Baby Steps and Big Checks

Luke and I checked more things off of our "to do" list today!  We each had an adoption physical (similar to a traditional adult physical but also requires a TB test, drug test and HIV test).  The PA was great and asked a lot about the adoption.  She seemed genuinely interested and I hope it means all the paperwork will be carefully filled out.  I have read that little mistakes can really slow down this process.

We also completed the 12 required hours of online adoption training.  I actually learned a lot more than I expected to from the online training-mostly on China's history, attachment and dealing with immediate issues at home after we travel.  Wow-after we travel-that isn't really on my radar yet.

Our next meeting with the social worker is Tuesday and at that point we plan to have everything completed/collected and notarized for the Home Study.  The social worker will then write the report on us evaluating how successful we will be as adoptive parents.  We will also have the official home inspection (not stressing about that one yet).  From that point we wait on the results from the FBI fingerprint scan and then submit the Home Study to our adoption agency in California.  It will be translated into Chinese and we will begin Phase 2-the Dossier.

Oh yea, we also wrote a HUGE check today.  I wish all the money would go directly to Noah, his orphanage and the other children that are waiting for forever families.  Actually the bulk of the $4,020 that was paid today goes to cover documents, translations and more program fees.

Thanks to all that voted on the t-shirt designs.  The designer is drawing up a few more color combinations.  We're so grateful for everyone's help and especially those that have promised to buy a t-shirt in support.  Does anyone want to by 1,500 t-shirts?  :)

Help Us Choose A T-shirt Design

Wow!  Our blog has been viewed 1,086 times.  Thank you for all the support.  We are truly on our way to bringing Noah home and you are actively helping by praying for him and sharing in this experience with us.

Now we are ready to choose a t-shirt design and start our first fundraiser (shortly).  Please help us choose from one of the following texts. We'll be able to make changes to the color/font as needed.  Luke and I have selected heather gray for the t-shirt color (we felt like it was universal).  I am leaning towards blue and white or red and white lettering.

We'll be fundraising thru BonFire Funds and plan to launch our campaign later this month.  I will be posting the link to order shirts on here as well as Facebook as soon as I have it.

Please comment below for your favorite design....maybe we should label them #1-4.  Thanks!

Stacking blocks & payments

Today wasn't the greatest day but it ended well.  Checked my email right before bed and received a new picture of Noah-stacking blocks.  Yay his hair has grown!  The orphanage will probably buzz it soon (to prevent spread of lice and keep the children cooler).

Our adoption agency called today for an update and requested the second payment (largest one yet).  We're prepared for all the payments but I am feeling a little stressed and ready to start fundraising, applying for grants, etc.

We've roughly paid $2,600 in application fees, commitment fees, half of the home study, and other miscellaneous fees.  It's just the beginning.  It is not hard to understand why most people are intimidated  at the financials or do not even qualify once you start to add up all the fees for an adoption.

We anticipate this adoption will cost $22,000-28,000 in total (including travel).  It is and will be completely worth it.

I'm not asking for money but we certainly would appreciate some prayers.  Please pray that Noah is taken care of in the orphanage and that the adoption proceeds quickly and smoothly.

A Classroom Picture

I received a very brief update tonight with a photo of the classroom Noah spends time in each day.  The  photo was taken by during "clean up time".

This is a screen shot but if you look closely you can see Noah.  He is a helper.  They describe him as joyful and the favorite.

That makes me happy and a little sad.  I'm so happy he is joyful and the favorite (in an orphanage that means more attention and that he is probably attached to one of the teachers).  I feel sad because I am starting to feel like we are missing out on a part of his life (we are) and thru our required 12 hours of educational training I am learning about the gains and losses children feel after an adoption is finalized.  He will likely feel sad leaving these friends and teachers.  He will miss them.  He might resent us for taking him away from them.

Adoption is so complex.  I am confident we are doing the right thing by trusting God and adopting him.

Home Study

We had our first visit for the Home Study on Friday, April 12, 2013.  The local agency that is evaluating Luke and I has assigned a social worker to view our file that has overseen so many China adoptions she couldn't even count.  That made me feel slightly better.  Still nerve-racking to have a complete stranger come to your house and review every personal document imaginable.  She was great though-someone I'd be glad to call a friend and would welcome in our home anytime.

We talked a lot with our social worker about the strains and struggles adoption can take on a family.  It was all information we've already read and talked about together but still confirming that Luke and I are on the same page and our social worker feels that we are good candidates for adoption from China.  We'll have 2-3 more visits with her while our reference letters are completed (thank you if you are reading and writing one on our behalf) and waiting on the rest of our documents to come in (new birth certificates and FBI fingerprint results).

We have received a few photos of Noah from a non-profit group that helps children with low vision or that are blind in China.  I'll attempt to post a few...he's precious.

Pre-Approval from China

Ready, set, go!  To most of you it seems like that is how this adoption started.  Let me begin by saying that is not entirely true.  Luke brought up the idea of us adopting in March 2012 and we've been thinking about it ever since. Sometimes talking about.  Most of the time reading and researching about adoption and occasionally mentioning it to a few of you.

I started praying about it about 5 months ago and on February 28, 2013 found a picture and bio that tugged about my heart in a different way.  I showed Luke and we wrestled with what to do and where to go from there for just a few days.  I tracked down the agency that had Noah's (then called Henry) file and requested more information.  We reviewed his file, photos and 2 short videos and the idea of adopting him from China-out of an orphanage-felt like what we were meant to do.

It's not a void we feel yearning for another child; it's an opportunity to give a little boy a life he'd never have.  It's a forever family, a mommy, daddy, big sister and little brother that will love and nurture him no matter what.  The fact that Noah has albinism makes others not want to adopt him. It deems him special needs and sets him up for a lifetime of challenges with vision and sun exposure regardless of what country he lives in.  To many Chinese he has "a curse from God".  People with albinism are treated very poorly in China, not given proper care and released into the streets at age 16.  Not Noah.

Luke and I completed the application for the agency that had Noah's file and received pre-approval from China to proceed with the adoption on Good Friday, March 29, 2013 which just so happened to be my 30th birthday.  Probably one of the greatest gifts I could have received.

We've since started our Home Study with a local agency in Georgia-beginning the journey of collecting every document and fingerprint that proves who we are, where we've lived, what we earn, spend and everything else under the sun.  Although it's very overwhelming, Luke and I are working on the Home Study documents every single day and hope to finish it in a matter of weeks.  We'll likely be waiting on the results from our FBI fingerprints for the next 8 weeks.  Sickening.  Just waiting.

That's why we need hope for Noah.  We hope and plan to rescue him and bring him home with us as soon as possible (the timeline we have been given is 9-11 months).  I'll write more later but that is the basic how and why we decided to adopt.  Information coming soon on our fundraising campaign-first up t-shirts.

Here is the first picture we ever saw of him

1 Samuel 1:27  I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him.