Adoption Update

The committee date was moved to March 12 (Dan's birthday).  It usually takes them 3 hours to decide. Technically, they have 24 hours to make the final decision, although it is rare that they take that long.

Well, I was driving with my mother from Chicago to Memphis on the 12th, so Dan was the one to get the call from our adoption worker.  They thought all families presented at committee had great strengths, and decided they needed to take the full 24 hours to decide.  It was a bit disappointing, because I was anticipating the decision all day and just wanted an answer.  At the same time, it was great to know that they were not making a rash decision, and reviewed each family thoroughly.  And I was also happy to hear that the other families were good, because if we were not chosen I wanted the boys to go to a great family.

We found out March 13th around 1 pm that we had been the selected family. Ah!!

It is insanely exciting...and a little scary.  I'm excited that they thought highly enough of our family to entrust 2 boys to us.  I'm excited that I potentially have 2 sons.  I'm excited to see Adalee and the boys grow up together.  There is a lot to be excited about.  Scary, only because nothing is final until it's legally final, and that always gives me a bit of anxiety. 

The boys are 3 and 5 years old (just turned 5 this month)  I still do not want to publicly post their names until after the transition into our home.

Here are a few questions you may have that I have gotten from others:

1.  Have we met them yet?  No.  We have never met them.  We have seen 2 pictures and that is all.  It is a very weird process, and, yes, I wish we could have met them before committee, but that is not how the process goes.

2.  When do they come home?  They have been in their current foster home for 1 yr and are attached to the foster parents.  It will be a slow transition.  We are hoping to meet them the week I get home, but they will not move in with us for maybe a month or more after the initial visit.

3.  How does Dan feel about it all?  He is very excited.  He has already started planning how he will insulate the garage and turn it into a playroom for the kids. He's cute :)  He has already started collecting "boy" toys, and pirate outfits.  He's anxious to meet them.

4.  Are you sure you can handle 2 boys?  This is a weird question to me.  We obviously would not be at the point we are at, if we didn't think we could "handle 2 boys".  Our adoption worker, after hours of interviews and stacks of paperwork, would not have approved us for 2 boys if she didn't think we were capable.  The committee would not have chosen our family if they felt we could not properly care for 2 boys.  It's a silly question to ask us at this point...and quite insulting, too. 

5.  How much does Adalee know about the adoption?  She knows we are adopting.  For the past year at bedtime we have been praying for whoever God has chosen for our family.  Some days she is very excited and talks about having siblings, and other days she says she does NOT want to be a sister.  She's a normal 5 year old, and it's going to be a transition for her, just as much as it will be for the boys.  If I was growing a child inside of me, she would have the same anxiety about becoming a sister.  We are doing our best to help her understand what is happening.

Luckily, we haven't been asked too many weird questions.  Mostly everyone we know is supportive, and we really, really appreciate that.  Thank you for all the prayers.