Guess what?!

A month ago, I started a blog countdown (count –up?). A year ago, we committed our hearts to a child who is not yet born, and our time to a huge paperchase. We have a long road ahead, possibly another 2 years or more, but we are officially expecting. We are adopting from Ethiopia.

I am usually one to keep my feelings close and not share them with the world – but God has moved in our hearts and our lives to make all this possible and I believe it glorifies Him when we allow others to see what He has done in our very ordinary lives. So, I am sharing.

Through the fall/winter of 2007/08, I began reading a lot of blogs about adoption and fostering. I've always been drawn to both and in fact, Keith and I have completed the fostering orientation twice, and filled in the paperwork 3 times. (Flash forward – as you know if you read the blog – we actually did submit our fostering application package this past March and are currently waiting for homestudy – we have heard from our references that they have been sent their forms – so a BIG thank you to all who are references for us – I know the forms are quite lengthy!)

In spring 2008 we were driving to the Brandon Fair and I finally brought up the subject of fostering/adoption again, rather expecting that this would be an introduction conversation and that many conversations would follow, but to my surprise, Keith was willing to look into fostering once again. Not adoption though – not because he was unwilling to adopt, but because of the cost – I'm going to be honest – it is relatively expensive. (I say relatively because I hope to write about the cost later) When we got home from that trip, I registered us for the fostering orientation in May/June and we attended 4 evening sessions and in the fall, an additional attachment seminar – which was excellent.
HOWEVER – I was feeling more and more, that we were being called to adopt. We had ongoing conversations about adoption, our family and God's heart for adoption and ended up ordering application packages from two adoption agencies.

We liked both agencies, but decided on CAFAC for two main reasons: 1. We could pay in installments, allowing us to pay cash – the other agency required payment in full to start, and we just didn't have all our funds together. Partnering with CAFAC allowed us to begin our process right away. 2. CAFAC has been facilitating adoptions from Ethiopia for a long time – we were attracted to the stability of the program, and though their wait times for referrals were longer, because we could begin right away (instead of waiting while we saved a lump sum of money for a retainer fee) we figured the wait would be relatively comparable.

And so, in the past year, since signing on with CAFAC in August of 2008, we have attended an adoption orientation at Elkhorn resort, completed physical exams including blood work and TB tests for the Keith and me, ordered criminal record checks, copies of birth and marriage certificates, filled out extensive adoption homestudy questionnaires, met with our social worker for a homestudy (4 meetings) and watched our paperwork travel around the world to Africa where it waits for our family profile to match the needs of a little one who will become part of our family forever!