We are finally ready for the Home Study!

On Friday, we traveled once again to Fostoria for the final training meeting for our adoption. It was very informative, but very long. The most interesting part of the day was a panel with two sets of adoptive parents along with their child's birthmother. It was interesting to watch how the two groups interacted with one another. It makes me wonder how our relationship will be with our birthmother. Jeromy and I have talked about it a little bit, but have decided that there is no way to know how we will be until we meet her.

Now, all the training sessions are finished. We have all our paperwork turned in and now all we have to do is make up our scrapbook. On Friday, one of the social workers let me take home one of their scrapbooks to look at. I plan on returning it on Tuesday. I'm also going to make sure everything is turned in and taken care of.

On another note, Jeromy took me away for a romantic weekend. We went to Frankenmuth, MI and the outlets at Birch Run. It was very nice! (especially since he has been working afternoons for the last week) We had a lot fun and enjoyed some bonding time. FYI - it was my birthday this weekend! I'm now 34 (yes, I am old). What a great way to spend my birthday...with my best friend, Jeromy.

We are Finished!

It's time to celebrate! Jeromy and I finished our second "chunk" of paperwork this weekend. I mailed it out yesterday. We also were fingerprinted for our BCI and FBI checks. Now, we have to sit back and wait until they are finished processing everything at Catholic Charities and assign us a social worker.

Until then, we will work on the scrapbook that the birthmothers will look at when choosing who they would like to interview. We also have a day long meeting in Fostoria on Friday.

I can't believe how quickly we are moving! I am so excited!

Meeting Number Two

On Tuesday night, Jeromy and I traveled with my mom to Fostoria for the second meeting for our adoption. Actually, it was the first training session of two that we are required to attend (the first meeting was actually an orientation meeting).

This meeting was much more informative than the first one. We learned more about time frames for the home study. We also learned more details about the Foster-to-Adopt option that Jeromy and I are interested in pursuing. Our next meeting is next Friday.

Also, we are very close to finishing our second "chunk" of paperwork. It should be ready to mail on Monday! This is very exciting! I'll keep you posted!

More Insight...

I seem to be getting a lot of insight lately from God. Last night I was reading the book Free Inside and Out by Marilyn Meberg and Luci Swindoll (it's a book I picked up at last year's Women of Faith). Anyways, I read something last night that really made me think. Here it is (I'll just let it speak for itself)

"I have a reason for going through suffering or difficulty because I have an "eternal inheritance" with God (see I Peter 1:3-4; Hebrews 9:15 KJV). This means when I am in the throes of pain or hurt, God knows all about it and gives meaning and purpose to it so I can learn life lessons. Everything that happens has a reason, even though we may not know some of those reasons until we get to heaven! He takes me through these things to refine me and to encourage others later when they go through the same things. He enables me to grow up through difficult times and experience His faithfulness. In the hard times He's with me, no matter where I am or how hard they get. And He has a great plan to take me through this life into the next...always with Him. That's liberating." - Luci Swindoll

He's Home!

Need I say more?

Depressing News

Okay, I know this may not seem huge to a lot of people, but I am very depressed about it. I was supposed to pick up Jeromy tonight around midnight from the Detroit airport. However, his flight out of Seattle was delayed two hours. There were no other flights that he could take (he asked). So, now he is arriving in Minnesota after the last flight out. Now, he won't be arriving in Detroit until tomorrow morning at 8:30. This is very depressing! I really miss him.

Update on Paperwork and Other Stuff

Okay, I know a lot of people have been asking so I thought I would do a quick update on our second "chunk" of paperwork. We almost have it all filled out. Yesterday, I became CPR and First Aid certified. Tomorrow, the fire marshall is coming to our house to check us out. We both need to get our fingerprints done for a BCI and FBI check. Hopefully that will be completed next week. We each have a packet that we need to fill out and I need to finish the scrapbook. Then, we will be finished. If all of our references have turned in their paperwork we will then be assigned a social worker! This is so exciting!

In other news...Jeromy has been out of town all week for a conference. He is in Seattle. It has been lonely around here, but I have kept busy (thanks to Michelle and Mom). Tomorrow night I am going to drive to Detroit to pick him up from the airport. I can't wait!

Before I go, I almost forgot to mention something I find funny. Yesterday, I missed school because of my CPR training and today my sub mentioned that two more birds entered my room. I think I have a bird magnet in my room.

Fog and Cirque

Well, yesterday was an extremely busy day! It started off with a wonderful surprise...we had a two hour fog delay! That was really nice. However, it came across after I had taken my shower and was in the midst of eating my breakfast. As a result, I was unable to go back to sleep. But, that is okay, because I had a wonderful night's sleep on Thursday.

After the shortened school day, I ran to Lifestyles to work out for a little over an hour. That felt good. I had not been able to work out since Tuesday because I had pulled a muscle in my back at church on Wednesday night. Then, I headed home to Jeromy, his mom and sister.

After a quick shower and getting ready, we all left for a night out on the town. We went out to eat at Olive Garden (my favorite restaurant) and then headed to the Stranahan to see Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy. It was very neat. All I could keep saying throughout the show was "Wow." It is amazing what these people can do. Some of it actually looked painful. I was especially amazed by the contortionists. It was a very enjoyable evening!