Speed bumps ahead

A few posts ago, I wrote of the sporadic correspondence from the Ecuadorean Consulate in Atlanta, since then I have had some better response time, but...I am still learning the "be flexible" lesson. This week, it wasn't the consulate so much, as it was the "document expediter", here's the story. We must get our birth certificates, and marriage license apostilled by the Secretary of State in which they were issued, for us, California. I found an expediter online, and started emailing questions, told him we were going to be there and could do it in person, blah blah. His advice was better early than late, so I decided to to ahead and mail them. He received them on Friday, and found that the marriage license we had was not certified, so he mailed it back to us,  it's a hiccup, stay calm, no big deal. But wait,bad news...UPS scheduled delivery, the day AFTER we fly to Idaho and California, to be gone a week! I panic, my heart sinks, how could this hiccup get worse!?! 

So, I take a deep breath, and email the expediter my predicament...his advice, call UPS and have them re-route the package. Huge sigh! Seems rather simple now, thank goodness we had a professional in pocket! So I'll have the documents delivered to our hotel in Boise, will order a certified copy of marriage license to be mailed directly to the expediter, who then will take to Secretary of State for apostille, and it should be waiting for us when we get back to NC... Fingers crossed

We also have criminal background checks in process, that hopefully will be waiting for us when we get back, because we have to then send them to Raleigh to the Secretary of State for apostille. More hoops to jump through, and of course more opportunity for speed bumps, the good news is all the things we are doing here, is less we have to do when we get there, and it's MUCH easier here. The last of the hurdles will take place the last 10 days here in the states. Taking the dogs to the vet for vaccines and health certificate. We then have to take the health certificate to the USDA certified vet in Raleigh for his approval and stamp, Then have it translated and notarized, THEN take it to the Ecuadorean consulate in Atlanta for their blessing before we fly! ( ok, it's not really a blessing, but it feels that way) oh yeah, our appointment with the consulate...the day before we fly out! No pressure!! Deep breath, be flexible!