Article

My brother sent me this article today regarding adoption and politics. I think it's great that adoption has become so popular even if done by less than ideal candidates (some Hollywood names come to mind) but like being 'green' it is "in" to adopt. Whatever. In the end, awareness is up, finanical help is becoming more & more available and most importantly, kids are finding families.

Here is an excerpt:

"If John McCain is looking for a way to shore up his support among evangelical voters, he might start talking about adoption. In 1993, the McCains adopted a daughter from Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh, and the senator has co-sponsored legislation to aid adoption, including measures that would provide tax credits for expenses and would remove barriers to interracial and interethnic adoption. But his efforts are rarely mentioned on the campaign trail at a time when adoption is a hot topic in the evangelical community."

You can read the whole thing by clicking here.

DONE!!!!!!

We got our last document in the mail today and then rushed everything off to UPS this afternoon. It should reach our agency by Tuesday and IF all looks good, we will go on the waiting list at that point! There will be a few tasks here and there but the next major news will be a picture of our son! (This could be months and months down the road...)

I was overwhelmed with emotion on the way to UPS (so much so that I drove entirely the wrong way and had to turn around). But I was so humbled and grateful to have this opportunity to adopt. I have seen and heard of some real sad things happening in other people's families lately and I just am truly thankful for God's faithfulness through good times and bad as well as His provision, timing and sovereignty.

Completing this dossier was definitely the most challenging phase yet but I can look at it now as a way for God to grow me and to experience perspective as well.

So for now (praying all goes well on Tuesday), our official answer to all adoption questions will be "We are waiting!"

Growing Boy

"I'm hungry!"

Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

To celebrate our high temperature of 82 degrees today we went with friends to the St. Louis Zoo. It was a great day, we only spent $2 (so Lucy could ride the carousel), and everyone came home and took really great naps in the afternoon.

A Lesson in Humility & Patience

It's been an eventful day around here and it's only just after 2 pm. I got a phone call this morning from the Missouri Sec of State's office saying all but one of our documents is able to be apostilled. Can you guess which one was invalid? Yep. The bank letter. The notary left off some detail and so it's going to be sent back to us incomplete. Which means another trip to the bank sometime next week to try again. A lesson in patience.

So if it's not enough to have a reputation at the bank for being troublesome, we can now add our local trash service. Last week when I went to get the mail I noticed everyone's trash had been collected but ours. I came in and tried to find the contact information for the company, was unsuccessful and then quickly distracted by other tasks. Fast forward another week later, to today. We now have 2 weeks of trash out on our curb and I am waiting by the window for the truck. Sure enough, they get to our house, pause, the man hanging off the back shakes his head no and they start to drive on.

Immediately, I rush down the stairs and out the door and down the street. Wet hair from the shower, no makeup. "Excuse me, why won't yall pick up our trash?" I yell as I get closer. The man who hangs off the back shakes his head again and walks slowly toward me as I am running in his direction. "You don't have service." He even gets on his walkie talkie and confirms that indeed, our address is "no good". "What? Surely we pay for service. We pay a million other bills for water, electricity, phone, mortgage. We don't have extra money lying around and you have been picking up our trash for the 10 months we've lived here." "Sorry, lady."

So I head back to the house, haul our two weeks of trash back to the garage and go inside to sign up for service. Next Thursday they will have their hands full with three weeks of waste from our family. A lesson in humility.

I've been convicted since this incident in the manner in which I conducted myself with the trash guy and with the bank lady. In one case I was in the right and the other case I was in the wrong. But regardless, I should have presented myself and my case with the light of Christ, with humility and love for others above myself, my circumstances and my needs. It looks like I will have a chance to rectify my dealings with the bank lady when I return next week and I just may have to chase down my trash guy next week with an apology. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me humility and patience.

Adoption Update

Yesterday, after two treks to the bank (thankfully, it's not far but it was one of the hottest days of the year) and a leeeennnnggggttthhhyyy phone call to customor service we were able to get our reference letter from our bank! And we got an apology, too. :)

So we sent off the last of our documents to the Sec of State to be apostilled. Once we receive everything back (coming from 4 different locations: CA, TX, GA, MO) we will send it off to our agency and go on the waiting list for our little boy!

Thanks for the prayers!

Almost Done!

We got the very last document we needed for our dossier in the mail today only to have it arrive without being notarized! It's a statement from our bank showing our average balance, etc. They charged us $10 to even get this form and assured me it could be notarized. So Mark went to them this morning to see about getting it notarized and they refused! Something about not being able to notarize their own signatures.

So on Monday, Lucy, Nate & I will have to seek the higher ups and see about getting this done. Look out Bank President Person! We have a baby waiting for us!

What a story of perseverance we will be able to tell our son one day about getting him home to our family!

On that note, I want to publicly thank and acknowledge Amy R., the Williams and Amanda N. for going above and beyond the call of friendship to help us out with the adoption. We were extremely humbled and moved by your words of encouragement and acceptance. Thank you so much for contributing to our family in such a way!

Winner

Congrats to Cristina of zigzags and tangents on winning the 5 x 7 frame!

Thanks to everyone for participating!

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