Reflections

I have been thinking a lot about the Christmas season this year.  I can remember being a young child and the excitement that came at this time of year.  The anticipation for the family traditions, the lights, Christmas trees, snow, the carols, movies and of course gifts.  As a child there was excitement in the air.  It was in many ways a magical time of year.  My brother and I were nicer to each other.  We were more compliant (in our eyes) to our parents.  This year I am feeling some of that child like excitement and anticipation.  But this year it is about a child.  A child I do not yet know.  A child that will some day be my daughter.  I wait for the day when I will meet her with the same eagerness I had for Christmas when I was a child.  I know that I will have to wait to meet her and bring her to her new home.  So, I wait.  I wait with joy in my heart and the knowledge that someday we will be mother and daughter.  I do not know when I will meet my daughter, but I know that we will have many Christmas days and family traditions together. 

Matthew West One Less

This is a song written by Matthew West about a family who adopted their little girl from Guatemala. Amazing song!

December is here

We have had our first snow....well flurries at least with a few staying on the ground to remind of us what is to come.  Not that we could forget with the colder temps that are here right now.  But the snow makes me think about Christmas and that is one of my favorite times of year.  I have both my trees up and decorated, have been listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies.  I am getting into the Christmas spirit :)  Plus my 2 cats are enjoying having new hiding places.....I just hope they don't knock over either tree! 

This is my more formal tree

And this is my snowman/snow flake tree

As for news on the adoption....the word is wait.  I did get some positive news from my agency saying that the Bulgarian agency is starting to get referrals on young healthy kids.  These children are getting to families that were registered a while ago, but they sound really positive about how things are moving.  Also waiting to hear about this list of PAPs that is supposedly coming out from the Bulgarian government (not sure if it is the MOJ or another ministry).  I hope that the list does come out....it would be nice to know how many people are registered in the country and waiting for a referral. 

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!  This year my family decided that we wanted to bless friends who have been a blessing to us throughout the year.  So, we (my mom takes charge in the kitchen) made home made dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls for our friends.  I helped by making cards for our friends.  We delivered the bread last night and today.  Our friends were very thankful for a special treat.  Did I mention my mom makes bread the "old fashion" way.....she is the breadmaker, the only machine she uses is the oven.  It was really a wonderful feeling to give to others this year.

Things I am thankful for this year are.....I am so thankful for my family and friends.  I am thankful for a wonderful job and co-workers.  I am thankful for my adoption agency and the new friends I have made who are in the process of adoption.  I am thankful for my country and the many men and women who are serving in our armed forces, I pray that they can all be home soon with their families.  I am thankful for the MOJ and many people who work in Bulgaria to ensure that the orphans are taken care of and are able to be united with forever families.  I am most thankful for my Heavenly Father who is forever there for me to lean on and the answer to prayers.  I pray that this holiday season is one that we can focus on the true meaning of Christmas and blessing those around us. 

Wow, this has been a busy month.  I have been super busy with work over the past month!  Plenty of writing behavior plans, putting out fires, doing screening for our Teenscreen program and more professional development specifically on autism.  I sometimes wonder what I will do when I am a single mom, having to do it all on my own.  I'm sure that my family and friends will be there to support me during some of those difficult and busy times.  But right now I am waiting.

While I wait I am working on learning the Bulgarian language.  I must admit, I am not making as much progress as I would like to in this area.  I am also keeping up my reading about Bulgaria.  Right now I am reading Beyond Hitler's Grasp.  It is the story behind the Bulgarians who prevented the deportation of Bulgarian Jews to concentration camps during WWII.  It is amazing that these brave people were able to keep ALL of their Jewish citizens safe through the war.  I also am knitting away.  I thought I would try to post some of my knitting projects that I have put away for the little girl that I am waiting for.

3 Months registered!

Woo Hoo....OK I realize it really isn't that big of an accomplishment right now, but I have to celebrate the small moments.  I'm just happy I finally figured out how to put the gadgets on this blog (it was giving me a headache).  So, I am another month closer to bringing my little girl home :)

I wanted to share another part of my story with you.  This part is more about my family...specifically my great aunt Evelyn.  Aunt Evelyn was an amazing woman. She was the glue that kept us all together and said what needed to be said.  She was born with a genetic disorder that prevented her body from breaking down a specific protein the correct way.  As a result she had horrible arthritis and even hip replacements in her 40's.  It also prevented her from being able to have children.  Aunt Evelyn always trusted that God would make things happen.  And one day, out of the blue a local lawyer called her and asked if she and uncle Guy would be interested in adopting a baby.  The lawyer had a woman in his office who was looking for a family to place her unborn baby with.  Aunt Evelyn said yes and became a mom.  Her little boy is now a man with a wife and child of his own.  She had many struggles in her life, but was always so positive.  She is a big inspiration to me.  Almost 5 years ago Aunt Evelyn left us to go home with God.  We all still miss her smile and jokes.  Love you Aunt Evelyn!

First post!

This is my first time blogging!  I decided to start this blog to document my own journey and encourage others who are in the process of adopting.  I have had many twists and turns already in my adoption journey and know that other adoptive parents' blogs have helped me through the deserts of my journey.  

At this point I need to catch you up on my journey......I have always wanted to adopt.  For some reason that desire has always been in me.  As I grew up the desire remained as did my enjoyment of working with children and families.  I ended up graduation with a master's degree in social worker in 2002 and eventually moved back to my home state of Iowa in late 2003.  During my first jobs I was working with very challenging children and families.  During this time I didn't understand how I could ever be a parent.  In 2006 I got a job as a school social worker (I have the best job).  Over Christmas break of 2006 I met up with a good friend and her family.  My friend and her husband had a adopted a little girl from Taiwan.  This meeting reopened the desire to adopt.

I spent the next year researching all the options: foster, domestic, and international.  I felt that international was the right choice for me....now all there was to do was find a country that was friendly to singles.  At first I wanted to adopt from Mexico, but soon discovered that it would not be likely to happen.  Someone had suggested I look at Eastern Europe.....I found and fell in love with Bulgaria.  I then spent time finding the "right" agency.  I started my journey with St. Mary's International Adoptions.  The first BUMP in my journey came within 3 months of signing with St. Mary's.  Very quickly warning signs went up and I knew that I could not trust the owner (Now I know my experience is not the same as everyone's, I hope and pray that others who use this agency do not have the negative experience that I did).  I contacted my current agency, who are WONDERFUL!!!  There I got to speak with the coordinator, who had also adopted 3 children from Bulgaria.  She is very understanding and supportive to both the children needing families and the families wanting children.  I couldn't ask for a better person to help me on my journey to parenthood.  Since signing with my current agency I have taken longer than I expected to, to get my dossier together.  I finally got my dossier registered on 7/19/2010!  So, now the long wait begins......But I do know that God will provide streams in the desert.