Solid Steps Forward :)

It's been way too long since I posted here. There has been more waiting and waiting, then our adoption agency (who we were already not happy with), totally, ROYALLY screwed us over. This is forcing us to start over with a new agency.

The new agency is doing our home study. But they do not have an accredited adoption program in the country we're adopting from. They are trying to get one up and running, and there's a good chance by the time we are ready, they will be ready too.

However, because we are adopting from a Hague country, we have to have the adoption agency IN PLACE before we start the home study. Translation: If we say Lifeline is doing our adoption & our home study, they HAVE to do both. If we get ready to file our papers and they aren't ready in county with a program up and running, there will be more waiting.

So Lifeline will be doing our home study, and another agency will be doing our adoption. I had a GREAT talk with the adoption agency yesterday. Got our selves a game plan. She understands our situation, and is willing to go as fast as we can go. Our plan is to complete our dossier (even though we will still be waiting on immigration approval) while working on our home study. I am slightly overwhelmed by the thought of all that paper work and paper chasing. But, it's only paper, right? Can't really hurt me, right? If pregnancy hormones threaten to undo me, I can walk away. (See the pep talk I am giving myself???)

The 'draw back' to doing all this simultaneously? Once our home study is complete, we can apply for grants. (Another full time job, I hear.) But then there's waiting. Which is great if you are not in the big, fat hurry we are in. And? To complete our adoption application and dossier fees will be approx $6,000. (We are cool on the funds for our home study, itself. Praise the Lord)

So we can only go as fast as we have cash. Once we get over the $6000 hurdle, we can wait on grants, I think, and hopefully be okay? I can't worry about the second part now....the first numbers and making me woozy.

What can you do?
>Pray. Pray. And Pray.
>Donate items to our yard sale this weekend. Let me know if you can help, and I can come pick it up.
>Donate directly to our adoption agency.
>Use THIS LINK to donate to our Adopt Together account.