Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Amazing Blessings...
When we started the adoption journey in early November, I never would have believed where it would take us. I never would have believed we would love two girls as our own, I never would have guessed the emotions felt, or the moments in everyday life when I have wished the children were with me.
Perhaps the best, and most surprising piece, is the people we have met and the support we have been given. This past weekend a girlfriend of mine helped sell $723 of donated goods for us at the flea market. All free goods for 100% profit- amazing!
We also found a local Congolese church and went to a service...again amazing! It was all in Swahilli, but since we were obvious visitors the paster translated for us. The music alone was pure joy and completely spectacular! The people were so warm and welcoming to us, not to mention beautiful. It made me want the girls so bad, but all in good time I guess.
Adoption is definately not for the faint of heart, but the amazing blessings from it are worth every piece of paper, every class and every night awake hoping the girls will be Ok. Thank you
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Lost at Sea...
Some days I feel totally lost about this whole adoption thing. Part of that lost feeling comes the fact that so many other people control the adoption process- and as a person who like to be in control that is a difficult place to be in!
In many ways having others in control is awesome- we want to make sure orphanages are not corrupt, countries are trying to keep biological families together and not just any insane and unfit person brings a kid home (of course that person can always just reproduce and bring a baby home, but I digress...); and being a superwoman or not, one person cannot do all that.
The other side if it is complete trust. Here is just a short list of all the people we have to trust in order to make this happen, in no particular order and probably missing a few:
- God, or whomever you believe controls our destiny
- Your spouse
- The notary
- The agency
- The orphanage
- The US government
- USCIS
- Congo laywer
- Congo judge
- The girls chaperone and caretakers
- The airlines to get us there safely and back, and the girls to Kinshasa
- Congo government
- US Embassy
- DRC doctors
- FedEX or the US post
- Your bank
- US doctors (for immunizations and health letters)
- Personal references
- Email providers
- Parenting class teachers
- Your social worker
- Other adoptive parents to give you information/help
- etc, etc, etc
As adoptive parents, we actually have little personal interaction with a lot of the people on this list. If that isn't a leap of faith I don't know what is! We are forced to believe in the good of people, and that they are doing the best they can or know how.
Sitting here waiting for court with no power to see the outcome or timeframe, it's no wonder I feel lost at sea-
In many ways having others in control is awesome- we want to make sure orphanages are not corrupt, countries are trying to keep biological families together and not just any insane and unfit person brings a kid home (of course that person can always just reproduce and bring a baby home, but I digress...); and being a superwoman or not, one person cannot do all that.
The other side if it is complete trust. Here is just a short list of all the people we have to trust in order to make this happen, in no particular order and probably missing a few:
- God, or whomever you believe controls our destiny
- Your spouse
- The notary
- The agency
- The orphanage
- The US government
- USCIS
- Congo laywer
- Congo judge
- The girls chaperone and caretakers
- The airlines to get us there safely and back, and the girls to Kinshasa
- Congo government
- US Embassy
- DRC doctors
- FedEX or the US post
- Your bank
- US doctors (for immunizations and health letters)
- Personal references
- Email providers
- Parenting class teachers
- Your social worker
- Other adoptive parents to give you information/help
- etc, etc, etc
As adoptive parents, we actually have little personal interaction with a lot of the people on this list. If that isn't a leap of faith I don't know what is! We are forced to believe in the good of people, and that they are doing the best they can or know how.
Sitting here waiting for court with no power to see the outcome or timeframe, it's no wonder I feel lost at sea-
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Check one more off..
Finally, the dossier was sent into the Congo this week! We have our USCIS fingerprints next week, and then we wait again. With the current time frames, it looks like we will be going in August to get the girls...5 more months. I will get to meet them before their birthdays, yeah!!
I keep telling myself to enjoy these last months of coupledom. Right now Matt and I can go to any movie we want at any time. We can go have drinks and not worry, we only have ourselves to really care about. It will be such a change when the girls get here, but a change we are looking forward to.
A girlfriend of mine and I are going to the flea market March 24 to sell all we can. I have been blessed with a lot of good donations we get to keep 100% of the profits from. I hope we make a lot! We need 3 airplane tickets that will be somewhere around $6000. Of course $6000 might be stretching it for a flea market sale, but a girl can always hope.
We also have been given many donations for the girls thrmselves. I can see how a house (and a mom!) can easily get overwhelmed with toys and clothes. I feel so lucky to have such great people in our lives willing to fully support our decision to expand our family.Thank you all for all you do!
I keep telling myself to enjoy these last months of coupledom. Right now Matt and I can go to any movie we want at any time. We can go have drinks and not worry, we only have ourselves to really care about. It will be such a change when the girls get here, but a change we are looking forward to.
A girlfriend of mine and I are going to the flea market March 24 to sell all we can. I have been blessed with a lot of good donations we get to keep 100% of the profits from. I hope we make a lot! We need 3 airplane tickets that will be somewhere around $6000. Of course $6000 might be stretching it for a flea market sale, but a girl can always hope.
We also have been given many donations for the girls thrmselves. I can see how a house (and a mom!) can easily get overwhelmed with toys and clothes. I feel so lucky to have such great people in our lives willing to fully support our decision to expand our family.Thank you all for all you do!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Feels like Spring!
Matt and I finally bought the girls beds. Two twins with drawers underneath, white, and only about a foot off the ground. We haven't put them together yet. I think both of us feel like it will be so long until they come home that we don't want to have everything done and then sit and look at it for months. Baby steps to getting ready.
The room decor is kind of picked out though. Not girlie in the least, princesses and pink are so not us! The final colors are...bright and colorful! Color blocked quilts with orange polka dot sheets for Sara, purple polks dots for Nahlya; a bubblegum tree on the wall (personalized to them, not like in the picture below :)) and cool Moroccan poufs to sit in. I can't wait to start decorating!
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