Just a quick post to apologize for how quiet it's been over here and to let you know that I'm moving! Not physically, just...internetly...lol.
Anyway, jump over to www.oneblessedadoptivemommy.wordpress.com to find my new home. :) I'm hoping to share a little more of our life and what it looks like now. Maybe also be more transparent about things. Who knows what will come of it. Maybe nothing. :) Maybe something, but whatever comes, I hope it's all for God's glory.
Thanks for following along! Can't wait to share what our family looks like now!
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Our God likes to show off...
The fundraising for our adoption is in full swing. We were blessed last month by The House of Bounce in Joplin. We got the check from them in the mail this week.
This week we also had our last set of fingerprints done for our dossier. The police station charged to get them done and then we also had to send a check in with the fingerprint cards to cover the cost of the KBI and FBI background check as well.
And you know what? That check from The House of Bounce covered it. Exactly. (I think there might be $2 leftover after paying for postage.)
The verse "...you have not because you ask not" has been on my mind ever since we started this adoption. So we've been praying very specifically for God to provide. And ya'll. God is providing exactly what we need. One check at a time.
To God be the glory.
Oily Business
This is a little long, so I apologize, but hopefully insightful...
Although I don't like "resolutions", I did try to come up with some goals for the new year. One of them, and probably the most important is to "get healthy". None of this "diet" stuff, more about taking care of myself inside and out. (Being more dilligent to eat and cook better, is part of this goal though.)
One of the main ways I wanted to accomplish this goal is to eliminate the need for OTC medicines for all of us. It seems like when fall hits, we're either taking some sort of allergy medicine, cold medicine, congestion medicine or something of the like. Hubby also suffers from a bad back, I have PCOS (which equals lots of pain throughout the month) and we both get headaches periodically. In addition to that, little miss has had issues getting to sleep, teething pain, growing pains, etc. Needless to say, we have our fair share of medications in our cabinet.
In trying to find a solution to our daughter's sleeping issues, we discovered essential oils. They made a world of difference! We were finally able to get some sleep! I also found a couple of natural remedies, like a burn medicine, with the same essential oils that were used to help her sleep.
Which led me to research other natural remedies using essential oils. Ya'll, there's TONS of them. If you use Pinterest, just search "essential oils" or Google the same thing. And prepare to be overwhelmed.
Now, before you run away screaming and thinking we're hippies, let me start by saying I'm not here to convince you to use essential oils. I realize they're not for everyone or for every ailment (although it would seem based on one of the books I got, there really is an essential oil you can at least try!). And I think, more than anything, that's what I would encourage you to do. Just try them. They don't carry the side-affects all these other medications do and they've been around since Jesus' time.
If you research essential oils very long, you'll soon discover there are also lots of brands to choose from. Now, another thing I'm not here to convince you of, is using one brand over another. I've personally ordered Young Living (their premium starter kit), Eden's Garden and Plant Therapy. After doing quite a bit of research, I'm less inclined to promote those companies that are direct-sale. They are both (there are 2 specific ones I'm talking about - Young Living and doTERRA) a LOT more expensive than others. Yes, they both give you the ability to make money by selling them to others, but if you're sitting here reading this and you don't have a TON of extra money to spend, the other 2 brands I mentioned are very comparable. (And typically about 1/3 of the price.) The main reason I ordered YL's starter kit is because I got 11 oils and a diffuser, and the lady I signed up through was giving away a $25 Amazon gift card along with a reference guide (worth $15!) all for FREE! It just made more sense to do it that way. But since then, I've ordered carrier oils and other essential oils from the other 2 brands I mentioned.
I know there are circumstances that warrent using prescription medications, but I think as a nation we've come to rely on them too much. At the first sneeze, many run to their doctor to get some medicine. Or if your child is suffering from constipation, many go get a prescription medication to help. But what if we started using Rx meds as a last resort, instead of the first one? Have you ever wondered what those medicines are doing to your body, in addition to treating the symptoms you have?
Let me insert here, I am not a doctor, a nurse or anything pertaining to the medicine field. Again, I know sometimes Rx meds are needed and necessary. Talk to your doctor. And if they tell you you're crazy for wanting to try them, try a different doctor. Find one willing to work with you as you explore all your options.
If you need to be on a prescription medication, try adding a good probiotic to the mix. Or eat some good, healthy yogurt every day. At least replace the good bacteria in your gut that the medication is removing. We are all taking a probiotic now and we try to eat yogurt at least a few times a week. (Regardless of whether we are taking any medicine.)
As a momma, I think we should use our God-given momma-intuition more. (Yes, I truly believe there is such a thing.) I am very blessed to be a stay-at-home mom right now, which gives me the unique ability to see my daughter all day, every day. I can tell if she's starting to come down with something or if something just seems off with her. This is when I would use essential oils. To stave off something. Or to help her through something like growing pains.
Maybe your little one has ezcema, or cradle cap, or baby acne (or maybe you struggle with this!), or teething pains, or growing pains...these are all minimal issues where you could try out some essential oils. These things that, if left untreated, won't land your child in the hospital. (And I know when it comes to your kids, it's scary when they're sick!) Or maybe she has a low-grade fever, instead of using Tylenol or Ibuprofin, use peppermint oil. And again, you know best. For our daughter, we try to give her 2 days to get better on her own before seeking medical intervention. This also allows her body to build up some immunities. And with the addition of essential oils, hopefully the number of times we have to go to the doctor will decrease.
I've enjoyed experimenting with different blends and diffusing them in our house. I've also been diffusing them at night in our daughter's room. In addition, I've made a couple blends to apply topically. I'll keep you updated as we go. :) I'm very excited about this and I'm really hoping it helps our whole family!
What about you? What were some of your goals? Have you tried essential oils? What oil(s) do you use?
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
The Cost of Adoption
We've had several people ask what the cost of Maddox's adoption will be, so I wanted to take a minute to outline our costs.
But, I do also want to preface it by saying, when asking an adoptive family this question, please, please, please, please, please don't ever word this as "how much did he cost?" or "how much did you have to pay for him?". Children are not cars with a price tag attached to them. To us, this is nothing more than a "hospital bill" that a biological child would come with, except we don't have insurance to help cover the costs. Just in case you don't believe me, the guy that we purchase our insurance through told me just recently that they just had a baby and their hospital bill was $25,000 - although they were only out of pocket about $2,500. Unfortunately, adoption doesn't come with something like that. And, at least in the case of international adoption, we have to have everything paid for before we go get our child. We can't come home and make monthly payments on whatever is left. Yes, there are grants out there, but none of them are guaranteed - in fact, many families are probably denied for more than they're approved for. This is why you will see us having so many fundraisers. Because the other fact of adoption is, most families don't have $25,000+ sitting in their bank account.
The other reason I'm writing this post is to be transparent with you. We want people to know exactly where their money is going. If you've followed our story very long, you know that we had a failed adoption in 2013. LOTS of people gave money to help us bring Noella home. Unfortunately, we weren't able to complete her adoption. The agency we were with at the time though was gracious and refunded us almost all of our money (minus the cost to translate the dossier and application fee). So we did have more than most when we started this adoption.
With all that being said, here are the numbers for you:
The total cost to adopt from China is going to be about $35,800.
Thankfully, this is not all due up front. It is broken down into 4 payments of about $3,100 due at various stages throughout the process. These are what's considered the "adoption fees". We have 3 of these payments left.
Then we'll have some out-of-pocket expenses like our medicals, background checks, our USCIS forms, the Hague training we have to complete, certifications and visas.
Just to break those numbers down a little bit: We just got one set of medicals done for our LOI (Letter of Intent) and they ended up being around $575 apiece (did NOT see that one coming!). And we're going to have to get another set done for our dossier. We have to get a background check for every state we've lived in since we turned 18 - 3 states each = roughly $50 together. The USCIS forms (the I-800a and I-800) will be around $1,000 total (both are covered in this cost). There are several training hours we have to complete for a Hague adoption. For both of us to get through all of the training, it will cost around $500. And then the certifications (for all of the paperwork needed for our dossier) and visas will cost around $1,000.
The other large chunk we'll have due are our travel fees (these include flights and in-country accommodations and expenses). These will be due before we go pick Maddox up. That cost will be around $18,000 (flights will change this number - they've estimated about $4,800, but this number could go way up or down depending on what time of the year you travel). It's almost like a balloon payment. After our "adoption fees" are all paid, we will only have the travel fees left. And depending on how quickly our process goes, these could all come due pretty close together (it's not going to be 1 payment/expense due once per month).
Then after all of those fees, after we're home with Maddox, we'll have some post-adoption expenses.
Please be praying for our fundraisers. We've started 2 and so far they haven't done as well as we had hoped. We also can't apply for most of the grants until after our home study is complete. (And we're hoping it'll be done by the end of this month.) We've got several other fundraisers lined up and will announce them as soon as they start. We're going to try and do at least 1 big fundraiser ($1,000+) and 1 smaller one ($100+) every month.
We know that God will provide the funds needed to bring this little guy home. We just need to keep pushing ahead, one day at a time. These kiddos are so worth it, no matter the cost! They all deserve a family and a chance at life. Adoption has changed our family, in more ways than just the obvious. And now we can't imagine growing our family any other way! We're so grateful God called us to this! <3 p="">
But, I do also want to preface it by saying, when asking an adoptive family this question, please, please, please, please, please don't ever word this as "how much did he cost?" or "how much did you have to pay for him?". Children are not cars with a price tag attached to them. To us, this is nothing more than a "hospital bill" that a biological child would come with, except we don't have insurance to help cover the costs. Just in case you don't believe me, the guy that we purchase our insurance through told me just recently that they just had a baby and their hospital bill was $25,000 - although they were only out of pocket about $2,500. Unfortunately, adoption doesn't come with something like that. And, at least in the case of international adoption, we have to have everything paid for before we go get our child. We can't come home and make monthly payments on whatever is left. Yes, there are grants out there, but none of them are guaranteed - in fact, many families are probably denied for more than they're approved for. This is why you will see us having so many fundraisers. Because the other fact of adoption is, most families don't have $25,000+ sitting in their bank account.
The other reason I'm writing this post is to be transparent with you. We want people to know exactly where their money is going. If you've followed our story very long, you know that we had a failed adoption in 2013. LOTS of people gave money to help us bring Noella home. Unfortunately, we weren't able to complete her adoption. The agency we were with at the time though was gracious and refunded us almost all of our money (minus the cost to translate the dossier and application fee). So we did have more than most when we started this adoption.
With all that being said, here are the numbers for you:
The total cost to adopt from China is going to be about $35,800.
Thankfully, this is not all due up front. It is broken down into 4 payments of about $3,100 due at various stages throughout the process. These are what's considered the "adoption fees". We have 3 of these payments left.
Then we'll have some out-of-pocket expenses like our medicals, background checks, our USCIS forms, the Hague training we have to complete, certifications and visas.
Just to break those numbers down a little bit: We just got one set of medicals done for our LOI (Letter of Intent) and they ended up being around $575 apiece (did NOT see that one coming!). And we're going to have to get another set done for our dossier. We have to get a background check for every state we've lived in since we turned 18 - 3 states each = roughly $50 together. The USCIS forms (the I-800a and I-800) will be around $1,000 total (both are covered in this cost). There are several training hours we have to complete for a Hague adoption. For both of us to get through all of the training, it will cost around $500. And then the certifications (for all of the paperwork needed for our dossier) and visas will cost around $1,000.
The other large chunk we'll have due are our travel fees (these include flights and in-country accommodations and expenses). These will be due before we go pick Maddox up. That cost will be around $18,000 (flights will change this number - they've estimated about $4,800, but this number could go way up or down depending on what time of the year you travel). It's almost like a balloon payment. After our "adoption fees" are all paid, we will only have the travel fees left. And depending on how quickly our process goes, these could all come due pretty close together (it's not going to be 1 payment/expense due once per month).
Then after all of those fees, after we're home with Maddox, we'll have some post-adoption expenses.
Please be praying for our fundraisers. We've started 2 and so far they haven't done as well as we had hoped. We also can't apply for most of the grants until after our home study is complete. (And we're hoping it'll be done by the end of this month.) We've got several other fundraisers lined up and will announce them as soon as they start. We're going to try and do at least 1 big fundraiser ($1,000+) and 1 smaller one ($100+) every month.
We know that God will provide the funds needed to bring this little guy home. We just need to keep pushing ahead, one day at a time. These kiddos are so worth it, no matter the cost! They all deserve a family and a chance at life. Adoption has changed our family, in more ways than just the obvious. And now we can't imagine growing our family any other way! We're so grateful God called us to this! <3 p="">
Monday, December 22, 2014
Special Kids - Part 2
God has blessed us with a beautiful daughter and now we have a son on the way, too (more on that soon!). Maleeya came home "healthy" and we've since learned about some small issues (see previous post). With our son, we know he has some health issues up front. And since it's something that will possibly be noticeable, I've decided to let you all know about it now. It's also something you can be praying about.
At first glance, little man appears perfectly healthy (and adorable!). But he has a special bag he has to carry around, at least for awhile. We'll skip the big medical terms - he has a blockage that doesn't allow him to go potty (pee to be specific). So he had a surgery to put in a catheter in his belly and it attaches to this bag. He will have to have these catheters changed monthly and then have a surgery sometime in the near future. One area of concern for us is his kidneys. The blockage wasn't noticed immediately and when you're not peeing, it's backing up into your kidneys causing them to expand. His medical files say they have at least been affected, we just don't know the extent.
We have been blessed to have a new doctor come to our small clinic in town - and guess where he's originally from? Shanghi, China! Out of all the places in the world?! He was able to read through the original Chinese medical file! He is ready to help us in any way possible, but he also sent our little guy's medical file out to some pediatric urologists to see if any of them would be willing to take his case once he's home. And there was one that said yes!
It may not seem like much, but to know that there are people waiting here to help you once your child comes home is a relief. We're praying that God begins to heal his little body even now and he will have no long-term effects from this.
Both of our children, they're special, made by God and made perfectly for us. We're so incredibly blessed to be the parents to these kiddos. <3
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Special Kids
I've been wanting/needing to write this blog post for awhile, but I've struggled to put everything into words, so I apologize if I ramble a little bit. I've also struggled with talking about it because it breaks my momma heart to even think about her having to go through this. This is a little long, so bear with me...
When we said "yes" to our little guy, we said yes knowing he has some special needs. And since it's a need that will be visible, at least initially, it probably needs discussed (and it will be; if not in this post, one later). (Side note: I am all for keeping your kid's stories private, especially if it's something no one will "see"!) But when we brought our daughter home over 3 years ago, she was "healthy", with no special needs known. For the first 6 months she struggled keeping bottles down and with eating solid foods. It was hard to deal with, but through some other adoptive mommas we finally figured out she is lactose intolerant (talk about feeling like a terrible mother!). But we made some adjustments and she has done great ever since.
Another area of concern we initially had was her speech. While she could jabber with the best of them (and seriously make it sound like she was having a conversation with you), she didn't really start saying words until around age 2 and then didn't begin to put words together until around age 2.5. But, she had been in daycares where she was one of the older kids there and I knew that was making a difference. So, I kind of let it go. Until this year. She exploded with language and with understanding things and putting words together and had been doing great, but she struggled with certain words and sounds. And while I'm sure every parent kind of goes through this, we were having to act as translators a lot when she talked with other people. So, naturally, I began getting concerned. We were told that schools aren't normally concerned until the child gets a little older, but I didn't like that answer. Because she was talking so much, I didn't want bad habits formed now that would be hard to break later.
Something she had started doing about 6 months ago also made us concerned that something else was going on. When someone would talk to her, she would say "what?" A LOT! At first we blew it off as just a toddler thing. She is so busy all of the time that if you didn't have her full, undivided attention she just wasn't paying attention. So we let it go. But then it go to where, when she would say "what?", she would turn her head to one side. And then I noticed she was watching our lips quite a bit.
So I thought we would start with the speech issue. Maybe she just didn't understand some things we said. After contacting a speech pathologist we know, we were directed to get a hearing evaluation first. And so we ended up at an education center (Greenbush) in a nearby town that has an Audiology center.
After hearing what the audiologist said in the very first test, my heart sank..."she's not hearing at the level she should be." Several tests later that day, we knew there was more going on than speech. She was testing in the "mild to moderate hearing loss level" in both ears. But they said she had a lot of wax in her ear, too, so we were sent to an ENT to get it cleaned out and then back to Greenbush for a follow-up test. It showed the same thing. And this time another test was done that also showed the hearing loss, still showing a mild-to-moderate loss, was permanent. And she would need hearing aids. I cried. In the office with the 2 audiologists there. Maleeya played happily with the toys in there while they consoled me. It was ugly ya'll.
We decided to go to Children's Mercy to get a second opinion since we still didn't have answers as to why she had so much wax in her ears. And their tests showed the same thing. So next month we go for a consultation where she will pick out the colors she wants for the hearing aids. We're praying that we qualify for a grant through them so they're covered. We will have to go back up to Children's Mercy every 6 months to have the molds redone and part of the hearing aid replaced. The part that goes over the ear will last 4-6 years. And we've learned the batteries in them need replaced quite often (like every 2-3 days).
Here we brought home a "healthy" child and she is now considered "special needs". And needs the type of hearing aids that are big and bulky. And noticeable. Very, very noticeable. And expensive. And they're not covered by insurance. I might have cried some more. But she is handling everything like a champ. She has also inspected our ears a few times. :) I just don't want her made fun of in school. Since she looks a little different than most kids, I don't want to give kids any more ammo, if you will, to use against her. So we'll just start teaching her how to respond to kids now and to be proud of having them. Much like we've taught her to be proud of the fact she was born in Taiwan.
Well, since this was so long, I'll talk about our little guy later. :)
When we said "yes" to our little guy, we said yes knowing he has some special needs. And since it's a need that will be visible, at least initially, it probably needs discussed (and it will be; if not in this post, one later). (Side note: I am all for keeping your kid's stories private, especially if it's something no one will "see"!) But when we brought our daughter home over 3 years ago, she was "healthy", with no special needs known. For the first 6 months she struggled keeping bottles down and with eating solid foods. It was hard to deal with, but through some other adoptive mommas we finally figured out she is lactose intolerant (talk about feeling like a terrible mother!). But we made some adjustments and she has done great ever since.
Another area of concern we initially had was her speech. While she could jabber with the best of them (and seriously make it sound like she was having a conversation with you), she didn't really start saying words until around age 2 and then didn't begin to put words together until around age 2.5. But, she had been in daycares where she was one of the older kids there and I knew that was making a difference. So, I kind of let it go. Until this year. She exploded with language and with understanding things and putting words together and had been doing great, but she struggled with certain words and sounds. And while I'm sure every parent kind of goes through this, we were having to act as translators a lot when she talked with other people. So, naturally, I began getting concerned. We were told that schools aren't normally concerned until the child gets a little older, but I didn't like that answer. Because she was talking so much, I didn't want bad habits formed now that would be hard to break later.
Something she had started doing about 6 months ago also made us concerned that something else was going on. When someone would talk to her, she would say "what?" A LOT! At first we blew it off as just a toddler thing. She is so busy all of the time that if you didn't have her full, undivided attention she just wasn't paying attention. So we let it go. But then it go to where, when she would say "what?", she would turn her head to one side. And then I noticed she was watching our lips quite a bit.
So I thought we would start with the speech issue. Maybe she just didn't understand some things we said. After contacting a speech pathologist we know, we were directed to get a hearing evaluation first. And so we ended up at an education center (Greenbush) in a nearby town that has an Audiology center.
After hearing what the audiologist said in the very first test, my heart sank..."she's not hearing at the level she should be." Several tests later that day, we knew there was more going on than speech. She was testing in the "mild to moderate hearing loss level" in both ears. But they said she had a lot of wax in her ear, too, so we were sent to an ENT to get it cleaned out and then back to Greenbush for a follow-up test. It showed the same thing. And this time another test was done that also showed the hearing loss, still showing a mild-to-moderate loss, was permanent. And she would need hearing aids. I cried. In the office with the 2 audiologists there. Maleeya played happily with the toys in there while they consoled me. It was ugly ya'll.
We decided to go to Children's Mercy to get a second opinion since we still didn't have answers as to why she had so much wax in her ears. And their tests showed the same thing. So next month we go for a consultation where she will pick out the colors she wants for the hearing aids. We're praying that we qualify for a grant through them so they're covered. We will have to go back up to Children's Mercy every 6 months to have the molds redone and part of the hearing aid replaced. The part that goes over the ear will last 4-6 years. And we've learned the batteries in them need replaced quite often (like every 2-3 days).
Here we brought home a "healthy" child and she is now considered "special needs". And needs the type of hearing aids that are big and bulky. And noticeable. Very, very noticeable. And expensive. And they're not covered by insurance. I might have cried some more. But she is handling everything like a champ. She has also inspected our ears a few times. :) I just don't want her made fun of in school. Since she looks a little different than most kids, I don't want to give kids any more ammo, if you will, to use against her. So we'll just start teaching her how to respond to kids now and to be proud of having them. Much like we've taught her to be proud of the fact she was born in Taiwan.
Well, since this was so long, I'll talk about our little guy later. :)
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Fundraisers
While we launched our first official fundraiser this weekend, many have asked about our other fundraisers planned. Here's the list that we have so far, and while we have dates for some of them, we're still working on the details for others (as we get the dates, I will try to add them to our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/FundraisingForOurAdoption):
• T-shirts - going on now
• House of Bounce in Joplin - December 23 from 4:00-8:00, come out and let your kids get out some energy while supporting our adoption.
• Thirty-One Party - January 20th, this will be in conjuction with my friend, Lacey and the comission from this party will go towards our adoption
• IG Auction/Raising Up 1 - March
• Toy boxes - my husband will make a beautiful toy box to raffle off (some of you donated to the one we started with Noella and I still have that list!)
• Just Love Coffee fundraiser - we have an account set up with them and for every bag of coffee you buy, we get $5 (www.justlovecoffee.com/grownbyGod)
• Flower Power - for every item you purchase from them, we receive a 50% commission
• Ordinary Hero - they give us a 40% commission from every purchase! (Visit http://www.ordinaryherostore.org/and when you're ready to check out it will give you a drop down menu of Affiliates, just choose "Montee, Hannah" from the menu)
• Big ticket drawing (iPad, Canon Rebel camera or something along those lines)
• Donations - If nothing else, then feel free to give a cash donation via our account on AdoptTogether (www.adopttogether.org/monteefamily) or PayPal (use email address hmontee@hotmail.com or visit our blog and there's a link on the upper right-hand side) or if you want to give a tax-deductible gift, you can send a check to our church (get with me and I'll get you the address)
• T-shirts - going on now
• House of Bounce in Joplin - December 23 from 4:00-8:00, come out and let your kids get out some energy while supporting our adoption.
• Thirty-One Party - January 20th, this will be in conjuction with my friend, Lacey and the comission from this party will go towards our adoption
• IG Auction/Raising Up 1 - March
• Toy boxes - my husband will make a beautiful toy box to raffle off (some of you donated to the one we started with Noella and I still have that list!)
• Just Love Coffee fundraiser - we have an account set up with them and for every bag of coffee you buy, we get $5 (www.justlovecoffee.com/grownbyGod)
• Flower Power - for every item you purchase from them, we receive a 50% commission
• Ordinary Hero - they give us a 40% commission from every purchase! (Visit http://www.ordinaryherostore.org/and when you're ready to check out it will give you a drop down menu of Affiliates, just choose "Montee, Hannah" from the menu)
• Big ticket drawing (iPad, Canon Rebel camera or something along those lines)
• Donations - If nothing else, then feel free to give a cash donation via our account on AdoptTogether (www.adopttogether.org/monteefamily) or PayPal (use email address hmontee@hotmail.com or visit our blog and there's a link on the upper right-hand side) or if you want to give a tax-deductible gift, you can send a check to our church (get with me and I'll get you the address)
That's what we have in mind right now. More than anything, we would covet your prayers for this adoption! For more than just provisions though, for our little guy's health, for our family as we prepare to bring him home, for Maleeya as she prepares to become a big sister and prayers that we don't become discouraged as we make our way through the process.
Thank you all so very much! <3 font="">
Friday, December 5, 2014
T-shirts, t-shirts, get your t-shirts!
Our first official fundraiser to bring home our little guy is live! We weren't going to start it yet, but wanted to see if we could get an order in in time for Christmas.
For the first round, we would like to sell 50 shirts. They're just $20 and if you need it shipped, it's just $4 more. Just follow this link to order yours: (Hoodies and long-sleeves are available in youth and adult sizes!)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/prints4apurpose
Thank you all so much!
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The first check!
So excited to say we have been able to add one checkmark to our list. Yes, it's a "small" step, but every one counts. :)
We are getting close to being done with some more of our required training as well as our Letter of Intent. And unfortunately, no, this was not just a simple letter (seriously, I could have cried ya'll, what a cruel joke!) I describe it as being a smaller version of our dossier. I'm hoping we can submit it next week. We have our medicals on Friday and we should have our background clearance letters later this week. And then once we start our official dossier, we have to do more in depth versions of these again. We will hopefully be able to have the first step of our home study done this week as well. This consists of a phone interview with our program coordinator/person/not-entirely-sure-what-to-call-her lady and the social worker who will do our home study. I'm very thankful to be working with the agency we have. Everyone has been very helpful and sweet! (And it's so nice to have them tell you, and know they mean, that they're praying for you!)
We are getting close to being done with some more of our required training as well as our Letter of Intent. And unfortunately, no, this was not just a simple letter (seriously, I could have cried ya'll, what a cruel joke!) I describe it as being a smaller version of our dossier. I'm hoping we can submit it next week. We have our medicals on Friday and we should have our background clearance letters later this week. And then once we start our official dossier, we have to do more in depth versions of these again. We will hopefully be able to have the first step of our home study done this week as well. This consists of a phone interview with our program coordinator/person/not-entirely-sure-what-to-call-her lady and the social worker who will do our home study. I'm very thankful to be working with the agency we have. Everyone has been very helpful and sweet! (And it's so nice to have them tell you, and know they mean, that they're praying for you!)
Our first shirt fundraiser is about ready to launch as well. I designed 4 different shirts and instead of ordering all of them up front, I'm looking at partnering with a company that allows us to take preorders and then get them all the money just before ordering the shirts. So, stay tuned for them!
Please keep praying for this process. As with any family with a child half-way around the world, we want him home yesterday! And it goes even more with there are some medical issues involved. We also found out we will lose about 3 weeks worth of processing time due to shut downs in their government (one week next month and then about 2 weeks at the first of February for Chinese New Year). This is about the time I had hoped to be DTC (Dossier to China), which will give us a better picture of travel time. If you would, also be in prayer now for our transition. He will be around 3 when we bring him home, speaking a different language (not sure how well, but we're pretty sure it will be the only language he will have heard) and not used to being around men or white people. While having sister at home will help, we will still be the with him for 2 weeks before he meets her (unless we decide to bring her, still not sure yet - taking applications now for a person to come with us!). Pray for us as well, as it will be a lot to prepare for! All that to say, we truly are very, very excited and humbled to be the parents for this little guy!
I would ask that you pray for another family that has been in their second adoption from S. Korea for well over a year with no end in sight. :( And then another adoptive family is getting ready to go pick up their little girl in China this week. They will be gone for 3 weeks and will be leaving their other young kiddos at home.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!
Friday, November 28, 2014
So Thankful
Just in case you missed it last week on Facebook, we now have a son! He might be in China right now, but he's ours! :) (Okay, not totally offically, official yet, but you know...)
After finding him on a waiting list at the end of last month, he stole our hearts and we said yes this month! We're so very excited and humbled to be on our way to him. (Growing up with 2 sisters, I only ever wanted boys - although I wouldn't trade our princess for anything!, so momma is very excited to be "expecting" a boy!)
We are now in the midst of the "paper chase". We submitted our first packet of paperwork (along with the first payment) and should be getting our home study scheduled this week, along with our orientation phone interview. We've also started on our "adoption training" needed, as this is a Hague adoption. We will need 30 hours total. It almost seems insurmountable at this point, but we've completed the marriage survey and I just got through the 10-hour online Hague training.
To help us maintain a little bit of sanity, and to satisfy my OCD, I made a check-list. I'll try to keep it updated as we go so you can also see where we are in the process. I've given very rough estimates on time frame and the steps needed to complete the adoption (although it may get revised as we get further into it).
We will start some fundraisers soon, too, and I think we've come up with some fun and unique ones to try. :) Our God is big and I know that He will provide everything we need to get this little guy home!
Would you consider praying for us as we begin this journey? We would also appreciate your prayers for our little boy, for his health and safety while he is waiting on us!
Thank you so much for your support of our (growing!) family! <3
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