Well we’re off to our educational seminar this weekend.
Family home October 20, 2007
My family just came home after being away for a whole week in Ontario. Although I enjoyed my time alone immensely, I’m glad to have everyone back together again. Dave leaves again tomorrow for business meetings. The week will be very busy with volleyball tournaments, gymnastics, and youth.
We have nothing new on the adoption front. We have two weeks to wait now until the educational seminar. Then our paperwork should be going to the Manitoba government for approval. This can take anywhere from two weeks to months depending on… well no one is quite sure! We’re hoping for the two week version!
mailing the dossier October 13, 2007
What a strange day I had today. I sealed our dossier and brought it to the mail. I found that as I passed the envelope to the woman I had a moment of panic. This is really it! Then I felt wonder that she didn’t understand the import of this envelope. I mean how could she not know that this was one of the most important moments of our lives? Why was she not asking me about it? (so dumb) Later I spoke with a friend at the mall and she said that made sense. When someone close to you dies, you walk around wondering why life isn’t stopping. I remember when my grandma died I felt the same way. I wondered why life seemed like it had stopped for me, but everyone else kept moving at such a fast pace. Today it was a happy time, but life stopped for me for a moment and I watched everyone else at the post office with wonder.
The Dossier is DONE!!! October 12, 2007
What an amazing day!! We were anticipating attending our first Ethiopian adoption support group today. It was exciting enough… But then our birth certificates came!!! We are totally done all of our paperwork now!! The post office was closed by the time we had everything put together, but tomorrow I’m off to the mail to send it to Medicine Hat. Now it’s all out of our hands…
The support group was better than I could have imagined. The best part was my daughter’s reaction on the way home. “Oh mommy, now I can’t wait!! I want a little sister like that sooooo much!” My son’s comment, “Mom I just realized that we will only meet 12 times this year (we meet once a month) and that’s not nearly enough for me! I really like those kids!” What a great place for our family as we journey this road. It will be so much easier waiting with friends.
On a different note, Dave and the kids are leaving early early tomorrow morning for a trip to Ontario with Dave’s dad. Unfortunately Mommy has to work, so I’m home alone for the first time ever! I’m secretly looking forward to it though! I can eat when I want, sleep when I want, watch movies in bed, and just relax. I don’t have to drive to the gym for a week! (I don’t really mind, but the lack of schedule is very freeing)
New friends, Old friends October 9, 2007
This week we have felt so supported by both new and old friends. It always amazes me (and baffles Dave) how women who have never met can share a bond and become close in moments. Thanks Lisa for the wonderful sharing of your journey and all the information and encouragement this week. When I think about how much we seem to have in common I know that God has given me a wonderful gift for this journey!
And then an old friend, Julie, calls to share that she and her husband are right in the process of adopting from Ethiopia! (two like us!!) They are exactly on the same timeline a we are and we are so excited to be able to go to the educational seminar with people we know!! It will be so great to re-connect again.
Then, if that weren’t enough, we are attending our first Ethiopian adoption family evening (no official name) in Steinbach this Friday. Four or five families from our church as well as Julie’s family will be there. We are not even close to being alone in this!! How amazing to have families that already have their children, those that are so close to picking them up, and a family that is journeying right along with us! God is so good. This group meets once a month and I know it will be something we all look forward to as we learn and wait together.
Thanksgiving October 6, 2007
We have so much to be thankful for this year. In addition to all the things we are usually thankful for, we are thankful that God has given us the gift of two more children. We don’t know what their names are, we don’t know what they look like, but God does. He is watching over them right now. That is amazing to me.
I wish that the world was perfect and that there wasn’t a need for adoption, but we know that is not the case. I pray that he will send just the right people to be where I can’t. I pray that he will send someone to hug them and hold them until I am there. I pray that their parents love them for the time that they can.
I am thankful today that God has given us everything we need to reach out to others. (and it doesn’t have to be much!) We have a house with an extra room, we have room in our hearts to love them, we have food to feed them, and clothes to put on them. What more do they need? What more do my own kids need? Most days it is easy to get swept into the materialism of our culture. I’m thankful for days like today when I stop and realize that we have more than enough.
Feeling much better now October 1, 2007
Wow. It’s amazing how God places people in your life at just the right time. I was at home today (recovering from strep throat) and decided to call someone from church who is also adopting with CAFAC. I don’t know her all that well, (although now I feel like she’s a great friend after one visit on the phone!) but she was just what I needed today. I was panicked over whether we were with the right agency, and had all sorts of questions. Not only did she totally reassure me that we were on the right track, I got so much information about the whole process after the homestudy is done.
One thing that was very important is that Dave and I misunderstood the ages CAFAC uses for referrals. We assumed that 0-3 was anywhere from 0-3 years 12 months. (in other words they could be three already,but not four) Apparently that is not the case. They mean under three. So we are going to be changing that as soon as possible. That will keep our waiting times down as well. (We had even considered a four year old, but want to make sure they have a year at home with us to attatch before they have to attend school)
We’re still waiting on our Manitoba birth certificates and I’m wondering if I shouldn’t have chosen to pay the extra fifty dollars to process quickly. The problem is we need them for me, and both our kids, so that’s an extra $150.00 right there. I’m praying that they come within the next two weeks. If we don’t get them by then, I might just have to pay to rush it so that our dossier is at CAFAC before November 1st.
Home Study Done! October 1, 2007
We finished and signed off on our homestudy this week! That was a highlight of the week for all of us. Now we await birth certificates…. the government is not the fastest agency….
Amist the excitement, I’m still a bit blue. I’m constantly reading blogs trying to learn as much as I can. I keep running into couples using Kidslink in Ontario. Their wait times are 10 – 12 weeks lately, not 10-14 months! I know that they are getting them quick because they are a new agency, but I still wonder about the logistics of switching some days. I know their wait times will increase, but… I’ve been reading more reports on them and the families all seem to be very happy. Hmm…. makes you wonder.
