MOVING FORWARD? OR STANDING STILL?

Lately I've felt like we slowed down...a little bit is fine, but I've been feeling like we've slowed down too much. Ack!  I don't want to be like that!  So, right here, right now I'm going over what we've accomplished so far, which includes things that directly link to the adoption as well as things that indirectly link to it.

What we have ACCOMPLISHED:

1. Orientation classes
2. Home Study classes
3. Turned in MOST of our paperwork
4. Profile books - created, ordered and in our hot little hands
5. Finger printing
6. Background checks
7. Prepare & Enrich online marriage assessment
8. Not necessary, but still important (and fun) purchased the crib & mattress - which is in and waiting to be picked up at the store!
9. Organizing/cleaning (still some to go)
10. Porch power washed and stained (looks fab!)
11. Nursery design has been decided (gray, white & yellow with black furniture --- chevron pattern is the main look).  I will be ordering the fabric for our homemade by grandma (my mom) bedding THIS week before my coupon expires! Yay!

What we need TO DO:

1. Minimal paperwork - 3 pages that need to be done as a couple, 4 pages that are for Rob to complete, 1 page that needs to be signed & notarized (which we'll have our sister-in-law notarize)
2. Physicals for both of us
3. Profile video
4. Home study

This weekend we've done a little more organizing/cleaning and I finished up any paperwork that I was able to do on my own.

As I mentioned above, we ordered our crib & mattress a couple weeks ago and I received notice that it is in and ready to be picked up! We will be doing that this week.  We'll also be setting up appointments for physicals (which I'm dreading).

(sigh) Ok, I guess we're not doing soooo bad after all.....

S.L.O.W.....

Well it's been a couple weeks since my last post.  Yes, it's been quiet here on the blog, but not at home.  I've been working on our profile book using Shutterfly, and I think I'm done with it...and I think I'm pretty pleased with the final result!  I've done a little cleaning/organizing too...but have much more to do still.  And, last Saturday I went to the town-wide sale/auction at a the next town over with my brother, niece, and dad where I purchased a cute dresser that I plan to use as a changing table!  So, we can officially say that we've bought our first piece of furniture for the nursery!

Here is the dresser/changing table.  We are buying a black crib, so this dresser will be painted black to match (my dad offered to paint it).  We have the 2 missing drawer knobs, but I think I'm going to replace all of them with glass knobs.

And here is Shelby, my auction buddy.  We had fun that day!!

I've also looked at the rest of the paperwork we need to fill out. A couple times, in fact. And I've not started filling it out - yet.  But I will.  The only reason I haven't done anything with this next round of paperwork yet is because I don't want to get ahead of myself by having too much turned in and a house that is not ready for inspection. Ha ha!  Our future nursery is still our junk room.  I'd post a picture, but I don't want anyone turning us in to the producers of the show "Hoarders"!  LOL!  Honestly, that room has been more of a storage space for us than a guest room.  We've lived in this house for 7.5 years and we've only had someone stay in that room twice. TWICE in 7.5 years!!  So, that room needs to be cleaned out...and since we don't have much storage space in this house, I have a feeling that not only is it going to be cleaned out, but a lot will need to be thrown out.  All that stuff I've been keeping for "this" or "that" or "someday"...oh, never mind....  My someday is coming...but the junk is no longer needed.  My someday has a purpose, which is a FAMILY.  My someday is that room is FINALLY going to be a nursery!!!

Don't get me wrong, that's not the only thing that needs to be done around this house.  The entire house could stand a good, deep cleaning.  It really could.  And there are more things in other rooms of this house that could stand to be thrown away - not just in the "junk" room.  I would post my "to do" list, but I don't want to depress you.  I'm only kidding. Kind of.  I'm actually really looking forward to the cleaning/organizing...because it means we're moving forward!

That's it for this time!!
~K

What we're thinking bout now...

Rob and I have been working on the "homework" that we received during our first of two home study classes. We each worked on our stacks separately because we each got copies of the same documents to fill out that required thought and lots of writing! I don't know about Rob, but for me, these documents have really made me think! Some of the questions are HARD...such as "What do you believe to be your strengths?", "What do you believe to be your weaknesses?", "Describe your perception of God and how the perception relates to your lifestyle.", "Describe your feelings about organized religion." - and the list goes on, and on!

These are just a few examples...some of it I sit there and had to really think how to put it on paper. But, for the most part, it's really not that bad.

 Tomorrow will be our second home study class. We will get even more paperwork from that class, along with the list of things that we need to do to prepare for the actual home study.

 Every step we take makes it feel more real! And, as Rob likes to say in that joking tone of his, "We're really doing this!" ;)

Paperwork

Today we started working on some of the paperwork that we were given during our most recent class.

It's overwhelming...although I fully realize that this bit of paperwork is nothing compared to what we will be getting during the home study process.  I guess it feels overwhelming because, well...it just makes things even more real.

Yeah, I know, every little step forward is going to be another wake-up call that this is really happening.  Some day I'll be used to it...nah, who am I kidding?!  I'll never be used to it!!

But by the time we wade through the sea of paperwork, we'll be fully aware of our beliefs, wishes, and desires involving parenthood, as well as our financial situation, home situation, marriage situation...the list goes on, and on.  All good...evaluating life...all good...moving forward...all good. :)


Next class ~ Thursday, February 2nd.