Adoption Process Update

We are making baby steps. We are in the process of filling out background paper work. Standard stuff: employment, previous residences, references, etc. We should get it finished up and sent in by the end of the week. And then we get to wait again...

We send the paperwork to the Odessa CPS, they send it to Brazos county CPS and then they'll contact us about a home study. I'm beginning to think we should have bought those pj's a couple sizes bigger...do they come in youth sizes, I wonder?

Obviously I need prayer for patience. ;) That I would rest in God's timing. He is the one orchestrating this entire process, including the timing of each individual piece. But in this process I am reminded that I struggle with uncertainty and trusting God when I don't know what's coming next. I want to know when he's coming, how long I have to prepare, what to expect once he gets here. Right now I don't know any of that. And yet I am still called to trust God and His perfect plan.

Ecc. 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time..."

Pink Daisies

This is what greeted me when I got home this evening. I've been feeling kind of down this week, and this morning I wasn't feeling good at all. So Brian bought me flowers while he was out today and left them where I would see them first thing when I got home. And they worked. I feel better. :)

Thank you Brian, for your thoughtfulness. It is such a sweet thing to be loved by you. Thank you for going out of your way to make me feel special. I love you.

PS - The wrapped package was a copy of Jane Austen's "Sense & Sensibility." Which means I'm one book closer to having all of Austen's novels. :)

Dinosaur Pajamas

Last night we bought the first of many things we will purchase to prepare for Alex. Dinosaur pajamas! Brian and I first found them a few weeks ago when we were first seriously thinking about adopting, and I've had them on my mind since then.

We bought them a little bit big (we think) so that they will be sure to fit him, no matter when we get him. (Get him - like I'm waiting on the delivery of books I've ordered off amazon: "17 month old boy, blonde hair, blue eyes" yep, that's what I want, "Add to Cart") I know in the future, buying clothes will seem more time-consuming and expensive, and less exciting, but it's fun right now. And very weird to think that I'm buying clothes for my own child, not to give to someone else's at a baby shower. I guess a lot of things are going to take getting used to. :)


Oh, and in case you're wondering why dinosaur pajamas are so cool, it's because Brian grew up really liking dinosaurs. He had really cool dino toys that he played with and he still knows the names and characteristics of all the dinosaurs. I just think it would be cool for Alex to grow up liking the same things that his Daddy liked when he was little. And besides, Brian still thinks dinosaurs are cool! ;)

PS - I also thought dinosaurs were pretty cool when I was growing up, and Brontosaurus was my favorite. So these pjs turned out to be perfect from that standpoint too. Hmmm, I wonder if these were more for Alex or his parents? Do they make these in adult sizes...

What's it's name?!

Since the last question I threw out on my blog had such great results, I thought I'd try it again.

When I was in elementary school, I read a lot. Kind of like now. Anyway, I read a book I remember really enjoying, but now I can't remember the name of it. It was a fantasy-type book, the first part in a series. All I remember about the plot is a boy on a journey with a group of people, and the book ends with them getting to a the tower they've been searching for. His companions urge him not to enter the tower, but the boy opens the door and walks in. The End.

I think that at the time of my reading, the sequel hadn't been written yet, and I forgot the name of the book before I could find the sequel. But obviously it stuck with me, and I really want to know what happened to the boy after he walked into the tower.

So, if anyone remembers having read a book like that, or maybe one of your kids has read a book like that, please let me know. :)

Surprise Addition

For those of you who read Brian's blog, this post isn't going to surprise you. (Unless you're wondering why it's taken me so long.) For the rest of you who are about to be surprised, I wish I could call or write all of you and tell you individually, but it just isn't possible. So, here we go...

This little guy sitting with Brian is Alex. Alex is 16 months old, and Lord willing, he's going to be our son, hopefully as soon as February.

Now that I've got your attention, let me explain. :)

Alex is the biological son of one of Brian's cousins. Because the parents are unable to care for him, Alex was taken out of their home by CPS (Child Protective Services) We first learned of Alex and his situation in August, but didn't start seriously considering adopting him until November. The more we thought and prayed about it, the more we felt that this was something God was leading us to, or leading to us, as the case may be.

Brian went to Odessa last week for the mid-point court hearing so he could get all the information about the case, and talk face to face with lawyers, CPS, etc. While he was there, the judge actually called him up to the stand, and after a short interview, approved us to take Alex into our home. So, pending a successful home study, I will be a mom in short order. :)

As the situation stands right now, we will not initially be adopting Alex. He will come to us in a Permanent Managed Conservatorship. It looks basically the same as adoption in terms of our rights, responsibilities, and decision-making, but we cannot change his name to reflect his new family. CPS will not allow Alex to go back and live with his biological parents, but lawyers do not believe that they have a case for terminating the rights of the parents. Brian talked to his cousin (the father) last week, and he seemed open to the thought of giving up his rights so that we could officially adopt Alex. We haven't talked to him again since Brian got back, so we don't know if that is still his position, but we're praying that we will be able to fully adopt Alex in the near future.

Right now, we aren't exactly sure when we'll have Alex in our home. CPS says it will be "sooner rather than later," but they're overwhelmed with cases, and Alex is only most important to us. ;) We have to have a home study done (basically an interview to make sure we're not crazy) and once we pass that, we can start transitioning Alex into our family. CPS will bring him out to us for a visit, so he can meet us, spend some time in our apartment, hopefully start to feel comfortable around us. They may only bring him out for one visit before he moves permanently. CPS said that normally they don't take too long in the transition with children as young as Alex, but it will depend on how he seems to do on his visit. I'm looking forward to this visit because I haven't gotten to meet him yet. Brian went to Odessa during the week while I had to work.

As you can imagine, it has been a rather overwhelming few weeks. And I'm sure the next few weeks and months will be the same, as we make this huge life-change. I'm excited, but at the same time, overwhelmed and nervous, unsure of what life's going to be like in two months.

We ask for your prayers in several ways:

-We would be able to rest in God's timing as we're waiting to welcome Alex into our home.

-We would ultimately be able to adopt Alex officially

-Alex would quickly become comfortable with us, and that his transition would go smoothly

-Brian's school - I will still be working full-time, and with the help of our amazing church family, Brian is going to stay in school full-time. This is his last semester of course work, so it will be great for him to be done. But it means this is going to be a very hard semester for him, as he balances being a stay-at-home Dad and a full time grad student and TA.

-Most importantly, we pray that God would draw Alex to Himself, that at a very early age he would put his trust in Christ, and that he would grow in his faith into a strong, godly man who loves the Lord.

Whew, I think that's enough for one post. As we get more info and a more definitive time schedule, we will definitely let ya'll know. Thank you for your prayers, and for loving our children before you've met them!