Brief Summary of Our Journey So Far . . .

I have been encouraged by several different people to start a blog concerning our adoption journey. I didn't know if I was really up for it, but after someone suggested that I could turn it into a scapbook later - I thought it was a pretty good idea.

So just to catch everyone up to speed here is our journey so far:
Early September - Scott and I decided to start the adoption process
September 22nd - We attended an informational meeting at the Brainerd Public library and recieved the Children's Home Society adoption application. While at the meeting, we met a brother and sister sibling group that had been adopted from Ethiopia. They were amazing and
they reaffirmed Scott and my decision to adopt.
Late September/Early October - We filled out the 20 page application, all three of us completed physicals, Scott and I were fingerprinted at the Crow Wing County courthouse, and we ask three family friends to write letters of recommendation for us (Thanks Again - if you are reading this!) .
October 12th - Sent Application to Children's Home Society
October 20th - Recieved letter from CHS state that we were invited to attend the November Pre-Adoption Class(two day event)
November 21 & 22nd - Attended the two-day Pre-Adoption Class. This two-day class involved intensive training on adoptions, transracial parenting, issues with attachment between parents and their adopted children, and country-specific information. Scott and I came home exhausted and a little defeated. It was a lot of information to digest and there were many more issues with adoption then we had ever realized. We decided that we still really wanted to adopt (even after the PAC class or "adoption bootcamp" as I like to refer to it). We also came home will another, larger packet of information to fill out for Children's Home Society.
November 28-31st - Over Thanksgiving weekend, Scott and I began the immense task to working through our "self-study questionaires." It literally took us those four day to complete the questionaires. Our completed work was 25 pages long (single spaced). We had to include a letter from our insurance company stating that they would cover the adopted child or children. The most challenging part of the paperwork was filling our the health questionaire. It was 25
questions concerning what sort of health issues you would be willing to handle with your adopted child. For example: Would you take a child that has diabetes, is cross-eyed, that has been physically abused, that has developmental delays, etc.
December 5th - Sent our completed "self-study questionaire" to CHS. YEAH! I have had a lot of homework in my life (and assigned a lot too), but this was unlike anything that I have ever done. I was so glad to be done with it!!!
December 11th - We were notified that a social worker had been assigned to us. Our social worker, Laura, set-up two dates to start the homestudy process. The first visit would be December 26th at our home and the second visit would be January 2nd in St. Paul at the CHS office.

Soooooo . . . that has been our journey so far. I think that adoption agency gives people so much work just to keep adoptive parents busy. I can't believe we have made it this far. I am so looking forward to finding our what our new little ones will look like! Very exciting.

Keep praying for us - and thanks for all your encouragement!

S, K, and B