Anticipation & Peace

Per usual, I have been sharing snippets about our adoption on Facebook and forgetting to update the blog.

The last year has been quite fruitful with our adoption!  Last November we raised another $2,000, taking our fundraising grand total to $15,000.  We continue to be in awe of the support we have received!  We took our adoption classes last January, and completed our home study in the spring (with a move to Green Mountain in the middle).  We officially signed our home study in May.  On average, families at our agency wait to be matched for 1-2 years after completing their home study.  We have asked not to be notified every time an expectant mother views our profile book.  Our case manager only reaches out if she has questions, which has been 3-4 times so far.

I allowed the first half of the fundraising and the home study to cause me a lot of anxiety.  While we wait with anticipation, we also wait with peace.  We trust God's timing in it all.  Also, I learned that I do not get a paid maternity leave, so I am relishing the time to save up PTO.

We took most of the year off from fundraising, but with $10,000 left to raise, we decided to buckle down again.  We have a beard contest fundraiser happening from Black Friday until Giving Tuesday.  We timed the contest with No Shave November and National Adoption Month.  The fundraiser will take place on Facebook.  We have 9 men participating.  Votes will cost $5, and the winner will receive 10% of the funds raised back in cash.  Keep an eye on my Facebook page starting Friday!

I am also in the beginning stages of planning a clothing swap fundraiser for February, so stay tuned!

Thanks for following our journey.  Your prayers and support have made all of this possible.

Home Sweet Home Study

Hello friends!  I have posted several snippets about our adoption home study, and I have finally carved out a little time to write a more cohesive update.

As I mentioned in my last blog post in October, we planned to start our home study in the new year.

We have several small projects to complete before the home study, and we have tackled half of them so far.  We have some more child proofing and painting to do, as well as setting up the baby's area.  I have had a lot of anxiety about finishing these tasks, but I am definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I e-mailed and our case manager on December 29 (exactly three years since we started the process) to check in about her timeline.  Much to our surprise, she asked us to start immediately.  We submitted our initial paperwork between January 5 and 9.  The paperwork will take around a month to clear.  Once the paperwork clears, we will schedule a date for our formal home study.  Our case manager estimates that will take around a month.  If all goes according to plan, we will be in the "active pool" of families by mid March.

On January 19 and 26, Wes and I will attend full day adoption classes with Lutheran Family Services.  We both look forward to taking the next step forward in this journey.  We have so much to learn and it will be great to connect with other families.

For now, please pray for us.  I definitely need prayer for my anxiety about the process.  Wes could use prayers for better sleep.  James has a mix of excitement and nerves, so please pray for him through this transition.  Thanks for being with us on this adventure.