You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When . . .
1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's "real" parents.
7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word "Dossier" means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.
-Author unknown
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Weekend Trip To McCall, ID
We went up to McCall this weekend to see Jenn's parents and take them their new dishwasher they had bought a month ago down in the Boise valley. We had heard all the stories about all the snow they had been receiving, but could not appreciate it until we saw it for ourselves. Of course we forgot our camera, so you'll have to take our word about how much snow there is up there, or just go see for yourselves. The snow was probably 4-5' tall in their yard. It had been taller, more like 6'+ but it has settled and melted and then froze again. Around the house the snow has slid off the roof and covered some of the windows and they had to dug out so they don't break. They have to have the drive professionally blown because it is about 150-200' long and leads down into their basement garage. So the berms leading down the drive way are so tall you can't seee over the top of them.
Sadie our yellow lab loves to visit McCall, because of the snow and wild animals (mostly squirrels and an occasional deer, elk or bear) smells. She loves to run and jump in the snow banks, but had a little trouble this trip because it was hard to get to where she usually romps around. Once she found she could finally climb up on top of the snow, she was happy as could be. We would let her out and she would run up one side of the driveway and have to jump about 3' off the bank ledge to get back down. The Lund's neighbor across the street has a yellow lab named Katie, and they have a picture of her on top of the roof of their garage. She was able to get up their once the snow slid off the roof and made a path to the top. Luckily Sadie was not able to do that at Jenn's folks.
We also helped install the new dishwasher. It took a run to the local hardware store to extend the water line and adapt to the existing drain line, but we got it all hooked up and placed back into the old spot. So if you know of anybody who needs to change their dishwasher out, my father-in-law or I can tell them how to do it. :) If we had our camera we would have done a before and after picture.
Well we made it back home and Sadie is snoring away on her bed. No new news on the adoption front right now. We're waiting for our agency to get a new list of waiting children and hoping and praying that Emma might be on this next one. So we will update when we here something new from or agency or have something else to share with everyone.
Sadie our yellow lab loves to visit McCall, because of the snow and wild animals (mostly squirrels and an occasional deer, elk or bear) smells. She loves to run and jump in the snow banks, but had a little trouble this trip because it was hard to get to where she usually romps around. Once she found she could finally climb up on top of the snow, she was happy as could be. We would let her out and she would run up one side of the driveway and have to jump about 3' off the bank ledge to get back down. The Lund's neighbor across the street has a yellow lab named Katie, and they have a picture of her on top of the roof of their garage. She was able to get up their once the snow slid off the roof and made a path to the top. Luckily Sadie was not able to do that at Jenn's folks.
We also helped install the new dishwasher. It took a run to the local hardware store to extend the water line and adapt to the existing drain line, but we got it all hooked up and placed back into the old spot. So if you know of anybody who needs to change their dishwasher out, my father-in-law or I can tell them how to do it. :) If we had our camera we would have done a before and after picture.
Well we made it back home and Sadie is snoring away on her bed. No new news on the adoption front right now. We're waiting for our agency to get a new list of waiting children and hoping and praying that Emma might be on this next one. So we will update when we here something new from or agency or have something else to share with everyone.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
2 Journeys In 1
When we first started our adoption journey, we researched the process very extensively (so we thought). But as we became more emmersed into our journey to Emma our eyes and minds were opened to a whole new world of adoption related web sites, web groups, chat rooms, adoption rumor sites, and online adoption communities. Most all of these sites have provided an abundance of information for us. Information that has frustrated us, gives us hope, made us cry, made us rejoice. But all in all, we have become more informed about our adoption journey.
As many have heard adoption in China has become veerrryyyy vveeerrrryyyyy slow. There are so many different reasons why there is a slow down, that it is hard to say that is exactly one specific thing that is slowing it down. We have recieved many letters from our agency founders (who happen to be Chinese) about the increasing and extended wait, trying to help explain it to everyone. But the fact remains it is slow and up to a 3 or 4 year wait for anyone entering the program now. They cant even tell us how long it will be for our specific wait. They tell us on a monthly basis that "the current wait time is........" Meaning that people who are receiving referrals now are waiting 24-27 months, as of the February last newsletter.
After reading posts, websites, blogs, and our adoption agency newsletters, we learned about 2 different adoption routes in China. They have the traditional NSN (non special needs) route and the SN (special needs) route. SN children have minor to major health/physicals needs that prevent them from being in the traditional adoption program. They might have visible birthmarks, scars, burns, limb differences, cleft lips, cleft palates, missing or extra digits, heart defects, blind, deaf, and also includes older children up to 13 years old, both boys and girls.
When we first heard of the SN adoption route we started reading more about the children in the orphanges with special needs. Most (but not all) agencies have a special needs adoption program, which they post a list of children that they have available for adoption through there specific agency. We were being drawn to these sites more and more feeling that there was a place in our hearts and home for one of these children. In reality, the sad thing is that these children are no different than any of the others except for there specific need.
We decided a year into our wait for Emma, that she could be one of these special girls that might otherwise be overlooked just because she was different in some other way. And who knows, no one might ever know how or why she is different then anybody else. So, as of June 03, 2007, we submitted a MCC (medical conditions checkist) to our agency with what special needs we would consider, could handle, and be open to. We will probably be matched with Emma off this list before we ever make it to a NSN referral in 2009 or 2010 or 2011.
We know this is a long post and many of you know where we are at in our process already, but we wanted to help keep everyone up to date with what is happening in our Journey to Emma. We also know that you all love us and its hard to keep asking "Have you heard anything?" as it is hard for us to keep saying "No we havent." So keep us in your prayers as we get a little closer everyday and don't stop asking us "have you heard anything," cause one day you may just get a different answer. :)
As many have heard adoption in China has become veerrryyyy vveeerrrryyyyy slow. There are so many different reasons why there is a slow down, that it is hard to say that is exactly one specific thing that is slowing it down. We have recieved many letters from our agency founders (who happen to be Chinese) about the increasing and extended wait, trying to help explain it to everyone. But the fact remains it is slow and up to a 3 or 4 year wait for anyone entering the program now. They cant even tell us how long it will be for our specific wait. They tell us on a monthly basis that "the current wait time is........" Meaning that people who are receiving referrals now are waiting 24-27 months, as of the February last newsletter.
After reading posts, websites, blogs, and our adoption agency newsletters, we learned about 2 different adoption routes in China. They have the traditional NSN (non special needs) route and the SN (special needs) route. SN children have minor to major health/physicals needs that prevent them from being in the traditional adoption program. They might have visible birthmarks, scars, burns, limb differences, cleft lips, cleft palates, missing or extra digits, heart defects, blind, deaf, and also includes older children up to 13 years old, both boys and girls.
When we first heard of the SN adoption route we started reading more about the children in the orphanges with special needs. Most (but not all) agencies have a special needs adoption program, which they post a list of children that they have available for adoption through there specific agency. We were being drawn to these sites more and more feeling that there was a place in our hearts and home for one of these children. In reality, the sad thing is that these children are no different than any of the others except for there specific need.
We decided a year into our wait for Emma, that she could be one of these special girls that might otherwise be overlooked just because she was different in some other way. And who knows, no one might ever know how or why she is different then anybody else. So, as of June 03, 2007, we submitted a MCC (medical conditions checkist) to our agency with what special needs we would consider, could handle, and be open to. We will probably be matched with Emma off this list before we ever make it to a NSN referral in 2009 or 2010 or 2011.
We know this is a long post and many of you know where we are at in our process already, but we wanted to help keep everyone up to date with what is happening in our Journey to Emma. We also know that you all love us and its hard to keep asking "Have you heard anything?" as it is hard for us to keep saying "No we havent." So keep us in your prayers as we get a little closer everyday and don't stop asking us "have you heard anything," cause one day you may just get a different answer. :)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Our Long Long Long Adoption Process
As many of you know we (Eric & Jennifer) have been in an adoption process since spring of 2006 (specific dates don't come to mind because it was so long ago). Many of you have been involved in the process from the very start as you have submitted referals for our application / homestudy, prayed for us, encouraged us, asked about our process, etc....etc....etc. We THANK and LOVE all of YOU for your support through our painfully long process.
We decided to start this web blog to keep everybody updated about where we are at in the process. We know you are all very interested and like to be updated about any information we might know at any given point. Sometimes we might know more about where we are at in line (of 30,000+ China adoptive parents) or we just dont have a clue what-so-ever. When we started our journey to Emma, China was stated as the most reliable adoption program out there and we would have her in 9-12 months. Well 20 months later that is not the case anymore. Even the adoption agencies aren't sure what is going on at any given time anymore. We don't want this web blog to take the place of any questions/answers/updates that we normally share with all of you. In fact we hope it will bring up more questions/answers/updates that you might be wanting to know about.
So, as we continue our China Journey to Emma, we hope to post more in this web blog about our wait, updates and any information about our lives that we want to share with others. And one day this whole blog can and will probably be published into a book for Emma.
LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
We decided to start this web blog to keep everybody updated about where we are at in the process. We know you are all very interested and like to be updated about any information we might know at any given point. Sometimes we might know more about where we are at in line (of 30,000+ China adoptive parents) or we just dont have a clue what-so-ever. When we started our journey to Emma, China was stated as the most reliable adoption program out there and we would have her in 9-12 months. Well 20 months later that is not the case anymore. Even the adoption agencies aren't sure what is going on at any given time anymore. We don't want this web blog to take the place of any questions/answers/updates that we normally share with all of you. In fact we hope it will bring up more questions/answers/updates that you might be wanting to know about.
So, as we continue our China Journey to Emma, we hope to post more in this web blog about our wait, updates and any information about our lives that we want to share with others. And one day this whole blog can and will probably be published into a book for Emma.
LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
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