those are MY kids...

After our awesome trip to the zoo, we got some incredibly bad news.  Our attorney, who is responsible for finalizing the adoption, called and told us that our finalization date had been set for November 7th.  Which is very exciting, but also very far away!  I called her back and asked her why it was so far away (the kids are supposed to qualify for an expedited hearing = 60 days).  Well much to our shock, surprise, and horror she informed me that the birth parents had in fact appealed to the AZ Supreme Court to maintain their parental rights.
I thought I was going to puke.  I couldn't believe it.  We had been assured back in March and April that the appeal was settled and the time had passed for the parents to make a second appeal.  WRONG!  Apparently the parents did in fact get an extension and did in fact put in for a second appeal.  And all this time, nobody informed us. 
I started making phone calls and sending emails to any and everyone who had access to this information and didn't let us know.  We had been planning on finalizing in August with no problems or complications and now I was terrified.
Finally, the kiddos' attorney called me back and talked me off the emotional cliff I was dangling from.  He told me that it isn't common, but it isn't uncommon for second appeals to happen.  With that being said, he has been doing this a long time, and he has never had the Supreme Court accept one.  Which is good news, because that means our chances are good.  Or bad news, because if they do accept it, we are this guy's first rodeo. 
So what does this mean exactly?  The kids' attorney told me we should find out within the month if the AZ Supreme Court chooses to take the case.  They are in the process of reviewing partial recods from the original hearings now.  If they choose to hear the case, we are in for a many month process.  If they choose to deny the case, it is all over.  The birth parents have no more appeals and the kiddos are officially free to be adopted.  Which means we can move forward, full steam!  And hopefully get the finalization date moved up so that we don't have to wait until November.
But in the meantime, I am praying my guts out.  I had a nightmare the other day that we had to pack the kids up and take them to their birth parents.  I couldn't sleep much after that.  I would die.  It is not even to be considered.
Of course, Mack is the optimistic one.  Which is a good thing, because one of us needs to be.
Gosh I love my kids.  I know that this will all work out how it is supposed to.  I just hope that what is supposed to happen is what I want to happen.  And in the meantime I am developing an ulcer and checking the case status every hour.