I think you need smaller columns. It’s just not realistic to think that we’re going to stick with the existing columns. The only reasons you were able to check those boxes the last couple of times is that the CCAA took six or so weeks to do what they used to do in about four weeks.

The static columns are useful because they are static. They allow us to see changes over time. But the static columns are also less helpful for longer term projections because they are static. As you recognized in your most recent long-term projection post, the CCAA is making fewer and fewer NSN referrals.

May I suggest that you add two new columns? One is “Fall/Winter 2009 Slow.” The other is a “Downward Path” slow. The Fall/Winter one could be a static model adjusted for the amount of referrals actually done in the recent calender months (referrals six weeks apart would be statistically treated as a month and a half’s referrals). The Downward Path column would follow your worst case long-term projection for the decrease in referrals. Unfortunately, your worst case long term scenario looks like a middle-of-the-road scenario to me.

All that said, thanks for doing all the hard work that allows the rest of us to nit pick.

A lot of feelings today.

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LID 04/03/06

My wife and I feel your pain, however, you actually didn’t say anything that I was afraid to say. In fact I don’t feel as if they’re standing over a table and trying to JACK us around… so you didn’t quite speak for us. Just like you, we’re very disappointed with the outcome.

We too are going through another Christmas without our little girl and it looks as if the cut-off is a day before our login 04/06. But, our agency warned us that IA is very unpredictable and asked if we were still interested in pursuing this type of adoption.

We have choices here and we can choose to respect another country’s situation and another diverse culture. This culture thinks differently than we do, and they’re not wrong just because they do things differently. We certainly haven’t cornered the market on how to do things right. I don’t believe they are jacking us around at all, otherwise, we wouldn’t still be in line for a child. This whole thing would be shut down. We can choose to be thankful that we are still waiting and not shut out of it or we can choose to boil over circumstances that are not in our control.

Money doesn’t buy us entitlement to a life, I personally believe that the CCAA are very concerned in finding parents for these beautiful little people and at the same time trying to deal with cultural mores and constantly changing political and economical situations.

If these children are finding loving parents all over the world and within their own country… isn’t that enough to cheer about. A word of caution that we don’t begin to think that something underhanded is going on. Again, I’m very disappointed and it pains me every time I have to wait (trust me I’m a papa who dreams daily and prays daily for whoever God eventually allows us to raise)

Hold onto your dreams and stay focused on the day you will hold your little child in your arms for the first time. Don’t allow this wait to change those dreams and eventually rob your joy on the day that your child comes. Personally, I believe our choices, either for what can be positive or what could lead to negativity, could change who we become later on.

And in this situation that later on involves a beautiful little girl.

Now, if this is true am just going to scream so loud that Kristy in Texas will hear me…
I’m sick of the wait just like everyone else and being we’re LID 08-08-06 it just may never happen for us!! It really does suck knowing today is our 4th Christmas without our Emma….just how many more are going to pass us?

So that being said i’m really happy for the next group of families who will be seeing the faces of their beautiful children for the first time…CONGRATS!!!

http://thejolivanafamily.blogspot.com