Home Study Begins

This week was our very first home study visit.  We are required to complete four visits with our caseworker where she learns everything she can about our family.  She then types out our life story, talks about our kids, speaks on our capabilities as parents, etc.  Our first visit went very well!  Of course, for me it's sort of fun sitting down with a complete stranger and sharing my life story.  I may be weird in that way but I have a very complex life that God has guided me through and which has molded me into the person I am today.  It's cool to share God's work in me and my husband!  Kids loved it too because we dropped them off at Aunt Lauren's apartment and they got to hang out with her for a couple of hours. :)

Also, this week, I've been working with a friend to do a garage sale.  This is one way we're trying to raise funds for our adoption.  I'm so incredibly blessed because one friend contributed a LARGE amount of stuff for us to sell.  Another friend stopped by just today and said she'd bring over more stuff tomorrow!  How exciting!!!  I keep praying that God will GROW the money we make.  I know we won't make $25,000 in a single garage sale but whatever we get will get us closer than before!  God has a hand in this and shows himself daily to me.  God's math is perfect and we know he'll provide.

Food for thought:  If 200 of my Facebook friends donated just $125.00, we would have all the funds required to bring him home.  200 is a guest list for a wedding.  There are so many ways to think about it; but for me, it just doesn't seem so bad when I break it down like this.

I leave you with this verse that has uplifted me:

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  

~Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Paperwork & Stuff

Now that we have pre-approval, we are in the thick of paperwork.  While I'm not surprised by the amount of paperwork, I am surprised at some of the silly rules China has about dates.  We are required to submit an original of our marriage and birth certificates and they cannot be older than six months old.  We've been married for 11 years.  So, obviously that's out of date.  We are only slightly older than six months.  So, those are "expired."  Basically, what that means is we have to send a request off to the State of Indiana for new certificates which will have a new issue date.  That issue date has to be less than six months from when China receives our paperwork in order for China to consider it valid.  Make sense?  I didn't think so!  But it is a formality.

In other news, an online adoptive mother provided us with links upon links upon links to pictures and videos that include our little Jordy.  The sheer amount was actually overwhelming.  What a blessing to see, through pictures, our Jordy growing and living a "normal" life in China.  It's also sort of heartbreaking because so many adoptive families do not get many pictures at all.  We have over fifty!  These kids are clearly special to their caretakers.

This little guy on the right has a family coming for him as well.  So exciting.

I have so much to share but I will do it in small bits mostly because of my time constraints.  Like right now, I have one screaming child because I won't let her have Halloween candy.  However, this said child also has not eaten her lunch.  Life is rough at two especially with this mom and dad.  :)