We are approved. Our life (well, at least the written version of our life!) is being transported to America World Adoption Agency in Virginia. There it will be reviewed to make sure that all the information needed for Ethiopia is included. The home study will be sent back to Hope's Promise where it will then be sent to our Colorado State office.
At that point we will patiently wait (hopefully for just a week) to get our letter of approval and then we can make our appointment to get fingerprinted. Once those fingerprints are completed we will wait patiently again (this time up to 60 days) for our immigration form. Once that comes back, the dossier will be complete and we will be able to send it to Ethiopia and get put on the waiting list.
We are praying that the letter will be here before the second week of June when we head to Florida for most of that month visiting Matt's mom.
Home Study is DONE!!!
My baby's Mother...
So I've been thinking about our adopted daughter's mother a lot lately. I've blogged about that a few times. For you mothers with your adopted children at home with you, do you ever still think of her? Do you ever wish that you could have just one conversation with her? Ask her questions like...
Why are you choosing to adopt your child? Does your heart hurt so bad sometimes that you want to be swallowed by it? Do you dream of your daughter or son? What are your dreams for their lives? Do you want her to be a strong and independent woman? What kind of family do you wish your child will have? How do you want her hair to look? Who does she look like? Does she have your eyes, your dad's toes? Did she get that lovely voice from you? Can you believe that she is walking across a stage and getting that college degree? Did you ever imagine that your child would be such a brilliant, wonderful, tender individual?
I want to know those things. I am trying to find how I can reconcile the fact that I won't know these answers for our adopted daughter. I can look at Tobin's feet and know that they are his aunt's (yes, Aunt Sissy...they are yours!) I can see all the incredible drawings Caroline comes up with and immediately think of my Grandmother Pat and her amazing artwork.
I desperately want to have those same thoughts and answers for our daughter. Why can't I give her the same answers? Why does it have to be so unfair?
I would love to hear your thoughts in this part of the adoption journey.
Why is the world (at least the running world) against me?
I've been an absentee blogger for the past week. I've been dealing with a lot of pain and we have finally found the cause (at least we think we have found the cause). And one of the solutions (for now I'm promised) is no running.
See, I had that ONE day of great running...last Monday to be exact! Then the another doctor told me no running for another three weeks. I am still mad. Why is that the one thing that I LOVE to do, that helps me be a better mom, that gives me life and fuels that fierce competitive side in me is taken away for now?
I've been reflecting on this all week. Maybe I'm supposed to rest. What a novel idea huh? Maybe I'm supposed to get this running craze put into perspective. What was once a fun hobby had lately become a competition internally to see how far I could run, what personal records I could beat? Goals are good but at the cost of spending time with my family, just to beat a record? Really that important, I don't think so?
So I'm still listening to all my hip hop and rap music (yes, I do love the latest rap and dance mixes...any suggestions send my way!) and swimming and spinning. And I will allow my body to heal and prepare for a reclaimed hobby.
Launching the Red Letters Campaign
The Red Letters Campaign is a grassroots movement of Christians who are dedicated to eliminating poverty by living out our faith.
This movement was inspired by Tom Davis' book, "Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds."
One of the first projects the campaign will work on is orphan care in Ethiopia. Watch the movie below and check out the site. I'll be blogging more about this soon.
Ever have one of those days?
My continued relationship with Mr. Ramsey's plan
So, it's been six weeks since we've started the dreaded "envelope" system. I started this cash only plan on a high, convincing myself that this indeed, is the "best thing" to do as we continue writing checks to various agencies for our adoption. (If I may regress a bit...how much money does the FBI really need to process my fingerprints...I mean really, $700 plus? Who gets that?--I know, I know...there is an explanation for everything, I just would like to get paid that much money to paste people's prints on paper and make them wash up in the sink next door.)
I have found this entire plan to be hard work. I have been internally fighting the voices that say "this is like being a child on an allowance." See, being raised a missionary kid, we lived on support (people and churches generous money donations so we can live overseas and do mission work). My parents were responsible with that money and while we didn't live a poor life, we lived within our sometimes very limited resources.
Fast forward to now, I am having to wrestle with that concept again. That God has given us resources to live and I need to be responsible in how I use them. Just like I go crazy with recycling now, I know that this cash only concept will sink in at one point. Until then, I do the angel/devil on the shoulder thing several times a day.
Challenges are hard aren't they? I want to teach my children responsibility with time, talent and treasure. The best way to do that is through example. So Dave, I am still on your bandwagon and I'll keep the internal cursing to a minimum now!
Finally....I can run!
