent going to be able to adopt Marat!) but I am a total sucker when it comes to this stuff.

I am the person who walks thru Immigration at Newark airport, after being out the country for a week, and gets tears in my eyes when I see the American flag hanging near the sign that says "Welcome to the United States."

I am the person who gets goosebumps when the US Immigration officer stamps my passport and says "Welcome Home."

I am the person who will bawl her eyes out when we land in Newark airport next year, with Marat in tow, and he becomes an American citizen as soon as those airplane wheels hit the ground.

I guess this is why I am the person who is telling my blog world that INS approved our application to adopt a child. Oh and did I mention that I cried when I read it?