Going it Alone

Well court was good and bad today, good in that we think the judge is going to rule in our favor, bad in that it looks like our final court date will not be until Dec. 23rd!

We entered the court room with the three of us, Agim (our only representation from Bethany), the director from the orphanage a court appointed translator and the lawyer from the Albanian Adoption Committee. About two minutes into the hearing the judge asked that Mariada wait outside, so she and Agim got up and left, I thought they might be gone for a little bit but they never came back in. So Bob and I were on our own, with a translator that translated about 5% of the entire hearing. About 15 minutes in our translator was asking us per the judge for our exhibits, we had no idea what she was asking for. Then we could tell that she was getting annoyed and asking for something, the lawyer from the AAC left the court room and then the Judges assistant left, finally I asked our translator to translate. It seems that the judge had never seen our file and it wasn’t in the court room. So the lawyer and the asst. come back with a folder and we take the next hour going though it together. She asked us a few questions on why we wanted to adopt, could we not have our “own” children and what not. Then after all that she pulls out her daily planner and the lawyer and the translator start chatting, the translator turns to us and says that Mariada will have to see a physiatrist on Thursday the 16th (after court I reilized that the 16th is Wed. we still don't know which day it is) then we will have our final court date on the 23rd of December. Ah what?! Bob and I are asking our translator if we both have to be here? Is there any way we can move that up? Etc. out translator shakes her head no and that’s that! So Bob has to stay which is tough it’s the busiest time of year for him, thank goodness for e-mail and Skype.

Tomorrow we are going to see if there is any way we can get our two dates closer so that Bob can get home, so please say a prayer that the court will understand that a month is a long time to be away from work. Mariada seems OK with everything, she was very nervous going in but on the way out I asked her if she would be ready to talk to the Judge on the 23rd and she said this time it will be no problem.