Two Down, One To Go!

We did our second home study meeting last night & I think it went well! Phew! We talked about how John & I met & got together, how we resolve conflict in our marriage, how we have prepared for our new child(ren), how we plan to talk about adoption with our family & others, how we will handle being a bi-racial family, as well as our discipline strategies. Our social worker, Kim, is very sweet & makes us feel so relaxed - I am very thankful for her!

So, we only have one more meeting to go & this is the BIG one where our home & finances get checked out. This is the most intimidating one for me. We've got it scheduled for August 19 at 7pm. so if you think of it, PLEASE pray that it will go great! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

We also got a note in the mail yesterday from the Immigration Dept. saying they have cashed our check & have received our I-600 petition. We are praying for speed with this VERY important document. We are also a bit concerned with our plan to have our child(ren) escorted from Ghana to the USA. Apparently that might not be an acceptable plan after all, so I have to do some "digging" this week to find out. Changing plans is no easy task, as it involves a lot more money (more plane tickets) & also an amendment to our filing with Immigration. Phew! I am so glad God is in control of every detail!

Oh, we have requested approval on our home study to adopt up to two children, ages newborn to five. It's intentionally vague so we have lots of wiggle room. Please keep praying for our kid(s). We don't know who they are yet but our loving & kind God, who cares deeply about orphans, does.

Next Home Study Meeting

OK, we're trying again! Our next HS meeting is Wednesday, August 6. After that, we'll only have one more to go!

21 Memos From Your Child

21 Memos From Your Child

1. Don't spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for. I'm only testing you.

2. Don't be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it, it makes me feel more secure.

3. Don't let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.

4. Don't make me feel smaller than I am. It only makes me behave stupidly "big".

5. Don't correct me in front of other people, if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk with me in private.

6. Don't make me feel my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.

7. Don't protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way sometimes.

8. Don't be too upset when I say, "I hate you." It isn't you I hate, but your power to thwart me.

9. Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.

10. Don't nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.

11. Don't forget that I can't explain myself as well as I would like. This is why i'm not always very accurate.

12. Don't make rash promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.

13. Don't tax my honesty too much. I'm easily frightened into telling lies.

14. Don't be inconsistent. That completely confuses me & makes me lose faith in you.

15. Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do so much to reassure me if you understand.

16. Don't put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and find my information elsewhere.

17. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover you are neither.

18. Don't ever think it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm toward you.

19. Don't forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be difficult to keep pace with me but please try.

20. Don't forget I love experimenting. I couldn't get on without it so please put up with it.

21. Don't forget that I can't thrive without lots of understanding love, but I don't need to tell you that do I?

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I don't know who originally wrote this "Memo" but I thought it had some good reminders in it.

The Whole Life Adoption Book

I've been reading this book, by Jayne E. Schooler, and it has so many good quotes in it. I thought I'd share a few.

"Our adoption changed the character of our family forever. We are not a Caucasian family who has adopted a minority child. We are a minority family. We always will be."

An adoptive Dad

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I love this quote because of the "our family is a team philosophy". That's the approach John & I take. I often tell Mark, "We're a family & we stick together." Sometimes we talk about how much we are looking forward to adding more kids to our team.

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"Adoptive parents who bridge the adjustment barriers understand two things. First, their child has had a tremendous loss - loss of both parents, geneological ties, cultural heritage, to cite a few..." Family Ties

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We are trying to prepare the best we can & pray that we will be able to help all our children be the very best, and the most free & joyful, people that they can be. We're definitely asking God (& counting on Him!) to give us tons of wisdom!

Home Study Change

Ok, so our next home study meeting is going to have to be rescheduled. AHHHH!! It was supposed to be this Wed. night. It's hard to be patient, but I'm trying not to stress about it & am surprisingly quite successful at it (most of the time!) Thanks for your prayers for all those of you who are supporting us that way! Thank you! Thank you!

The big thing we did get accomplished this week was getting the Immigration papers in the mail. This is a BIG deal. They should get our packet on Monday, so we are praying everything will be done to their satisfaction & that we will get our approval FAST! We still need to be fingerprinted too but they will pick the time for that & we will dutifully show up! (You don't mess around with Immigration!) We also hear we are going to be assigned an adoption representative so if we have major questions or problems we actually have a person to ask that will be at least somewhat familiar with our file (along with all other adoptive families in our state.) Apparently the USA tries to expediate adoption paperwork...sounds hopeful.

Another less important (but fun!) thing I did this week was buy furniture. I found a large wicker dresser & night stand at the Goodwill for a deal. I LOVE wicker furniture & we will either use the pieces in our master bedroom (we don't have a dresser yet) or for our child's room if we get a girl. The furniture is solid & in good shape - just needs a fresh coat of paint. I have this color called "Ivory Coast" that I think will look so great! Can't wait to get painting!

13th Anniversary

Today is our 13th wedding anniversary! We are going out to eat to celebrate this weekend, but tonight we are having a "family party" with pizza, movie & popcorn. I am so thankful I got to marry John. He is the kind of husband who opens doors for me, and walks so that I am on the side away from traffic. He takes the time to listen and to consider my thoughts and needs on even small issues. He is an excellent man - honest, kind, hardworking, fun & a great husband & Dad and...my best friend.

"Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails."

I Corinthians 13:4-8a

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I love that Scripture & am thinking I should read it everyday to remind myself of what love (& what God!) is really like. It's so easy to get busy & to forget to cherish the people we love most, isn't it?

Superman (broad chest) Pose