Emmeline

Emmeline

Lilypie Waiting to Adopt tickers

Lilypie Waiting to Adopt tickers

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

We Passed!

We had our second and final homestudy today and we passed!  Now, we have to wait to get our finalized paperwork and submit our immigration forms.  Then, we submit our dossier and get put on the list.  I imagine the next couple of steps will take at least a month, but at least this hurdle is behind us.  A big thanks to Fred, our homestudy case worker.  He was so nice!  On to the next step!!!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Home Study Numero Uno

Our first home study is on Tuesday!  We are excited about it.  I can't really say that I am nervous.  The other adoptive moms have said that it isn't a big deal.  Hopefully, my house won't look like a tornado came through it!  As long as the children don't beat on each other, I think we are okay.  Just in case, we'll keep our fingers crossed...

Sunday, November 14, 2010

The Next Baby Steps

So, for those of you following this, you may be wondering what is next.  To be honest, I am kind of thinking the same thing.  I have been taking things step by step because I am not exactly sure what is required of me to pass the next step.  I know that we need to get our home study done.  Hopefully, we can do that in the next couple of weeks.  I would love to have that done before Thanksgiving, but it is hard to say if we can make that happen.  Then, we wait for that to be finalized and we file our immigration papers.  That basically is permission for Troy and I to adopt from Ethiopia.  Once we get that, our dossier is complete and we submit it to Holt who sends it to Ethiopia.  We get placed on a waiting list and we wait for a call!  Once we get that call, we travel to Ethiopia for one week and while there, we meet our little girl and go to court.  Hopefully, we will pass that and then we go home.  I believe that we are here again for about two months.  The last step is to go get our daughter and bring her home!  That last part is the best!  Thank you again to everyone that has supported us thus far.  You have no idea how much this means to me.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Classes Done! (at least for now)

Troy and I attended classes today and yesterday for the adoption.  It was in LeGrand, IA which is close to Marshalltown.  They went relatively quickly and we met some nice people.  We are one step closer to meeting our little girl.  We hope to hear from our social worker next week and get our home visits done.  Then, we wait and then more paperwork!  It is never ending, but I am not complaining.  We are doing our t-shirt fundraiser and have just started a coffee fundraiser as well.  We hope we get a lot of support....tickets to Ethiopia are very expensive! 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

T-Shirts For Sale!

Our first big fundraiser is selling t-shirts!  They are $10 per shirt and profits will go toward our travel expenses!  The front will just have one little picture on it and the back will have a larger picture of Africa with an adoption quote.  I am not sure about the color of the shirt, but the writing will likely be orange.  Please let me know if you are interested!  Thanks so much!  I will post pics when I get them!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Keeping My Distance

I had a thought tonight.  With all the paperwork and such on my mind, sometimes you lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel.  But, one must go on!  I was just thinking of the moment when my daughter is handed to me.  I can almost feel her in my arms.  I don't know what she looks like, but I can feel her.  This is the first time that I have thought about that.  Since our infertility issues, I have learned to never get too excited about things, because sometimes things just don't work out as planned.  Thankfully, I have three beautiful and sweet little boys, but it wasn't an easy road.  I have kept a comfortable distance from the feelings that I have about this little girl that is in my mind.  I have not really let her into my heart yet because I am fearful that things, again, may not work out.  Tonight though, I am feeling some changes.....changes that bring me to believe that this is going to happen...that this little girl will be here, although maybe not in my timing but in His, and that she will have a mommy and daddy and three brothers that will love her.  I simply cannot wait to hold her and tell her how much I love her. 

Thursday, November 4, 2010

There's Always Something

So, Holt called today and they got our fingerprints back!  Yay!  BUT, and there is always one, they need two more things from us.  Troy's TB results, which he already sent once but apparently were lost, and a water test.  Now, had I known that they still needed these things, I would have done it long ago!  Those of you that know me well realize that I don't procrastinate anything!  So, the two little boys and I went out to the Dept. of Health to pick up a water test kit and guess who is at a meeting all day...ugh.  But, I did grab a bottle for a sample and will take it tomorrow.  Troy got on his horse and sent in another form.  I am hoping everything is received next week and we can start our home study!  I am just so thrilled that our fingerprints finally made it!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Our Passports Are Here!

Troy's passport came in the mail yesterday, so that was great to see.  We are still, unfortunately, waiting for our fingerprints!  Arg!  It will be a beautiful day when those finally arrive!  It is seeming to me, though, that this may never happen.  I am starting to believe that they are lost somewhere.  Let's hope not.  Hopefully this week will bring good news for us.  We have our classes next weekend, and my wish was that our prints would be back by then.  I honestly didn't think it would be an issue, but now I question that.  **Sigh**