Phase 2 is almost complete!

Well, homestudy is done, we are just waiting for it to be written and sent to DFCS. Once they receive it, it will go through the approval process. Then we will finally be approved and the waiting will begin. It has been a long process, with a few bumps in the road (lots of fingerprinting drama!), but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We have started to set up a nursery, although it is somewhat limited at the moment because we don't know the exact age or sex of the baby/child we might get. For me, it is something tangible, I walk by that room and I can feel us getting closer. I will do my best to keep everyone posted, especially as we get closer and hear more about a child!

Phase 1...Complete!

Last night Robert and I finished Phase 1 of the adoption process through DFCS. We had our last Impact class and turned in the last bit of paperwork. So, now on to Phase 2, the homestudy. We have been busy getting ready for this step: baby proofing, cleaning out, setting up the nursery... We are grateful to friends who have donated gently used toys, baby bed, etc.

We are very excited and ready to move on to the next steps. On other family news, yesterday, Nicholas turned 15, hard to believe. He is in Driver's Ed at school, which is a very scary thought! Well, not much else to say at the moment.

One Small Step

Well, we have moved one small step closer to the ultimate goal. This week we received a phone call from our local DFCS agency and they have accepted out initial application. We will start training with them next Tuesday night and will continue for the next 7 or 8 weeks. Once we finish training, we can go through our final approval. After that it is possible for us to adopt or foster-to-adopt children through DFCS. We can still go through an agency if we decide to at that point. We are both excited and anxious about the process.

Early in this process, God showed me a verse that I now hold to, knowing that He has a child or children already chosen for us and that in His timing He will give them to us. The verse is "We prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted what we asked of Him." 1 Samuel 1:27. I have made that verse my "theme verse" for this adoption process. I know that He is in control over this whole process and He will maintain control even when I am discouraged and want to try and take over.

I think about close friends who have gone through this process. I was recently reminded of how God knows exactly what He is doing and how He has these children handpicked for their families. My friends, who waited so long for sweet little Hannah. They just celebrated one year with her. She fits in so well with that family that it is hard to think of her coming from anyone else. She has a vibrant, leader of the pack personality just like one of her big brothers. I look at families in my practice who have adopted and it is obvious that they were knit together by God. So, I hold on knowing that in His timing He will bring the child or children into our family that He has picked out for us.