Since the Start

 

Would you believe it?  We started this blog just over a year ago...a year!  Time flies.  Since then, we've moved across the country, finished a marathon of paperwork, completed a home study, built our profile and begun reviewing cases.  Throughout it all, we've been the blessed/amazed/thankful recipients of so much love and support from our friends and family.  Thanks are in order - this would all be impossible without you!  Speaking of support, we thought we'd take the opportunity to once again break down all we've accomplished with your EXTREMELY generous contributions:

     $1,000 - Pre-adoption Training Fee and Formal Application Fee
     $3,000 - Adoptive Family Assessment Fee (Home Study)
     $2,000 - Initial Birth Parent Counseling Fee
     $2,000 - Initial Birth Parent Expense and Outreach
     $17,000 - Child Placement Fee

     Total - $25,000  $17,000

We submitted our profile to a case in TX just last week, we'll keep you all updated on any progress!

Plans

A couple of weeks ago our consultant passed Em and I a great looking case - super nice couple, very reasonable agency fees and adoption-friendly state regulations.  We submitted our profile and followed it up with a get-to-know-you chat over facetime.  It felt so right!  We tried not to, but we were EXCITED.  Sure there were other families in the running, but we felt confident.  Besides, how many times had we heard from friends and family what an attractive adoptive couple we made. Young, no kids, educated, madeline: practically a done deal, right?  That's probably why it was so hard to read the email a few days later that began "I'm sorry, but...".

What had we done wrong?  What didn't we say?  What piece of information had we left out that might have tipped the balance in our favor?  Rejection is tough.  Diane (our consultant) was great. After 15 years in the business, she wrote us, I always find that these kids go where they're meant to be.  Despite being disappointed, we knew she was right.  And, after a couple slices of humble pie, we're back to reviewing cases - hopeful as ever, trusting God, and looking forward to welcoming kids into our home.                  

 


     

Movin Along

I know it's been a while since we've posted, so we wanted to write a quick note saying that we're alive and well.  Busy, but still alive and well.  More updates coming soon - profile is finally all the way done and we're reviewing cases! - but in the meantime, just know that we miss and love all you fine friends and family out there.  And a happy Easter to you too!

Pajama Dinner

As I was leaving work one day last week, I read a text from my neighbor that said "Come to dinner, we'll have fish so you can eat too...and Friday is pajama night so don't come overdressed!"

This family adopted a 2 1/2 year old boy named TJ from Ethiopia three years ago.  He is smart, funny and obsessed with our dog.  He has also made a friend in 'Mr. Sean.'  It's times like these that I simply have to say yes, you were right God.  Moving across the country was all part of the plan.  God knew we needed adoption encouragement - we just didn't know they would live 30 yards from us.

So I knocked on the door later that night and their son answered in his adorable, too small spaceship PJ's.  He looked me up and down, then said "Yes, those are pajamas.  You may come in."  As we were eating, our adoption journey came up and TJ entered the dialogue by asking if our kids will be brown like him.  "I'm not sure what color they'll be," I told him, "but I know they'll be great just like you TJ!"

I don't know who our kids will be, where they'll come from, what color skin they'll have or what type of pajamas they'll like to wear.  But I do know that we'll teach them all about adoption and their unique heritage.  And my hope is that our kids will be embrace their differences and love their story just like TJ does.

After dinner I walked across the lawn to our house holding onto this family's love and encouragement.  I made a mental note to myself that Friday Pajama Dinner is a tradition I'll be sure to start with our children.  You're all welcome to join us, just don't come overdressed!

Adoption Encouragement

I often find that the internet has less than encouraging stories about adoption, and that is something to avoid when your wallet and heart have already been opened to the journey.  God calls us; I just think we need a bit of encouragement at times to propel the process forward. A dear friend of mine who is spreading her social work love in Portlandia recently sent me this video clip about a beautiful adoptive family. Ours may look way different, but adoption is adoption. Emotionally spent and feeling low on hope, this video cured my spirit. Thank you dear Yoolie! And I hope you all find a nugget of encouragement in this family as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rztYMMhMT2Y

With Love, Emily

Spring Cleaning

Hello all, and happy Wednesday to you!  If you're like us you've had some unusually warm weather lately.  In fact, it's been so balmy around these parts that, if you add in a general (and in Em's opinion glaring) lack of snow, you couldn't be blamed for thinking spring was on its way.  We thought we'd get with the spirit, then, and do some spring cleaning.  You know, all that stuff you've been meaning to do...such as saying THANK YOU!  Thank you to all those friends and family out there who have seen fit to donate some of their hard earned take home to our cause.  We'd like to take this moment to extend gratitude especially to our CO family.  We hosted a going away last June in the Springs before we set off for DC, and we're blown away by the generosity of the community that came out to say goodbye.  We love and miss you all terribly!

Because we know everyone appreciates a visual, check out the progress you're donations have helped us achieve in bringing an adopted child into our home.

     $1,000 - Pre-adoption Training Fee and Formal Application Fee
     $3,000 - Adoptive Family Assessment Fee (Home Study)
     $2,000 - Initial Birth Parent Counseling Fee
     $2,000 - Initial Birth Parent Expense and Outreach
     $17,000 - Child Placement Fee

     Total - $25,000  $21,000

We're not there yet, so if you haven't donated please consider it!  And thanks again, we mean it.  


        

Rested and Ready

Happy New Year all!

We've had a busy holiday season, what with Em finishing her first semester of graduate school and Sean gone for a month in Africa (more on that later...).  But rest assured, we've got our eye on the prize more than ever these days.  In other words, we're closer than we've ever been to bringing an adopted baby into our home!

We're rested, ready and looking forward to an exciting 2013.  We wish you all a year full of God's blessings!