The Feds...

Amy let me know today that our home study, forms and check was delivered to USCIS (Citizenship and Immigration) this morning by Fed. Ex! I don't know that I should be excited about that cuz it is now in the federal government's hands and could take forever, but I guess it just feels more real, ya know. Because until now, it's just been stuff between us and lifeline and a little with the state. But now we really are requesting our government to let us bring in another U.S. citizen! I don't know why it feels cool, but it does. I pray for a swift "red tape" process. I know it will be affirmative but I just don't like all the waiting. It is the federal government you know....and I can say that because Eric works for the feds...so technically I am married to the "Man that is keeping me down." Hee hee.

I 800A Form

Okay so the home study is officially totally completed and ready to be sent to CIS. I got the "go ahead" to bring in the I 800A form that is the form you complete to send to CIS to see if they will allow you to bring a child into the United States to be a citizen. So, 16 pages later and a check for $890.00 and we are set. I dropped it off at Lifeline today and Amy told me yesterday that she would mail it with the home study on Friday.

Garage Sale for Baby!

God is so faithful! My sweet friend Holly suggested a garage sale to raise money for the adoption about 2 months ago. I liked the idea and so started telling a couple people about it. Another dear friend Ana began cleaning out her home to sell it and saved all her "giveaways" for our sale. Five other families contributed to the sale, and it was like the fishes and the loaves. On sale day we started dragging out the stuff and it just kept pouring out! We had a great sale and made $350.00! Huge success for a garage sale in my opinion. I had put on the signage that it was an a "raising money for adoption" sale and several people just handed me money. One sweet lady even came back and gave me two precious dresses for Eden and the new baby (if it's a girl) to wear! It was a really neat day. We met so many people who either had adopted or were themselves adopted. I enjoyed the day immensely! I loved getting to spend time with my friend Holly and I loved talking with so many people. Another amazing friend drove over to our home at "o'dark early" to get our truck to go back to their home to bring us some stuff. God has sure blessed us with amazing loved ones to share our lives. It's humbling. This morning at church our pastor asked for an update and an estimate of how much the total adoption would cost. I told him just under $30 thousand and he looked so shocked. He asked how we were managing it and had we been saving for it. I was pleased to answer honestly and confidently by saying, "No, we don't have the money but God keeps bringing it in and we are not concerned. We will apply for grants and send out support letters soon, but in the end we know that God will provide." If any of you really know me, for me to say this and mean it is huge! God has been doing quite an overhaul in my heart with regards to money lately and I am so glad that I am free to say..."I'm not worried." I mean really is worrying going to bring any money in? Nope. Plus, it's just a sign of not trusting in God's provision. He ordered this baby, it is a gift he is giving us, he'll pay for it. (smile) And we can't wait to receive his gift!!

If God Orders It...He'll Pay For It!

So the title of this blog is my mantra. If God orders something in your life, he will pay for it! I believe this and I continue to see it play out as truth throughout this process. With the home study completed we will start applying for grants once the final copy is sent to us. Yay! I know we won't hear from many places till the last moment which makes planning difficult but who cares if the money comes! So I am now praying that we apply for the right grants at the right organizations. I don't really know the process but I'm sure I'll get up to speed soon enough. Our agency has a workshop on how to adopt without debt scheduled for September, we will be going to that. Also, we have a garage sale planned for this weekend with all the proceeds going towards the adoption. I kinda want to throw up thinking about it, since I am writing this blog from my Florida getaway with Eric, and I'm totally unprepared for said garage sale. However, one of my dear friends is helping me with it, Holly, love this girl! So that is my strength! I will cover the garage sale in a later blog, if we get $5.00 it is 5 more than we had! So I'm thinking that anything is success!

Home Study is Finished

Okay so finally we have our home study finished, and by finished I mean we have turned in all that we are required to turn in. We are lacking a couple references but Amy (social worker extraordinaire) is going to call the remaining 3 people. So now we wait. At least for the most part.

Our home study goes to our state DHR (Department of Human Resources) for approval. Once we get their approval they will send our home study to CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services). Somehow during this time we also will send our I-800 form requesting citizenship for our new child and our Dossier will be completed as well I believe. A Dossier (pronounced dos-e-a) is comprised of 8 documents. Most of which are already on file. Once CIS determines that we can indeed bring a child into the country as a U.S. citizen, then the dossier goes to China. We wait for a LID (log in date), this is when China says that they have our paperwork and we can adopt. Once we get this then it is "game on" to be matched with a child. Our agency will handle most of that but if we find a child on the shared list, a list we only have access to once we get a LID, then we can request any child we find on said list. Sigh, is anyone exhausted yet? After we get our match then it is roughly 5 months before we can go and get our child to bring home.

So now, for the most part, it really is a waiting game. We get emails from our agency periodically of waiting children and just last week we received an email with links to about 60 children in a special needs orphanage in China. Our agency is partnering with them now and so we had access to the videos. It was enough to make me scream, I want them all! So precious. Noah watched a couple videos with me and was quite taken with a few children. I wanted him to look at the videos with me so he could see what some of the special needs look like...for example, clef palette and lip. That one was shocking but he gets it now and is not as taken aback. He also saw a little boy with his left foot missing and a brace on the other one...this is the boy that Noah really liked. I really liked a little girl who had on her right hand only her thumb and one opposing finger. Noah's first reaction was, "Cool Mom! She is a T-rex!" Coming from anyone else that would have been totally inappropriate. But if you know Noah, then you know his love for T-rex, and you know that was a total compliment.

So we will sit and wait on the Lord. It is a good place to be.