A Change in Schedule

MOST places would have you change your schedule for them.

But when it comes to the good people we attend church with on Wednesday nights, we are thankful they were willing to switch church nights!

When we first attended the Informational meeting at AAFC, we were told the orientation classes would be held on Thursday nights.  No problem!  It was one of our two free nights throughout the week. 

But on our first home visit we were told that orientation class would be on Wednesday nights.  Now for as long as I can remember, I am headed to church on Wednesday night.  I know it is only for 12 weeks, but I sure did hate to miss.

So, I had the brainy idea to see if they would be willing to switch to Thursday nights!  We are a small congregation and knowing everyone, I didn't think it would be a problem, but there's always a incey-wincey chance it might not work for someone!  Sure enough - it wasn't a problem!  We were in the clear!  Wednesday night service would be changed to Thursday!

I do appreciate their willingness to change, to be flexible, to be understanding during these 12 weeks.  I hope they get a special blessing for being willing to have a change in their schedule.

Thank you dear ones - you know who you are.

Memorial Day Memories

I hope this is not seen as disrespectful towards the fallen heroes of our country, as that is not my intention.

We spent the day:

Josh: "Doing paperwork." (in a negative tone).

Elizabeth: "Working together to fill out the packets for the adoption process." (in an excited tone).

It was actually kind of fun to me to fill out the profile packets that detailed aspects of our childhood and how we express happiness, love/affection, anger, stress, disappointment in our lives today.  We were even asked how we were disciplined at certain ages!!  Hey dad, got any stories? :) I always tease my dad of a certain syrup incident I'm sure he's groaning about now.  But that's for another time.

We spent about 5 HOURS on the paperwork and we still have one more LONG packet to fill out together that details the same aspects again.  All of this paperwork is part of the Home Study that allows the adoption agency and the state to get a picture of our family.  That way, when a child comes up for adoption they can look through our Home Study (i.e. the profile packets) and determine if WE would be a good fit for the child.

Of COURSE we would be a good fit! :)

The packets we filled out were:
General Info (names, job, basic financial info & references)
Family Profile for Couple with No Children (family relationships, home & community)
Father Profile (Josh's "paperwork")
Mother Profile (Elizabeth's packet)

We even had to write a letter to the child and biological parents (in case they were ever to show that to them). I think we spent the most time on these; which is funny because we don't know if the biological parents would ever be given the letter; and we are hoping to have a child who won't be old enough to read!

Like I said, we still have one more hefty packet to fill out, but we have completed the necessary paperwork to start orientation/certification classes. Whew!

We have been praying for this process to go smoothly (and so far it has) and that God would prepare this child who will be coming into our lives; and that we would be prepared for him/her.

Next week we start our certification classes.  These will last through the summer months.

I Love Checklists!

I love checklists! How about you?

Do you use cute pieces of paper to fill out a list for the day or week and have the fantastic feeling of checking something off your list?  Man, it feels good!  This is the checklist we have to complete for the adoption process.  Slowly, but surely items are being checked off.

Today, I was fingerprinted at an office downtown.  The bottom of my fingers on both hands were covered in black ink.  Even the special de-greaser they had didn't get all of the black off.  Josh, ahead of the game, had his done last week (before the adoption specialist even came out).  Can you guess that someone is excited?  He had to go back again this week though, because we have to have 2 sets.  One to receive a fingerprint clearance card and one for the courts.

Below is a checklist of what will happen in the next few months:
             Attend a 12 week course to become Certified for Adoption - this starts the first week of June.
             CPR Training
             Fill out a lot of paperwork
             Have an interview with Jenn
             Home visit with Jenn
             Wait & Pray

The process to adopt a child will happen like this:
       A child is severed from their parent (these are children who have been placed in the foster care system).
       The foster family does not/cannot adopt the child.
       The CPS worker checks the Adoption Registry and picks 3-4 families who would be a good match
                  for the child.
       We get a call to see if we are interested in adopting the child.
       The adoption specialists who represent the families meet with CPS and share why their family would be
                  a good match.
       The adoption specialists leave the room.
       CPS decides on a family.
       If we are chosen, then the adoption specialist will call and set up a paper presentation where we receive
                 all of the information on the child.  At the end of that meeting we get to see a picture.
       We go home, pray and have 24 hours to decide if we want to adopt.

After that the child will be placed in our home (if we decide to adopt) in a time frame that varies with each situation, but from 1 day to 1 month.

At the end of 6 months, the adoption will be finalized!!

Sounds like a nerve-wracking process to me!  I know when a phone call comes to see if we are interested in being represented that I will be a bundle of nerves until the next phone call of joy or let down.  I also know, I will need a lot of grace during that time.  Thank goodness for access to that grace!

Jenn

Our adoption specialist!! We met her on Friday before we headed up to the Williams area for a weekend of camping (by the way, it was fun). Her and her supervisor came out to the house for our first home visit. Both Josh and I were excited and anxious for their arrival.

We woke up early that morning, worked on the church yard, our own yard and spruced up the kitchen (I had worked on the rest of the house earlier in the week).  We also packed the car for our camping trip, got cleaned up and waited...  We were exhausted.

I'm not sure what I expected, but to me she is beautiful because she is going to be a big help in our journey. I suppose it may be how a couple feels when they go to the doctor & he tells them all about their baby. She is very young and we are her first clients. I'm excited for her and I hope we can make her job easy.

They asked us a number of questions about why we'd like to adopt, etc. and then left us with a pack of paperwork to fill out.

On our way up to Kaibab Lake I read the company's policies and the many questions in our profile packets. Instead of an aching back and swollen feet I'll have writer's cramp from all the writing I'll be doing in the next couple days (sorry moms who have carried children - I know it's not a very good comparison)!

But I'm sure I'll say the same thing probably every mom has said, "it was worth it."

The Initial Questionnaire Demands Response

I have to apologize in advanced for my lack of interesting writing throughout this journey.  As a teacher (and I'm a MATH teacher) whenever I would have my students write (yes, we did do this) there were some students who could really pull my interest and I loved to read their papers.  Unfortunately, I did not refine this skill.  So, if I tend to be factual and a little uninteresting at times, you will understand it's my number side coming out.

Thankfully the wait from the adoption specialist didn't take long.  We sent in the Initial Questionnaire on May 13, 2013, the day after Mother's Day.  I e-mailed it to a lady I had been in contact with at the agency, she placed our Questionnaire in her supervisor's box and notified me that I would be receiving a call from the adoption specialist assigned to us, within a couple days.  A COUPLE DAYS?  I wanted them to call me right then!!  Ahh well, a little patience is always in order.

On May 14th while I was at work the adoption specialist assigned to us left me a message.  YES!!  She wanted to set up a time for her and her supervisor to come on the first home visit.  I seem to have a knack for trying to complicate things - Josh simply says "that will work" even if it's not the best time so after a little bit of phone/e-mail tag a time was set.

Friday, May 17th at 1:30 pm we will have our first home visit.  I'm not sure all the meeting will entail other than they will be finding out about us and we will learn what we need to do in order to adopt.

The Initial Questionnaire Question #1 poses "Please describe why you want to adopt or provide foster care."
Josh and I responded:
We would like to provide a safe, loving environment and family for a child/children who might otherwise not benefit from this type of situation.

Does that sound official enough? Why DO people want children?  To love, to laugh, to hold.  Ahhh, little one we so look forward to you being with us...

Beginning

The beginning of our specific journey started when Erin (Josh’s sister) mentioned a couple at her church had adopted through the state of Arizona.  Not fostering.  Not thousands of dollars.  ADOPTION of two beautiful children.

Erin contacted the agency they had gone through, Arizona Adoption and Foster Care (AAFC), and forwarded a response e-mail to me.  Here’s what she said:

                Here’s a response and info on that adoption agency my friend used :)

                Should we go to the May 7^th info meeting together just to find out more?

                Hope you & Josh had a great weekend!!

                Love,

                E

I received this e-mail on April 28^th, 2013.

I did NOT want to go.  I wasn’t against adopting.  But it wasn’t my dream.  We all know about dreams and feeling like we would miss out on something unless we get exactly what we want.

Josh was ecstatic.  He would go to the moon and back for this, but he was always very patient with me.  I was the one holding back.

So, we decided to attend the informational meeting on May 7^th.

I was nervous, emotional and feeling overwhelmed at the thought of going to this meeting.  The first person I told was Emily (my sister).  I bawled.  She was understanding and sweet and very happy for us.  The second person I told was my mom.  I cried.  She was happy, overjoyed (this is a true understatement) and helped to counsel me in some of the fears I had.  These two conversations had a wonderful way of helping me to be excited and prepared for the meeting.  They also paved the way to healing hurt I had no idea was there.

May 7^th arrived.  I had done some homework and reviewed some of the documents on their website of qualifications and what we would need to do to be certified to adopt.  I woke up a tad bit excited.

That night we had dinner with Erin and later went to the meeting.  Do you ever have the feeling that something is completely right?  Completely?  God is faithful to grant peace when we are headed the right way.  It was easy to be there, easy to do the paperwork that would send us to the next step, easy to say “yes, this is what we are going to do.”

So, we filled out the Initial Questionnaire and waited…