I-600A Received

Nothing much to post about - just a quick update! We received our letter from CIS yesterday saying they have received our I-600A (and cashed our check!) so that process is underway!

I-600A: Done!

Yea! One more step completed!

Yesterday, I just mailed off our I-600A - Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition to the Dept. of Homeland Security! Not sure how long this takes to get approved? Adoption land? Any answers for me?

We also mailed off our Online Adoption homework plus a big fat check to AAI yesterday.

We have almost completed our Dossier and then we will be in no-man's land. The waiting period. Where there isn't much (anything) we can do to move the process along. Only wait.

I'll likely revert back to posting about our daily antics - the boy's crazy comments - etc.

What you can be praying for during the wait period:
*Our new children - that God will bring exactly who He has planned to join our family and we will KNOW.
*Finances - pray for wisdom on when & what to fundraise. We are believing God to show up in a big way!
*Timing - His perfect timing.

I'll let you know when the dossier goes out!

I can cry if I want to!

I don't want to. It's my birthday so I could if I wanted to!! I am a whopping 38 today. I don't want to cry but I do want to brag about my boy Asa. So, please indulge me a birthday moment.

Asa is a few months shy of turning 8. Lately, his attitude, in general has been less than desirable. My boys typically get along beautifully but lately he's been quick to anger and selfish. I could try and sugar coat that but it's not worth sugar coating. We've all been a little over it - I think even Asa is over himself.

But today!! What a JOY!! What a birthday present! My morning started with breakfast in bed! Cereal - Honey Bunches O' Oats (my fave) initiated and completed my sweet Asa. He was also already dressed for the day!! Another chore as of late. After I ate my cereal, we all laid around in our bed watching cartoons and talking. THEN, he got my brush and started brushing my hair while I laid on my pillow. FOR 30 MINUTES!! Who in the world doesn't like THAT???

After church, Mark asked me where I wanted to go for lunch. I picked a new Japanese place on the island. Eli gave a little whimper or 2 about Mexican and Asa says, "Eli, it's Mom's birthday and she gets to pick!" Asa doesn't even like Japanese!!

THEN, we get home and Asa has been wanting to earn money to buy books from the book fair at school. They earn a small allowance each week and we also gave each of them a set amount for the book fair but he wanted more. (He loves to own books.) In the past, he has NOT been interested in long-term money earning projects. If it cannot be completed in 15-20 minutes, then forget it. Today - He has been blowing leaves and bagging them for 3 HOURS in the front yard today!!!! Who is this kid??? Where did he come from??? The job was all his idea!!!

I am so proud of him. It reminds me that everything is a season. Thank God that He doesn't leave us where we are when we get in that funk where we can't even stand ourselves.

He's proud of himself. You should see him smile!
What a great birthday present! Maybe I should cry! :)

Dossier is next...

We received our notarized copies of our homestudy in the mail today. I am in the midst of putting together our Dossier that will then go to Africa. Everything is almost complete. We are mailing off our I-600A this weekend also. We haven't been able to do that in the state of GA until we had our notarized homestudy in hand.

I am in such anticipation of this upcoming year. I have a dream that many families in our area will begin to want to adopt from Ghana. I would love to have such a wonderful support group of children that are from their birth country.

Boy news:
We have a new skatepark on the island. My boys can't get enough. I took some pictures the other day. We got a fancy camera for Christmas and I'm still learning how to work the manual modes. Once I figure it out and take some blog-worthy pics, I will upload them!

APPROVAL!APPROVAL!APPROVAL!!!

We got the phone call yesterday! Mark is speaking at a Youth Retreat in FL this weekend, we were car-packed and walking out the door when the phone rings. I was just about to ignore it when I glance down and realize it is AAI! Can't ignore that! It is the social worker who approves the home studies. She says some super nice things about the pic of our family and then says we are ready to go! We should have our 4 notarized copies by this week's end and then on to the next steps.
We have been working on our Dossier docs and the only thing we are in need of is our certified birth certs which I ordered a few weeks ago. Guess its time to follow up on that. I am typing this from a rustic camp on my Blackberry! HA! I'll post more news on monday when we have some! The good news is we are REFERRAL READY!!!

Crazy week! Hurry up and wait!

We have approved our home study report - the financial figures we needed finally got worked out with our home mortgage - we have started working on our dossier -Mark's major community/fundraising event was this week - Mark's radiator broke - I was an emotional wreck this week!!!

I tiptoed into this adoption process during the first of January. My only prayer at that point was 'Lord, we think this is you, if this is not what you want us to do, please slam the doors shut!". Everything was smooth sailing. Our home study papers were collected so quickly. Then a couple of weeks ago - I had 2 different worship experiences where I felt God's pleasure and felt confirmation that we are definitely doing what He has called us to. Right about then, it felt like everything started falling apart!! On Thursday, during my quiet time with the Lord, I resisted the notion to ask Him to confirm it one more time for me. I thought it - but I resisted the idea of writing it in my journal and making it official. :) I immediately thought of the Israelites and all the times they kept asking God for a sign when there were signs all around them! I decided I would have faith enough to believe Him the first time!

Our God is so good and merciful. This morning in church, there were 4 distinct things that happened that were amazingly 'coincidental'. I smiled at how He works. Mark preached for Jay this morning - God used his sermon, my children, a specific worship song, a specific scripture, and a specific 'term'....Journey Home.

I'll just share one. I had just finished my online adoption course yesterday that was required of Mark and me. I had decided I would title my 'adoption'/'baby' book 'My Journey Home'. When I got to church this morning, there was a BANNER in the worship room above the altar with the words 'JOURNEY HOME". ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

I love God. I love a great adventure. I don't like being confused and frustrated and God doesn't want me to be!! He showered me with love and encouragement this morning. I am His Beloved.

Mark's GP Community Event was the biggest in Gathering Place history!! We had 1000 people there and the night was fabulous. I was so proud of him.

I wish I had more news. We are in a waiting mode for the approval of the homestudy. When we get the official approval from AAI - we will let you know!