Fost-Adopt Miracle #1 and Update

We actually, yes, my husband too agreed (that is the real miracle) to consider adopting. And not only adopting but adopting an older and/or special needs child. We listened to God and prayed to make sure we were listening correctly and then obeyed and took the plunge. We have done all we can do up until this point. And I feel good about it. About obeying even when we had our doubts. Adopting is not the easy way to have kids. Even considering the aches and pains of pregnancy - which I am quite familiar with at this point and joke about only adopting the rest due to - having your own really is easier. I've gone through enough training and filled out enough paperwork to realize that adopting is going to take much more work, patience, and pain than physically pushing a baby out. (Fertility issues aside - I didn't experience those as long as other couples are forced too, and I'm glad! I don't know the heartache and pain of trying for years on end, and don't want to. I feel for any who do understand that.)

So I consider that fact that we chose to obey God when He was asking something of us that is very unfamiliar and uncomfortable our first miracle.

Now we are waiting for our second miracle. When we were completing our last homevisit we were told the wait for our approval from the State would be 6 weeks to 3 months. The 3 months came and went and so I inquired to our caseworker (who is great, by the way) as to when she thought we would get it, or could it have possibly gotten lost at the state level, that sort of thing. She informed me that the state was really back-logged and every one was having to wait (as I mentioned in an earlier post). She also said she would find out where it was and when it was expected to be read/approved. I got an email today from her today regarding that: the lady that has our paperwork hasn't read it yet and doesn't know when she will get to it. I could go into more detail but it looks like it's going to be a LONG wait. To say that I'm slightly disappointed would be an understatement, however I do have complete peace regarding it. But the second miracle, according to me, would be for us to receive our official fost-adopt license in the mail soon, especially since it's not all expected to be a "soon" for us.

With Molly's expected arrival just 6 weeks away I can't say that I'm entirely too anxious to have a foster placement right now. But I would like our paperwork to be "official" so when the time comes we're not waiting on it. As soon as a child that matches our profile is available we would start visits, even if we're still waiting on the state but he wouldn't be able to move in until we have it, and we definitely wouldn't be able to finalize an adoption until afterwards. Miracle #3 would be that Jonah has a brother - we're hoping to adopt a boy at this point. I know I'm not anxious to go from one kid to three in a matter of weeks but God is powerful and if that's His plan I'm cool with it. And it's so precious to hear Jonah ask for his sister AND brother to play with him. I told him to inquire of God for the brother part, so he had been. And he prays for Molly every day too. So precious!

So here's a very un-hopeful me not expecting to blog about our fost-adopt process for awhile, unless you prayer warriors get on it! (hint, hint) :)

Embracing My Weaknesses

"How Can We Build Love for Ourselves" has been the topic of the month from our Pastor at Green Lake Calvary (http://www.greenlakecalvary.org/ - how's that for a plug) and has been an EXCELLENT series and still not complete. I can't miss a Sunday because the information is soooo helpful. But to summarize what I've gathered so far really quickly the key to loving others is first learning to love yourself and he's been going through the steps needed to do that.

What is Step #1, you ask? I'll be glad to tell you that it's Embrace Your Weaknesses. Don't dwell on them, don't feel badly you have weaknesses, but acknowledge them and move on. So, I'm going to show everyone (that looks at this blog) without feeling (too) badly about my own knitting weaknesses my recent accomplishment: (sorry it's sideways)

Yes, it's a knitted baby sleeper gown. And yes, it took me about TWO years to complete. And yes, there are oodles and oodles of mistakes but I finally just finished putting it together (not the way good knitters do because I was tired of having an unfinished project around.) BUT - it's still wearable! And it's done! And that's what counts so I can move on and start new projects, all while continuing to embrace my weaknesses! :)

Milestone

Molly Jean is 32 weeks today. I was also 32 weeks along with Nathan when he went to be with the Lord.

It is also 2 days before Halloween. My 18 week ultrasound revealing that little Nathan wouldn't live very long was 2 days before Halloween.

I'll be glad to wake up tomorrow and the next day and the next and the next and still have this wiggly girl inside, livin' it up!

I Missed It!

I can't believe I missed it. National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day was October 15.

Actually, I can believe it. I remember every day so what is one nationally recognized day a year going to do to change that.

I miss you little boy. I wonder, sometimes, what it would be like to have a 3-yr old, 1-yr old, and a new baby around. Sometimes that thought makes me glad you are with your Savior (if I have to be honest), but other times I really miss the drama (and fun) that would be. Love you!

My heart skips a beat everytime.

Everytime I hear the mailman and think that maybe today we'll get our official Fost-adopt license in the mail. He just completed rounds on our street so that's what made me think of it. As hopeful as I am to open up the mailbox and find it, I continue to doubt it ever will come.



P.S. Speaking of adoption, everyone should listen to last week's Adopted for Life on familylife.com archives.

First Week of Preschool - Home Style

First Day of Preschool at Home (September 16)

First Field Trip: Klackle Orchards (September 18)

All the homeschoolers ready to learn!

Picking our 1/4 peck of Gala's!

Tessa and Jonah ready to head back for cider & donuts.

Homeschooling a preschooler is really no different than parenting a preschooler. Being mom, teacher, and playmate is what I've spent the last 3 years doing and it's basically the same for the preschooler. Socialization, I can see, might have been a problem in the past but with kids who attend church regularly, have other friends as well, go to the MOPPETS program and other MOPS gatherings, and have awesome neighbor friends like us I don't think socializing this kid is going to be hard. I only fear he'll WANT to go to school to be with friends since he seems to prefer them to me now (can that be considered a growing pain?)
However, I have put together a sort-of schedule to keep us on "track." We have time (2-3 days) for lessons. For example, today we had a field trip instead of an actual sit-down lesson, but if we need to we can spend three days a week on a letter or number lesson. We have time each day for devotions and Bible learning and I've set aside 1-2 days for a special craft (beyond routine coloring and painting). This is all an experiment to see how we both do. Like I mentioned, I have a feeling he's going to want to go to school because he loves to be with other kids and is strangely fascinated with big, yellow school buses. And we're not trading our mini-van for one any time soon. :)

Why do I do it?

Why do I spend time looking at Waiting Children on the internet? It just breaks my heart and there's nothing more I can do right now, and that breaks my heart. There are too many kids that need good homes, proper caring for, and love.

If you read this say a prayer for them please.