Roller Coaster

September 1, 2013 Steve and I rode our first roller coaster, the Big Dipper at Camden Park.  And we lived!  If you don't know about Camden Park, it is an amusement park that opened around 1900 and I think that roller coaster was built then!
How can we be married 5 years and dated 4 and never been on a roller coaster together? No idea. Cause this girl loves roller coasters, I rode my first roller coaster when I was 8 years old and too short, (my mom put wood chips in my shoes so I would be tall enough) to ride The Beast!  The rest of the story consists of me passing out, my mom flipping out thinking I almost died lol, (there was only a hand rail back then, not the over the shoulder braces they have now).  But that set my determination to never give up.  The next year, I was really tall enough and rode every ride!   I once rode the Vortex at Kings Island over 7 times in a row without getting sick! (Given no lines that day!).

Little did we know a year ago, to the date God was leading us to begin the adoption process.  We had been discussing adoption since February 2012, and in September we applied to our agency (will post that blog entry soon, it is on our FB page Why Adoption).   And adoption is like a roller coaster, many ups and downs, twists and turns.   And an emotional roller coaster, whoa.   Let me tell ya!  The week before Thanksgiving we received an email from Holt asking if we would consider a certain medical condition, like a calm and reserved girl I am (he he) I emailed back that Steve and I would discuss it and get back with her.   We looked into the condition, it was a no brainer, of course we would accept a child (adoption special needs are so different than what we consider special needs, that's a whole new post).    Email sent back with a yes and no response.  I caved the next day.  I called.   I needed to know what was going on.  Was there a child for us?  Why ask so specifically about a condition if there wasn't.   Do they really know what referrals are coming in and don't tell us?  Were referrals on the way?   Yes. This is my head.   I think I'm loosing it ha ha   Not really.    I'm sure our girls at the agency dread my calls from here on out lol.
   Basically, some of our papers did not match from our dossier to the medical conditions check list.
Our dossier was vague.  No kidding on that one.  Our dossier took longer than I wanted, because our case worker wanted everything to match...monies, dates, etc.   I pay attention to details, and I could not figure out how it was all to match with dates and monies always changing....ugh.   When we received our final copy of the dossier, I was conserned about the type of child we would consider section, because it was so vague.  We discussed medical conditions in detail, like 1 1/2 hours! And I explained to her what those conditions were!  that was the section she skimped on! Ugh!  

Good news is we are close to knowing who our child is.   Our adoption agency is going the extra step to make sure children are matched with the right families.   Our turn is near!  If not January, then April.  Yay!  

Please don't be offended if I do not return emails, texts, or phone calls as quickly as I once did, I'm trying to stay busy... keep myself busy.  I'm focusing on a rediculously addictive candy game.   Christmas shopping is complete, except those who will not tell me what to get them.....
Time to enjoy the season, love my family and God.


Please friends, keep us in your prayers, our child in your prayers as well as the birth mother and foster family.

Single Digits Baby!

We found out today we are officially in single digits!!

And by single digits, we are number 5!     Woot woot!

What does that mean for us, it means within 5 months we could know who our child is!  See his/her face!   We found out there is a mix of boy/girl in front of us on the wait strip, that means it really is a toss wether we are matched with a boy or girl!!!
The next referral group is due out in December, but with the past delays, I would expect January.   But seriously, there is a chance our babe could be in that referral group!  Insert clip from "Dumb and Dumber" There's a chance!"  (1 in a million).   Really it's not that far off.
 The last time I spoke to our agency our est. referral is March. This last time when I asked, they both avoided a deffinate estimate.   Am I reading into their response too much.....yes I'm sure.

   But WE ARE SO CLOSE!!!!

I cannot describe how excited I am!  If I could do back hand springs I would.
Literally every where I go!

Praises to Jesus!   He is with us every step of the way.

Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

June is over!

So yes June has been over for two months now.  I know that.   But June's significance is referral month!!!   In July we were to know our new number on the wait strip.  July came and went. Our agency explained there was several reasons for the delays and they were still expecting refferals. Into August there is still no news of referrals or our new number.
Then Finally, 3 families were matched with their children.  Yay!

Beginning our adoption journey, we knew it would be a long process.   Stepping back, looking at the time frames, I thought we can handle this.  Every month or so we would get an update, every quarter a refferal group, and we would get an update on our number.  It didn't seem too bad.  We would stay busy, enjoy ourselves with our daughter and families.  Time would pass and we would soon meet our child from Thailand.
  I knew there could be delays with adoption, natural disasters, programs closing, etc.   I don't know why the delays with one referral month set me a little cray cray.  I wasn't thinking "delays will not happen to us". I knew they could.   I didn't start this process thinking that way.  Maybe it was because it was our first number change. Maybe it's God giving me a reality check.   Whatever the reason, please Lord let me handle it with grace.

Sometimes I feel guilty being excited for our new number, with that number change, means a mother has made the hardest decision of her life, another orphan is in the world.  Yet with that, there is a family eagerly awaiting the news of the matching of their child.  There will be less orphans in the world with each referral month.

So we are the last (for us). And the first (for most). This will be our last time in double digits!
We are number.........

10

With that number we were informed our agency is still expecting a March referral for our family.  That is only 7 months away!

Psalm 55:22

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."

Glimpse into the Future

Today I found out what it might feel like to get "the call".

Jude an I had an eventful summer day. We went to a play date at the splash park, about an hour in, she put her hands and feet in the spray.  This little girl hates to get her hair and face wet.  As everyone left for nap times, we decided to forgo naps today and head straight to the pool.  As the evening pool crowd arrives we pack up and head home.
We are eating snacks on the couch, trying to gather energy for baths and dinner, I hear my cell phone ringing.  At first I'm thinking what is that ring????  Oh yeah Holt's ringtone.   HOLT's RINGTONE!!!!!!   In a mad scurry I leap over the coffee table, trip on my shoe, and slide into the pool bag where my phone is at the bottom!

[I'm thinking in my head, I just got an email stating refferrals are still delayed and you do not have a new number ( duh).]

At least I made it to the phone....I calmly answer, Hello  (in my raspy, 80 year old smoker voice...summer allergies are killing me and I can barely talk). This little chipper voice says hi this is "girl" from Holt.  (We will refer to her as girl because I don't want to disclose her name, she must be an intern).  "Did you receive the information on your child"

As I stammer "WHAT....Child!"
Girl. "Your child from Holt". And a long pause.
Uhhhmmm.  We are in the process of adopting, what child.....
Girl. "Oh that's what your husband said, ha ha I'm talking about the child you chose to sponsor through Holt.  What do you mean your adopting? Who are you adopting through?"
So I explain to her we are adopting with Holt etc etc.

Really, my heart bout jumped out.    If you just spoke to my husband and he told you the same thing I did. Why did you begin our conversation, with, did you get the info on your child!!!!
I hope she is just an intern cause I'd hate for this to happen to someone else, they might not take it as lightly as I did..... Just annoyed a little.

Ok so after that trial run, I'm ready for the call!

Oh what a day!  I think I got too much sun.  :)

Ugh

So last time I said something about [the next time I blog we will have a new number]

Scratch that!

We received an update email, usually every month or so, that said x amount of approvals and travels !YAY!  Some of those families have been waiting so so long.  !YAY!  They are getting closer to getting their babes!

But no referrals for June's referral group! Boo.

So my impression so far......hurry get your paper work in.   All the dossier prep ready. Get approval.  Get a number on the wait strip. Wait for referral month. Get a new number.....wait.   It's past referral month.....wait some more....referrals?  not yet...wait some more....more delays....enough already!
My emotions are on a roller coaster!  Excitement.   Despair.  Suspense.  Despair. Ugh!

But I think this feels familiar.....  Oh yeah,  like not getting pregnant.  Meet with OB, take vitamins....wait.....do ovulation kits.....wait....week and half later go through 12 pregnancy tests in 6 days (and yes I was a little compulsive about it) only to say negative.....6 more months of trying later......meet with RE.....wait some more....emotional roller coaster......Excitement.   Despair.  Suspense.  Despair. Ugh!  

Enough of my silliness....

I know God has a plan and everything is in his timing.  We may not always understand his timings. Ya kno.