Unwritten Rules

Apparently if you live in my area of the state and you are an attourney, you are compeled by some unknown source to leave work early on fridays...that is, if you don't take the entire day off. Nothing wrong with it, just stinks that you can call all the way down the listing in the phone book and not one is available at 4Pm on a Friday to notarize signatures. Ugh! Oh well, at least I can put aside my dossier knowing it is complete and final. All I have to do is notarize and send to the consulate. It has the makings of a long weekend, but encouraging knowing the sea of paperwork is coming to a close.

Other unwritten rules:

If you are a homeschooling mom, you have plenty of time to do whatever it is people think you should be doing. (Forget spending a few hours teaching your kids!) Being sardcastic here, there is little free time for those homeschooling.

When you work for your parents, you are almost required to work more than you would like. I appreciate my parents and would do anything for them, but I get concerned when I am working more than I should...it is so hard to tell your parents no. Guess they did a good job raising me in that department!!

Nothing goes like you plan in adoption world, plain and simple.

No matter how well you guard your heart, adoption world will tug and pull at it to no end.

Trudging through, but still smiling...

time ticking by....

The past few days for me (9 to be exact) have been moving and stopping and flipping by like some sort of wierd scene in a movie. I have trouble waking up some days and thinking "did that happen or was I dreaming" and the answer is different every morning. I feel like I am stuck in a bit of a vaccum where time is deffinately not normal and I am not sure if I will ever get out at times.
All that said, I really am doing well, drowning in a sea of paperwork will do that for you and I think ours will all be done on Friday. Then life can get back to normal.
Reading the above I think of myself, am I okay? I am, trust me, I am.
Adoption thoughts:
What if I am in the position that I would have to turn down a referral. I can not imagine the heartache and really don't want to. I know it is easier to think what if, than to have to...would I be prepared? What medical conditions could I handle? What medical conditions could my family handle? In a way, I hate that I have a choice, but in a way I am glad I do. When I was pregnant with my girls I had the choice of my activities, nutrition, etc...is the choice to refuse a referral similar. Pardon my pregnancy comparison, it is not meant in poor taste for those dealing with infertility, just my thoughts being sorted out. I guess all I can do is simply pray for the health of my future little ones and pray for guidance in all of our decisions regarding this adoption journey.
There is more, but I will need to hold off for now, time to kiss my girls goodnight and I wouldn't miss that for anything!

"Baby Fix"

I've been getting what my husband calls a good "baby fix" lately. There are a couple 9 month (??) old girls at church that I get my hands on when I can, they are simply adorable! I was able to love on one all through church today and give her mommy and daddy a break, she has the curliest hair and is so easy going. The other one, I had all last sunday in the nursery, she is a cabbage patch kid if I have ever seen one....round as can be and always smiling.


THEN, yesterday I got to hold my new cousin!
She is half American Indian and has quite a bit of black hair for a 3 week old. My girls thought she was so cute, and well, she was! They wanted to help hold the bottle and to bring a diaper, I look forward to them both being big sisters. It was so nice to snuggle with a baby for the weekend and that always seems to put a smile on my face at least!


It's the little things in life!

WOO HOO!!!!!

Our I-171H will be here on monday!
Soon, very soon, I will be able to explain all the excitement to you, but for now I can clue you in to the fact that it involes little ones being added to our family much quicker and a bit different than we expected.
God is so good and He has all things in place for us. Trusting Him should be so easy and I have learned a lesson on that these past few days.
More to come as I am able to release information!
Jenn

Adoption Whirlwind

In a flurry of activity the past two days we have scrambled after papers...again. First our homestudy at the US gov't office was lost, but then FedEx-ed, now on the proper desk and flagged for immediate attention. Hence the start of gathering emplyment letters, figuring out financing, finding a notary, and requiring our doctors signatures all hopefully for one last time!
I wish I could say we will have a referral next week and that is a possiblity, but there is a possibility we could be months on end. It's unnerving and exciting and mostly exhausting.
Hoping to have more for you all soon!
Jenn

A NEW COUSIN!

My girls and I have a new baby cousin in the family! We found out the day after we left that my Aunt is the proud forever mom of a beautiful baby girl. Her and my Uncle, along with baby's big brother, are so excited and I can't wait to meet them. They were in town to visit family and we missed them, as we were gone. Very sad, but I hope to see them soon!
Oh yes, and vacation was very nice, thanks for those of you that wished us well. Next time we are going ot have to have a bigger vehicle though!
More on vacation later, right now it is time for bed...
ZZZzzzzzzzz

Fingerprints

Well, this is the husbadn. My lovely-life-partner is on her way to sunny Florida, so I thought I would check in. We did get fingerprinted today. All in all, the actual experience took 30 minutes, according to the parking meter. We got there, parked, and made our way through security. Up the elevators and down the hall and we were at the Immigration and Naturalization office. My wife kept remarking afterwards how she felt sorry for those people who worked there: Coming every morning to a drab, dark, block building, working in a office area for 8 hours, standing most of the time, no color on the walls anywhere, and to top it off, no plants on any desk. We had to fill out a sheet of basic information when we checked in (15 minutes early) and then they checked it over and look at our social security cards and driver's licenses. The admitted us one at a time and we got fingerprinted. Just a piece of Plexiglas that they spray with water and an infered or laser scanner for your fingerprints. They even move your fingers for you to make sure they get a good print! Go figure. Can you imagine having that job? Standing up for 8 hours, spraying water, and moving peoples fingers...Ugh! They have my sympathy. I'm sure they get all kinds in there.

It was more interesting this time than when we got fingerprinted of the local sheriff's office for the state criminal record check. This time, we could actually see the computer screen and see our fingerprints jump out before us. My poor wife had trouble. The fellow helping her tried several times with each finger to get a good prints. Apparently, part way down her fingers, my wife's fingerprints disappear. The ridges get so low, it's as if she burned the print off. They've always been that way, as far as I can tell. You know, it's amazing the things you learn about the love of your life, even after 8 years of marriage and 4 years of dating before that! You can live and sleep by someone for years and still not know everything about them. Almost scary when you think about it!

Everyone was nice and we were in and out. So the actual appointment took about 1/12 the travel time. But, a necessary sacrifice on the journey of adoption, I suppose. Oh, and the lady in front of us in line was born in Iraq and was seeking US citizenship! Very cool.