I think my neighbors are related to the Griswolds!

I was walking Frosty last night. It was about 36 degrees and windy and drizzling rain and dark already, but my neighbors were up on the roof of their 2 story house putting up their Christmas lights on the edge of their roof. They had no flashlights or other lights up there so I couldn't actually see them, but you could see the Christmas lights moving and hear them talking. The whole time we were walking, I kept thinking of Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation and I was waiting for one of them to slide off the roof. No one did while I was watching, but I think they are a little nuts. My neighborhood always has a bunch of people who try to be the first one to turn their Christmas lights on Thanksgiving night, but we still have almost 2 weeks to go!

Lots of families are traveling in other regions, but my region is still going slow. So chances are I will not be traveling until next year. I am at the 5 months since region assignment point so it is starting to get old. Originally, I was told 3-4 months from region, now they are saying more like 6-8. We'll see what they say when I get to 6-8 months wait!

Just a rather sad note on the families in Esik. If you remember, I was briefly assigned there, but moved to Shymkent. I never went into details, because some families were still fighting to bring their children home, but it has finally ended for those families and not in a good way. Last December, a judge in Esik decided that he did not like International Adoption and refused to schedule court dates. This was not told to families traveling last December and they met and bonded with children for 2 or more weeks, but were unable to get a court date to finalize the adoption. At least one family has been fighting since then to get a court date. After involving the embassy and anyone else they thought could help, they finally got a court date a few weeks ago, but the judge refused to grant the adoption and it seems like their options are at an end. They may come up with another plan, but it does not look good at all. So even though I hate waiting, I would much rather wait to travel to a region where I know the court is favorable to adoption, than to travel quickly to a region where it is not. The Kaz judge's rulings are within the laws of Kaz for adoption, but you just have to feel sad for the families who met a child and fought for a year to bring the child home, only to fail in the end.