Home Study is finished!

I had my individual interview today. Everything went very smoothly, even though I was losing my voice due to being a little sick (just that winter crud stuff). I also handed in our completed medical forms. Our social worker said that everything looked great! And that our home study was complete! I can’t believe it!

So, the next steps…
We are to have a “Merry Christmas” and then we will gather everything together the first week of January. We have a few “loose ends” of paperwork to fill out – very simple and straightforward. Then we will be sending the home study/paperwork to DHR and then to immigration - hopefully by mid January at the latest. We are sending in a form – to have a file opened – to then fill out another form. It’s amazing how it is so simple and so confusing at the same time!
After the immigration file has been started, we will start putting the dossier together. Our social worker is projecting that we will start this in February and hopefully be sending it to China by the spring! She also told me that this is something that she and I can do together – without Daniel. This is such a blessing because he is approaching his very busy work season. God has definitely had His hand in the timing of this!

I am amazed at how smoothly things are progressing. It really shouldn’t be this easy. It is only because we are on the path that God wants us to be. We are so happy and have such joy. I know I keep saying it over and over, but for me to have such assurance, hope and joy is so extraordinary. It is only the hand of God and all of the prayers from those who love us.

Physical Day

Daniel took me to work on Friday morning so that I could be there for every minute possible. So, he came and picked me up at lunch – with Chick-fila in hand – and we hit the road.
Our appointments were for 1:30 and 2:45. But after filling out our paperwork, Daniel went back at 1:35 and I went back at 1:45. We flew right through the physicals – eye chart, medical history, hearing and stuff like that.
As we finished up, we had to pay and then go next door for lab work. All we had to pay with was a card – and the office had just started taking cards the day before! And then on to the lab – which closed at 3:00 – it was 2:30! So we were able to get in just before the nurse left for the day!
We couldn’t have asked for a day that was more blessed. Everything went so smoothly.
Oh, and we are healthy!

Details this weekend

The doctor visit went great!
Details to follow later - have to be at work early tomorrow (Sat) - 6 AM!!

Miles for Medicine

We will be heading out of town tomorrow afternoon for our physicals. This is not the most ideal time to go when it comes to my job. But the medical forms are the LAST things that need to be done. So, the sooner the better to get it done! And hey, road trip! Also, our individual interviews are coming up next week too.

Hope

Hope is "confident expectation." Hope is “a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown.” This is the hope that comes from God. This hope is not a worldly musing of “wishful thinking.” What we desire may not come in the way that we always thought it would, but in God’s plan there is hope.

Plan B

We do have a plan! Our physicals are before Christmas, not a month after. We are going to have to drive a little ways, though. But the timing is perfect. We got appointments just when we needed them and when it is the most convenient for us too! Thank you to so many of you that are praying for us on this journey. And this is answered prayer! This snag could have really gotten me down and really upset. But it is the unbelievable hope that comes from God alone that has gotten me through these first couple of worries – ever so small. So I know, without a doubt, that He will get me through the uphill battles that I’m sure we will face down the road.

Our first tiny bump in the road

Yesterday, I was worried about one thing. We still didn’t have the fingerprint results for Daniel (the background check). So the plan was that he would go get reprinted in the next week or so. A minor set back, but very manageable.

And we were both going to have our individual home study interviews and our home tour yesterday evening – our home study was going so smoothly…

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So, we did have the home tour last night, although our social worker did have to cancel both of our individual interviews. She did say that she never cancels a home tour, because, even though you don’t have to clean your house, most people do. And if you know me, you know that I did. The home tour was very easy and fast. We got extra “points” (metaphoric points) for having a carbon monoxide detector and a fire extinguisher. She said everything looked great, especially with our house decorated for Christmas!

Today, I geared up to tackle the last two major things for the home study: the fingerprints and the medical forms. Well, the fingerprint/background check was much easier than I thought it would be. His completed forms came in the mail today - no re-fingerprinting necessary. That was easy! But then when I called to get an appointment for a physical at my doctor’s office, I was surprised and disappointed when they told me that the first appointment was January 29th. I got a little upset. I don’t want something as simple as a physical examination to set us back a few months. We are so close to having our home study completed. The home study (which includes those medical forms) and other paperwork will be sent to the immigration office so that they can open a file for us. And the goal is to get these sent in before the end of the year.

But I think we have a Plan B… I’ll know this weekend hopefully!

Thanksgiving and Hope

This week, as we approach Thanksgiving, I feel that I am very thankful this year. Although we do not have children yet, I have such a strong sense of joy and peace in my heart about the future. God is guiding us on this journey. It is so amazing to personally see how far I have come since this time last year. I have hope (which pretty much didn’t exist), joy, peace, faith and even excitement. It is wonderful to enter into this time of year feeling like this – with my heart, which has been broken for so long, ready to give and receive the blessings of this season.

We had our second home study interview on Wednesday, the 14th. This time it was mainly questions about parenting. And even though we hadn’t really talked about specifics, we had the same thoughts and ideas. I believe that we are already on the path to being like-minded parents.

We also gave our social worker all the paperwork that we had completed. When I kept reaching into our file folder handing her papers, she got excited. I think she was really proud of how much we had accomplished. We have realized that this process is more of an independent study – where we have to be motivated and complete each checklist ourselves.

And before we left, she told us a little bit about the “system” in China. She also told us a little bit about our time in country. We both thought it was interesting that China has a Wal-Mart. And we found out that after arriving in the country on a Saturday, we go and get our child on Monday morning – and then she is OURS! We do have a while to wait until travel time – but when it gets here, things are going to move fast!

Little pieces, Huge puzzle

Sorry for the very long pause between blogs. We have been gathering, writing and waiting. I believe that these will be the things that will become second nature to us over the next 2 years.

Our next home study is tomorrow. And we will be handing over our portion of the home study – our signed and initialed forms, many in depth discussion questions, individual autobiographies and lots of certificates. The questions and autobiographies turned out to be easier than I thought to put on paper, but still very intriguing and time-consuming.

We did get out passports – super fast – only took about 2 weeks. We really won’t need them any time soon, but it’s good to already have them. I’ve never had one, so it was exciting to see one for the first time! And a portion of my background check filtered back to us. It is encouraging to see even some of the small pieces start to come together.

So we are heading in tomorrow with my “traveling” 5 pocket expand-a-file. Of course, already labeled and divided according to section. List made, separated and organized!

Baby Steps

We did a couple of small things on Monday. We got a few things notarized, the first of many to come. And we went to the post office and applied for passports. The agency suggests that you go ahead and do this, because they can take a long time to come back. Also, it’s nice to be ready to go – when the time comes. That time is still quite a long way away, but it was fun to be able to put the destination as China on the application!

And Tuesday, we turned in our background check paperwork. So the 6 – 8 month process for that can get started.

Besides the interview and home tour portion of the home study, we have so many forms to fill out – and lots of essay questions to answer. We are going to just have to tackle them one by one, so we don’t get overwhelmed. Taking a little step everyday is working out pretty good so far.

Inked and Organized

Our first OFFICIAL meeting with our social worker was Wednesday. We got our manual (a huge 3-ring binder) that details every step of the way - from the very first form to the details of travel. In addition, we had our first home study session - the first of four interviews. Our social worker makes it so easy, just like conversation.

With our manual in hand, we were given the task of getting started on the forms for a standard background check, including getting fingerprinted. Because these take the longest to get returned to us, they get top priority right out of the starting gate. Our meeting with the social worker was so fast, that we decided to go and get our fingerprints done. We went to the police station, and as we were waiting for our turn, we saw a sign.
“Fingerprints: 9AM – 10:45AM Wednesdays only”
Well, it was 10:05 AM on a Wednesday. We just happened upon the police station at the exact time and the exact day that we needed to be there. That was God - leading us on the right path, guiding us along the way. So we got fingerprinted – it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Plus they have these cool wipes that clean off the ink, so we didn’t have to go back to work with black fingers!

That evening, with just the first 4 forms to fill out spread across the kitchen counter, it was already confusing and complicated. I knew I needed to get organized. So after a trip to Wal-Mart to get an expanding file (and a few other organizing tools), I got my highlighter, a Sharpie and my label-maker and went to work!

My light green 19-pocket expanding file (with flowers) is pretty, functional and well-labeled! It is complete with matching notebook for making lists. We are going to have to be looking at these things for a long time – they might as well be cute! There is also the much smaller file (black and blue) for the current tasks – also more utilitarian for taking with us to get things notarized.

This journey has begun – and it’s going to be crazy – but hopefully organized!

Feelings

It has been great sharing the exciting news of adopting with our family and friends. Slowly, but surely, we are spreading the news. And everyone (thanks!) has been excited and SO encouraging. My mom said that when I was telling her about our decision that my face lit up. I guess the hope and joy that this journey brings is just visible. I can feel it in my heart.

My feelings toward beginning the adoption process are really very surprising to me. I thought that when we got to this point – choosing to adopt over having a biological child – that I would have to get used to the idea, that I would feel like I was missing out on something. I thought that I would have to settle for adoption as a good, but second, choice. It is completely the opposite. This feels like the perfect choice, the perfect path for us. I have such joy, hope, peace and excitement about this journey we are embarking on. These are feelings that I have never had, at least not this strong. And these feelings, I know, come from God and His blessings on our lives and future. We have a need and desire to have a family, and there will be a child out there that needs us as much as we need her.

The very beginning...

We begin our journey this week, to adopt a child. We have been seeking the fulfillment of a family for a while now. The many paths that we have traveled have been quite bumpy - and fruitless in giving us this dream. We have learned and grown from the trials that been a part of our search, but we have clearly been led to this path before us.

This summer, we were open to listening to what God wanted to tell us – what path we were to travel down. There was an informational meeting of a Christian adoption agency at a church VERY close to our house. This was a sigh to me that we needed to go and just hear about some of our other options in starting a family. The meeting was such a blessing. Afterwards, I was choked up with tears, joy and excitement all at the same time. This was a calling – a ministry that we could participate in, with full hearts. The China program touched my heart. This was the path for us. Both the organization of the program and the social worker in charge of it were a great fit for us, even from the overview that we heard that day.

We thought and prayed more about it. We read a book about Christian adoption. And after asking a few questions to the social worker over email and meeting with her in person, we decided this was it for us. We set a deadline for ourselves – application mailed in by the end of September.

So today we mailed the 8-page application – the very beginning of all the paperwork!