New and Improved, for now

Many of our friends and family members have asked if there's anything new in regards to The Process. Honestly, I can tell you right now, the answer is a big, fat no. Once we switched from our original country decision to only China, things slowed down. And by slowed down, really, it was more of a screeching halt.

You see, we were going to apply to two programs simultaneously as suggested by our original agency: one to Taiwan and one to China. We would be allowed to apply to Taiwan immediately (and we were on the fast track to get our home study done by end of 2014 to submit paperwork by May 2015) and then work on the China application once we were both 29.5. (In China, married couples have to be 30 years old to adopt but you can submit application at 29.5; in Taiwan, married couples have to be 26.) By dropping Taiwan, we are now waiting until July 10 to submit our application to the Waiting Child Program (WCP) for China. We had hoped to start our home study in May/June but a few other things have come up that were unplanned, so we'll be waiting to do that too.

Clear as mud, right? 

Honestly, if we had known that things wouldn't be moving as fast as we'd planned and hoped, we probably would have kept the news to ourselves a bit longer. Since we're so anxious to get things moving, I'd imagine some of you are too (or maybe it's just the grandmas and grandpas). It is a bit depressing, since if we had kept our original plans in place we'd be done with our home study and almost ready to submit our dossier. However, then we also would have a much longer wait for a referral...so really, it's six of one/half dozen of the other.  

I digress. 

Anyway, here is our new, and improved, timeline: 

1. May 1 & 2: Garage sale for the adoption at our house. I plan to post more about this in the next couple of days. We have many family members and friends who have dropped things off at our house, so we're excited to see how God uses this day. Please, please, please pray for good weather. If it isn't good weather, rain dates are May 8 & 9.
2. May 16: Derek's MEES graduation at UW-Madison. (Not related to adoption process, but still just as important!)
3. July 10: Derek's 29.5 year old birthday! There will be cake. And also...it's the day we can submit our official application for the WCP and the Medical Conditions Checklist.  
4. August 15: #pieceofthefamily fundraiser/benefit day, which is being thrown for us by my amazing friend Shana. We are beyond thankful and still shocked that she volunteered to do this for us, but I am excited to see what the day will bring!   
5. Sometime in May/June/July: Derek has another work trip (length TBD) to China on the calendar, which kind of throws a wrench into when we had planned to start the home study. As long as I get another picture like this one though, I'll let it slide. 

Shanghai
August 2014
The gym shirt really makes it, don't you think?

I think the best analogy (at least the one I've been using) is compare it to an engagement. When you first get engaged, it's this huge announcement, lots of questions (that you probably don't know the answer to), and a bunch of plans and dates you have to set...and then it's a long wait until the next flurry of activity. In some ways, adoption is similar to that! We decide, and then wait, and then do a little bit, and then wait, and then do a lot, and then wait, and so the cycle continues. 

I say this is our new and improved timeline, and we hope that it will go according to our plan...but ultimately we need to remember "A man makes a plan in his heart, but God directs his path." (Prov.16:9)

So who knows? It may change tomorrow. 

           

Catching Up

This past weekend, I finally feel like I'm getting it together. Our house doesn't reflect this, what with the Kleenexes everywhere, tumbleweeds of dog fur, and sink full of dirty dishes, but if anything being sick kept me parked on a couch or in bed with nothing to do but research, Pinterest, and plan.

Many of you have wondered and asked exactly what we need help with or what you can do to help us. Well, thanks to the plethora of time I've had this weekend I was able to make a list.

Ready, and GO!

1) Pray. Pray that we are wise with our resources and finances and spending choices. Pray that we will be organized in time for our garage sale. Pray for donations for our garage sale. Pray that our washing machine and dryer will last a little bit longer and that our check engine light won't cost $7000 to fix. Pray for the start of our home study in June. Pray that God will put the right people in our lives to support and encourage us. Pray that we don't limit God. Pray for wisdom and guidance and patience and patience. And patience.

I could go on with that, but I'd say that would summarize the right now.

2) Garage sale! Everyone's favorite thing to do, I know. I've read mixed reviews on these "garage sales for adoptions" but it seems like if you put the work into it, and a lot of work into it, then they are mostly successful. We'll be having one whenever our neighborhood has one (which I need to double check the date but I believe it is either first or second weekend in May). If you have things you'd like to donate, feel free to drop them off or we can pick up. If you're bored that weekend and want to stop by or want to help price or make cookies or knit scarves or whatever, you do that too! (If you live up near our parents, you can bring the stuff to their houses and we can get it from there. I should probably warn them that I said that, so parents--consider yourselves warned. Derek also says we need tables (or plywood and sawhorses, or doors and sawhorses). That's a minor detail I didn't think of until now. Thanks Derek!

3) Probably the most fun one on the list--puzzles! We need help assembling four puzzles. It's a long story, but essentially we need to assemble the puzzles, number the pieces, and stamp half of them. Just trust me. I promise, I'm not crazy.

I'm thinking a Friday night puzzle night? We'll provide the pizza!

I can no longer think of puzzles without singing this.

4) Crafting! At some point after these puzzles are assembled, labeled, and disassembled, we need to have do a few more things to the pieces. Honestly, I would try to explain, but it would be easier to show and tell and the puzzles are still en route from who knows where. Just remember, #pieceofthefamily! And...it's not a hard craft--not even cut and glue. Just glue. In case you were worried.

5) Keep August 15 clear if you can. I really don't know too much about this other than the date, but we have multiple friends who have approached us that want to do some sort of benefit event. Which is CRAZY. We'll go with it though, and see what God has in store. One friend has graciously blocked off the space at her shop to hold this event, which is amazing, but honestly I don't know much more than that. There's only two days in a weekend and I didn't do that much planning. You can add praying for that date and for God to move people to get involve to item #1.

I don't know if it's because it's March 1st or what, but I'm finally feeling like things are starting to get moving and organized. This should probably be first instead of last, but we'll call it saving the best for last. We are SO thankful for the amount of people who have asked us what they can do, or connected us with people who have been through the process or are going through the process, or just offered the right words at the right time. Yes, we realize we are still so much at the beginning of this and hesitated to share so early, but we wanted to involve our family and friends in what we feel God is calling us to do.

I'll try to publish a few more posts that have been sitting in the drafts for the past few months, but no promises.

-Later!

Merry January 24

Thanks everyone for the messages, texts, emails, posts, calls, and any other form of communication that I'm missing that you've given us in regards to what we're now calling our "adoption press release." It's been a few weeks, and I thought I'd give a heads up on what's been happening in our lives since then.

For starters, I took this picture just now.

#notapriority

That would be our tree, which is still up. Hopefully, it will come down tonight. We've had a few other priorities/goings on, and suddenly about ten days ago we realized the tree was still up...and then promptly forgot about it again.

I think pictures work better with minimal words, so without further ado...

D's favorite gift

My favorite gift

It's tradtion!



Derek's done! What will he do with all this spare time?!

Cleaning out TV room for guest room

New TV/Family room...Before

And after! We did not get a snow day.

And of course, dogmosis.

I know a lot of you have asked a lot of questions about our adoption, and at some point in the near future we'll do a Q&A just for you! In the meantime, just keep checking back here where I will attempt to update wherever we may be in the process.