More Confusion and Delays

First my welcome bags where delayed and still at home because of wrong information. Today I found out that my dossier cannot be moved or mailed anywhere because my homestudy has not come back from the final stage. I guess what happens is that once the homestudy is written, it gets the final stamp of approval from this one lady who doesn't work in the office. I was told my homestudy was given to her on the 19th but the dossier lady said it didn't get to her until the 27th.

I know this is in God's timing but boy some testing is going on here. At least I know nobody is messing with my kids. That is when I get mean and will turn on them but that I was assured again today that my kids are in my files and safe with my family. Okay and that was my main thing to get accomplished.

I often wonder if they even know each other or are playing with each other. I am going to find out sooner or later.

Welcome Bags Delayed

Arghh, I just want to scream. I called the agency today and told them that my welcome bags would be on the way. They said since I hadn't signed my placement papers I could not mail them. Another day of misunderstanding, but oh well. Hopefully I will get that agreement in the mail soon. The dossier lady just returned on the 27th so I am sure she is swamped! I don't know where my file is in the pile but I understand there are quiet a few.

The Kids' Welcome Bags

I couldn't resist. I got the kids' welcome bags done the weekend after the social worker was here. The first one is B's. He got a soccer ball, a football, and a matchbox car. My son loves balls.

The second one is for H. She got a doll, a Dora move around puzzle, and a squishy ball.

Note that all of this has to fit in a gallon clear bag and cannot be stuffed when closing. It also has to be under $10.00 (the toys). They also got a shirt each with our pics, a photo album with 15 pics in each album (both by the way have the exact same pics) and a disposable camera. I will mail this to the office tomorrow and they should get it on Thursday. They next time a staff is flying to ET they will hand it to the kids. I have no clue when this will be. Could be in a few weeks or months. When my children each get their bag, all the other children will know that my two have a FOREVER FAMILY. AHHH. Just the thought of it. I am not so sure what 4 year olds will do with a disposable camera but I guess we will see the results sooner or later or never if I ever get the camera back with any pics.

H's Description

H is my 4 year old girl. Her mom is still alive but ill and mom doesn't know anything where her dad is. She could not take care of H anymore.

Her report does not say very much but:
H is a smiley, sociable, and a friendly communicative child. She needs the proper care and love. She is inadequately nutritional and her weight is low.

I heard from Erin that that she is very energetic and is very good with her Amharic and that she kept repeating many English words when they were over there in February.

She is just a darling and I have a feeling she is going to be the feisty one. One the video she looks very petite. But I tell you, watch out for this little girl. I just have that feeling.

B's Description

B is my boy. He is four + years old. Both of B's parents are deceased.

Description:
B is an active boy who likes to play and run around. He is cheerful and smiling all the time. He is friendly and sociable with all the children around him young or old. He likes to play soccer and basketball with balls larger than his size. He is a happy boy with a good attitude towards adults. He has good feeding and sleeping habits. He likes to eat injera and soup; he also likes to drink milk. He is potty trained and likes to be clean and tidy. He a leader type and intelligent.

What a sweet, wonderful personality. I also love his two easy favorite foods. It will be easy to please him as long as I learn who to fix injera.

His personality sound a lot like Kevin's. I am so blessed and I am so blessed.

Third One is a Charm

I found out today from my friend Laci that she saw my future son on a video and they said on the video that he was actually chosen by a Spanish couple first but they turned him down. Then he was chosen by an American couple and they changed their mind. This is sad but so sweet for me because he is now referred to me.

I WON'T GIVE UP

Yesterday I got that little daily verse below from my calendar at work and it made me think of Laci who is having problems with our immigrations office but also for myself.

God wants to use you - stumbling and all. But He won't do so if you refuse to get up. (Charles Swindoll)

Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk". John 5-8

I have been at my adoption journey since 2006 (without not wanting to get into further details at the moment) and now 3 x I have heard, 2x just lately, maybe it's you wanting to adopt and you are not letting God lead the way. God has always been in this journey all the way even though I don't express myself as some do about how God is leading them. When everyone has told me don't do it anymore, I kept going and going and I will keep going until my CHOSEN children come home. As long as my husband has my back I am fine because I already have God's back.

When I found the agency I am with right now, I kept saying, why haven't I found them back in 2006 I would have had children home by now. The reason was obvious. It was not my time yet because God wanted me to learn patience and suffer during this process. And have I suffered.

I have always wanted to adopt sibling groups but the children that were referred where always single children. So when I saw my little girl on the video I knew I wanted her badly. But she was alone, no sibs. It's is impossible for me to adopt non sib groups with my agency that are not related except if they are under 5.

There was this little boy that I loved on the video. He was my absolute fav. But the list said that he was already placed! So I never bothered to inquire. Two nights before the social worker came to our house I was going back and forth with Erin looking at a few pics. Suddenly, I see his name on her list. I kept telling Erin, can't be, he is taken, the list says "Placed". She says he is not but let me double check with the office tomorrow. Come to find out that the office made a mistake (yipiee) by putting "placed" on a piece of paper that goes with the video.

God is so good, so sweet, so amazing, and he blows me away every single day with the things he does in my life and leads me the way. That little guy, I know, was set aside for me. So my little girl will bring home a brother after all and she doesn't have to be lonely.

More to come on my children very soon. Just have been swamped trying to get their welcome bag together and other things.

We Are Official/Dossier & Homestudy Done

"We are Official" to have our referrals. Nobody can have the children I have chosen because I have completed my dossier and homestudy. Unfortunately, the lady that does the dossiers is in Thailand and will not return until 5/27. So I will not sign my referral papers until probably the week of May 27. If I were ever to adopt again, I would never look at the DVD of the waiting children until I am paper ready. Toooo stressful not knowing if someone else wants your kids and not knowing if they are going to be paper ready before you.

I just looked at my timeline. Today, a month ago on the day I mailed out my application, and today my referral became official. I think the hardest part is done. Well I shouldn't say that thinking about my immigrations office. That might be the biggest hurtle yet to come.

Dossier Papers Arrived

Today is Saturday and I had planned on doing my spring cleaning all day. Wishful thinking. At about 3:00 pm, my dossier papers arrived and I dropped everything I was doing and started on that. I worked on them for about 3 hours and now all I have left is the bank letter, Dr. letters, and police check. These I will place into Kevin's hands and hope with all my heart that it will be done very fast. He has that sweet personality that people will just do it when he asks. I don't get my way the way he does. Then of course I have to get most of my 20 docs notarized. My agency only wants me to authenticate 2 docs by the State. So all this work I did ahead was for nothing, that fine, only 2 docs anyway. I don't know if they mail it to the State or what. Hoping to have it all done by the time the social worker gets here on Thursday and I will just hand it to her to take back to the office.

The Best Mother's Day Gift Ever

Today I got a call from my agency and the social worker from the office will come herself to do my homestudy. She will be here on 5/15. It will take 3 hours for her to get here. She also told me that she will instruct the office to mail out dossier instructions right away.

I have been so happy all day I can't hardly contain myself. Hopefully I will get my dossier instructions tomorrow. Once I get them, I will not do anything else until my dossier is done. I have only been able to gather so much information because I didn't want to do anything double.

Well, I know what I will be doing all day tomorrow. Spring cleaning non stop. I am sooooo happy. I don't want anything else for Mother's Day. Not even a card.

I am kind of chuckling right now as I am writing this because it amazes me what gets us excited when in the process of adopting.

Homestudy Update

First off, I had a brand new homestudy (H/S) as of January 2008 but my agency didn't accept it because I am from WA. I am starting to think that the H/S part will become the most annoying part of my journey to ET. My social worker has still not called me to set up an appointment. I found out that she got the packet 12 days ago. I understand that she is new but experienced. I just don't have much patience and don't get why people have to wait this long to set something up. I do know that she has up to 6 weeks (from day she receive packet from agency) to get the written H/S to agency. So that means she only has 4 more weeks which includes my appointment and writing up the H/S.

Today I begged them to give me a new social worker so I can get moving on this. We will see what happens tomorrow. I feel like I have already started off with frustrations on her so I don't want to continue with her.

The longer I wait the bigger chance there will be that other people get the children I have chosen because they might be paper ready before me.

God will ultimately be the decision maker, that I know.

ET Education Packet

Just yesterday I paid my processing fee and today I already received the education packet. To be honest, I got myself too excited because I thought I would get my dossier instructions. This agency is way too organized. They do not side track. One thing/instruction at a time.

The Education packet looks really interesting although I wished I would have gotten it after my dossier was in and I have time to rest. But the reason they mail this out prior to dossier is so parents are prepared for the worse and can change their mind last minute to adopt before they get too far in. This probably would be more applicable to children older, like 2 and up. It is 53 pages of reading from sexual abuse to religion, older boys, hurt, anger, bonding issues and much more. I also like that I have a free social worker (in house) that I can call anytime when I experience problems once my kid/s get here.

Special verse I needed to hear

Right this moment, take that worry that is eating away at you like a rapidly growing cancer and turn it over to HIM. Refuse to brood over it any longer! Cast aside doubt and fear and leave it all with Him. (Charles Swindoll)

Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you for you will answer me. Ps 86:6-7

Docs mailed back to agency

Last night Kevin and I were up til 12:00am filling out volumes of papers to get our homestudy going. Wow, we should do this in our sleep. What a sweetheart my husband is. I truly adore him. The one thing he hates is when I suffer. That just eats at him. The minute a tear comes out of my eye he gets upset. Probably I don't cry a whole lot but seem to have more so since I have been adopting. Really it like being pregnant. Always hormonal. So as I was sitting over all these papers, Kevin knowing I don't like to sit on my papers, we did it together.

I needed him to fill out pages of personal data about himself. I had to do it too. The only thing I didn't mail back to them today is the I600A and the I600. This is really cool the way they do it. I just fill them out and they do the rest from forwarding it to immigrations to get it all back and even when the child is identified they do it all.

Received DVD and initial papers

Wow. I was told it would take about 2 weeks to hear back but I received my DVD of the waiting children today and several papers to complete for the beginning stage. The DVD was great. Lots of children on there I liked. It's just too hard to get attached to any because I couldn't claim them until all my homestudy and dossier is ready.