What a Wonderful Wednesday

We are so pleased to announce that we have officially accepted the referral of a little girl that we will for now call "H."  H is 10 years old and absolutely beautiful.  We would love to show you a picture of our newest little girl, but blogging guidelines for adoptive parents prohibit us from showing her off via our blogs until we pass court. For those followers from AAI, you can see our H on the last waiting child video (2009)....she is the first little girl!

H already has something in common with her sisters....swimming is her favorite activity! While I know that she shares something in common, she also has a completely different life experience than Sarah and Hailey.  We are preparing for a little girl that has suffered a great deal of loss and trauma in her 10 short years.  We are praying that as we are preparing for her, that God is preparing her heart for joining our family.  We are lining out doctors, reading on attachment, have a plan to visit the school to talk about learning options for her and looking for a therapist (just in case).

I am so excited and at the same time sad.  I won't get to meet her and hug her and really get to know her for several more months.  We're hoping--best case scenario--that we will be able to travel to meet her in late July and she will be home with us by October....but the world of international adoption is unpredictable.  We'll keep you posted as we know more.  Right now, we'd love prayer!  Pray about everything or anything related to this adoption, there isn't any part of it that we couldn't use God's hand in :)  It seems so far that he's been pretty involved!  We hope to keep it that way!

Stuck Like Glue....

Yes, it has happend, I've become attached.  I've become attached to a little girl but I cannot assure yet that she will join our family.  I told myself not to do this. Not to think of her being in our home, not to think of her in pictures on our wall, not to think of her playing with her sisters, but I can't help it.  We are very close to being able to request that she join our family, and I keep telling myself that if it is meant to be, she will join our family. If God has other plans for her, then she will be where He wants her to be. 

But, you know me (and if you don't let me assure you that those who do will all agree). I am IMPATIENT.  Especially when I make up my mind.  Tony has not committed ("I'm thinking about it") but at the same time, he says that it just doesn't seem right to subject a little boy to a "house full of estrogen" and her profile is the only profile of a girl we've reviewed. So I think he is hooked to, but is doing a bit of a better job than I am about distancing myself.  He is trying to stay unattached.

In a few days, we will have all of our documents to AAI (Yes, the previous post showed our dossier had arrived at AAI, but they want an updated tax form for 2009 that we hadn't filed yet).  Also, our notarized homestudy hasn't gotten to AAI yet either due to some changes in the background check system.  But, the tax form should arrive Monday and the homestudy not far behind that.  As soon as all the paperwork is recieved (and Tony gives the OK) then hopefully I can let myself become more attached.  We can request that the little girl join our family.

Yes, I know court has to happen too, but I'm faithful that if God led us this far, he will keep things moving toward his goal. 

I'm faithful that God has plans for this little girl and that she will do great things where ever she goes. So, I will pray for patience and peace in His plan and timing.  Our social worker reminded me that God is preparing us and our heart for the child he wants with us.  He is also preparing the heart of the child that is to become part of our family.  I try to tell myself that by personally taking on the properties of gum stuck in hair that even if this little girl doesn't join our family, that the preparation in my heart that she made was God's work.

So, since I know I can't completely fight the attachment, I'll just pray that God continues to move things forward (like the Fed Ex truck and Tony getting home early enough to get the tax form notarized tomorrow).

Houston......The Eagle has Landed

Imagine my happiness when I decided to check and see where our dossier was on it's route to Washington and I saw this.....

That's right....Our Dossier arrived a day early!!!

Thanks Fed Ex!

Dossier

So, after 6 weeks and much coordination, we've finally finished the Dossier!!!! It was placed into the hands of a very reassuring Fed Ex packaging gentleman this afternoon about 2:30 pm. Our VIP (Very Important Package) is set to arrive in Port Angeles Washington on Tuesday! Debra came with me for moral support! And we celebrated with a little Starbucks afterward. I am amazed that the Dossier took us this long, it didn't seem to complicated at the start..but all the coordinating of signatures, and then finding out that 4 of our forms were signed by notaries with expiring commissions within the next 6 months!!!!


So after much collection, sorting and triple checking the documents......

 

OUR DOSSIER
all 25 pages and 16 photos
(packing envelope and mailing label not included!)