Please tell me I am not alone

My basement area where I do laundry is completely and utterly gross. I mean gross. Cobwebs on the ceiling, hanging down. Junk everywhere. Dirt everywhere. We basically moved in 2.5 years ago and never cleaned down there. Oh and the top of the steps leading down I have junk piled up. And at the bottom of the steps there is a deep freezer we have not even plugged in since we moved with several of Jack's potty seats stacked on that. Every time I do laundry I get this dreaded feeling. I rush thru it and try not to look around or have a spider drop down in my hair. Seriously. It is bad. I need to take a picture of it tomorrow. I have the upstairs organized to my liking and clean, (ok clean sometime) but that laundry area is bad bad bad. And with the homestudy coming up I have got to clean it. Why have I been living here 2.5 years without fixing it up? I guess the answer would be one toddler, one pregnancy, one infant, one jealous toddler, two crazy boys and no time! For some reason all my friends here seem to really have it together with their houses. Sigh. I will be really happy to get that area cleaned out!

Thanksgiving Pictures!

Jack and Anderson playing outside with their cousin Luke

Daniel's sister Rebekah, husband Matt and baby Paul

Daniel's Parents

Daniel telling his brother on the phone we are adopting!

Anderson playing

Daddy and Anderson

I was trying really hard to get good family pictures to send over to Korea with our information....... Of course I could never get both my kids to smile for the camera!

SWS

Does anyone out there have any info on Social Welfare Society Korea? Eastern seems to have so much info, including a website, but the SWS website is down. I would love info on it, if any of you adopted your baby thru there.

For a little education: There are 4 agencies in Korea American agencies go thru to adopt. I copied this from adopt Korea: http://www.adoptkorea.com/

Eastern Social Welfare Society (Eastern/ESWS)
Social Welfare Society (SWS)
Holt Children Services (Holt)
Korea Social Services (KSS
" These four primary Korean agencies are responsible for protecting and providing for its orphaned and abandoned children. They are answerable to the Korean government and only work with certain adoption agencies
who have been approved to place Korean children."

If you are curious on the Korean adoption process, adoptKorea is a wonderful website filled with geat information.

So if any of you do have info on SWS please let me know! Thanks!

2 months

I realized today it has been two months since we went to our first meeting about Korean adoption. It feels like longer than that, but I think that is because for a few months before that we were working on paperwork for a Chinese adoption. I feel like things are moving very very slowly with our homestudy, but I think I am just antsy and anxious for it to be finished so we can get the ball rolling. I heard from our social worker and we have our second meeting in a few weeks (finally) and I think the third and final visit can be set up really soon after that. This can be such a hard process because everything is so out of my hands to a point. I know God has a plan for our family and has little Leah safely in His care. But I just can't wait until the day we get our referral on our baby girl. And I have a picture - and can look at her!! Weekends are hard because I know I can't call our agency and bug them - sigh. I am sure they are happy to have a break from anxious adoptive parents like me!!
Happy Saturday everyone. I will now go stalk those of you who have brought your adoptive little ones home and sigh about how darn cute they are!!

Thanksgiving Day

We had a wonderful day yesterday. We told the rest of our family we are adopting and they were all very excited. And of course, had lots of questions we were happy to answer! I am so relieved everyone knows now, I feel like it is really happening.
Our social worker finally has everything on us she needs and we get to have our second homestudy in a few weeks. She is out of town all next week. I guess the holidays can slow down this process.......
Our first parenting meeting is this Thursday. We are required to attend 4, and the last one is the second week in January. I am really hoping to have our homestudy completed by then - even with the holidays. I will push it thru!!!
We have so much to be Thankful for this year - Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Wonderful girls weekend!

I had such a fun fun time celebrating my 30th Birthday with my Mom, sister and Anderson in Williamsburg. I had an hour massage that was pure heaven. We shopped at the outlet mall, ate yummy food and had hot cider. The weather was perfect. It was so good to spend some quality time with my family. There was a Yankee Candle Village all decorated for Christmas and we got some good pictures there - here are some of my favorites!

Yay for a get-away!

My mom and sister are flying in tonight and we are taking Anderson and going on a girls get away to Williamsburg for the weekend to celebrate my 30th! I am so excited. AND we are going to a spa. ahhhhh......

I will share some pictures when we get home. A relaxing weekend is just what I need. Yay!!!

1-600A

Today I am trying to figure out how to file my 1-600A with USCIS. (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) So I thought I would give a little info on what this is and how it fits into the international adoption process. This form is for "advance processing of orphan petition." According to the USCIS website "Advance Processing enables USCIS to adjudicate the application that relates to the qualifications of the applicant(s) as a prospective adoptive parent(s)." This can get quite confusing as there is a form 1-600 I will file that is to petition to classify an orphan as an immediate relative. This happens after we get our referral. For now, I am filing the 1-600A I "think" to get a leg up on things. Once USCIS receives my completed homestudy from our agency, they will send me a fingerprinting appointment card and Daniel and I go to get fingerprinted to be processed by the FBI. We will have to travel to USCIS main office to get fingerprinted. Now I do realize we just were fingerprinted locally. Honestly, if someone could clear up for me why we need to have it done twice that would be super. I am thinking the ones we just had done are to clear us for our homestudy approval, and the ones for USCIS are for approval from the US to bring an orphan into the country.
If you are wondering on the fee, the filing fee is $670.00 Ummm..wow. Then an additional $160 for fingerprinting or "biometric services."
Once we get "pre" approved by USCIS to bring an orphan into the country our agency can send all our paperwork to Korea and we wait to be matched with a little girl.
Okay, tomorrow on my list of things to do is go by Barnes for an informative book on this international adoption process. I am taking it one step at a time but would like to be more informed on the what and why of all these steps we have to go thru. One step at a time, right?

And in case others were fuzzy on what adjudicate means it is :To hear and settle (a case) by judicial procedure

Neat giveaway!

My new friend Kris is giving away this adorable little fella she hand-made! Go check it out -
http://lifeinthehammerhome.blogspot.com/2009/11/want-to-win-something-cute.html

He is a character from a Korean cartoon that I have to look into! She has an adorable little guy from Korea. :)

God moment

I stole this idea from Longing for Lucy Lane. If you have not readhttp://weloveourlucy.blogspot.com/2009/11/god-moments.html this blog - go read!!

I have had two God moments this week helping me realize this adoption is in God's perfect plan. The first was little Mia in the bookstore. The next happened the very next night. I had bought a dvd for $5 on sale at the Christian bookstore - "Christmas Child." I did not read the back cover or anything, just grabbed a good deal on a Christmas movie! We popped it in the player that evening and realized it was all about adoption. The main character was adopted as a baby and was struggling on not knowing who his birthmom was. As the movie played out, I was thinking to myself that I really hope this adoption is the right thing for our family, and I am not chasing a dream all by myself. THEN who but Stephen Curtis Chapman (personal hero) comes on screen with an asian daughter and begins to tell the main character all about his adoption. He tells him him and his wife freaked out right before they went to get their daughter, and they did not know if they would love this little baby as much as they loved their two biological son. (UMMMM...oh my gosh!) I got chill bumps. Then he went on to say that when they placed her in their arms it was instant love. (tears in my eyes) HOW special is this?? God speaking to me thru a $5 dvd. Amazing! And just another testiment to God's great love. Blessings friends - Elisabeth

30 years old

Today I am 30 years old. Wow. I am remaining calm. I am. New decade.

The boys made me sweet cards. Jack put the firefly off my cake on his card and Anderson squished a blueberry. lol. Daniel told them to put their favorite things on the cards.

So even though I am a new decade, and time is moving fast, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family to share it with. I really really pray this time next year we have our referral on leah. Now that would make an awesome birthday gift!!

Fingerprints today!

Going to get fingerprinted. At least we know the drill - we did it for China before we switched countries. One less thing on my check list - that is always a relief!!!

I figured out that both of my referalls had indeed sent in their referall and our agency somehow never got them. Hmmmm... One friend even faxed and snail mailed it. Odd. Don't you think? The supervisor at our agency said she never has such problems with reference letters. Oh and she said I have bad luck. Awesome.

Today is a new day - and it is sunny out - a miracle after a week of rain and gloom. I think the park is calling after the fingerprints!! :) Happy Saturday!

Blessings in store....

I was feeling really down today as I ran out to the grocery store about our paperwork holding up our second homestudy. I ran into the Christian bookstore to get the Addison Road cd and I saw this group of little girls come walking in. One of them was a little Asian girl who was adorable. Daniel and I keep going back and forth about our two favorite names, Leah and Mia. Mia means wished for child. This little girl in the bookstore today just took my breath away, then when I heard her name, I knew it was a special sign for me. Her name was Mia. It has been so hard today and I have been feeling overwhelmed with all this paperwork and how things are so out of my hands with this adoption.
What a special blessing for me. !:)

Hold Up

Oh dear. I spoke to our social worker and she has not received two of the references and I know for a fact one of them sent it in a while ago. So I have to get that resolved. Also, she said she has to have our fingerprint cards before moving on with the second homestudy. WHAT? The other worker told me to get that done in Dec. so I have not done it yet. Now we are held up and I just sent in my CPS report this week. I think she has to have that in, also. AGH. Again I was told to not do that until a week ago. This is all so confusing and now I am so frazzled because everything is held up until this documentation gets in.
Phooey. :(
Frustrating!!!

143 Million

Why are people so afraid of adoption? This has been on my heart, and I seem to come into daily contact lately with people voicing their fears on adoption. There are over 143 MILLION orphans in the world. MILLION. Every 2 seconds another child becomes an orphan. 2 SECONDS. 42,000 new orphans EVERY DAY. Those numbers are staggering.
What is there to be afraid of? The love of a child? Unconditional love received? Certainly having a biological child in no means guarantees you a life of ease and a "perfect" child. I have had a conversation recently with a woman who can not fathom why I would adopt. To put it nicely she was blown away that I may not have a full medical history and full mental history on my child's family line. "I just would be too afraid to not have that history" were her words. WHAT? I basically felt like I had nothing left to say to that person after that. 143 Million. Children. In need of loving parents. I know that not everyone is called to adopt. But, there sure ought to be more called with these staggering numbers. Will you answer the call? Will you deny a child the love they so derserve? PLEASE consider the orphans. Consider the blessings that will come to you by being so priveledged to get to LOVE one of God's children.
143 Million. Where will you go?

A really big day!!! (from Oct. 2, 2009)

Leah we are waiting for you! Here goes our international application all wrapped in pink with a flower. One of the happiest days!

Trying to catch everyone up

Okay, I brought over some old posts I likes and thought explained some things. Basically, we are adoptiong a baby girl from Korea and are waiting for our 2nd homstudy meeting. God is good!

Love, Monday Style (Nov. 11, 2009)

I feel like I am going out of my mind trying to get all this paperwork in. My deadline for myself was Friday. Did not happen. Daniel almost got his biography completed last night. I just have a right mind to finish it up myself for him this morning. I have to run to the Dmv today for my 5 year check. We are almost there – just have to get Daniel to do that tomorrow. And finish all the documenting for financial stuff. He says he is working on it……hmmmm……..I have to say if our homestudy agency does not set up the parenting meetings soon I am just going to educate myself and tell them they were too slow. They promised me a call last Monday with the dates and times. I called Thursday and the director was out of the office until today. Guess who’s phone will be ringing promplty at 9am??Do I care if I am a pain to Daniel and them? NO! Hurry people hurry. I have a baby halfway around the world waiting on me!!God bless coffee, also this morning. Anderson kept me up half the night. We must do something about that child and his sleeping. I am terrible, terrible about sleep training. But I think I am at the point of “enough”. I know Anderson needs the rest just as much as I do. That is what I will mantra to myself tonight.Okay, let us have a verse since I seem to need it today.Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops…— Proverbs 3:9 (NIV)I pulled this verse from google verse of the day. I like to do that sometimes. It is actually really cool. Yesterday I decided to sponsor an orphanage in China monthly. I did it by way of http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/.Go check out their website. I gave to an orphanage that desperately needed money for formula after an influx of sick babies. And please understand, I am not giving myself a pat on the back. I wanted to share about love without boundaries. It was started by a group of adoptive parents that went to China to adopt, and discovered a little boy they wanted to help. This group provides funding for surgeries for orphans and helps get orphans in China out of institutions and into foster families. I would love it if you would pass this link on to your friends and pray for these children. I know I have many bloggy friends who are adopting, and this cause will be close to your hearts, as well.So that is my Monday, Love style. I will be very nice on the phone with our agency, I will I will.

Why Korea? (from Oct. 15, 2009)

I have been thinking this morning on how to answer questions about why we chose Korea. My answer will be “Because that is where the Lord led us and that is where our daughter will be born.” I have already had a few “why not adopt from the States” comments. To those I will respond that the Lord leads different people different ways in adoption. If everyone adopted from the States, who would care for the orphans in other countries? And if we all went to Africa, who would care for those in China? And if none of us adopted domestically, where would I be? (I was adopted as an infant) My point being, these comments gave me pause, and at first I felt guilty for going outside our borders. Then my HEART and the heart of HIM spoke to me. We are being called to Korea by HIM. He has our daughter named and meant for our family. We may have no idea if she is conceived, but my God knows and has angels around her. He will know her today, the day she is born, and will keep her in His care until we can care for her here on earth. And that, my friends, gives me the peace to be able to hold tight and trust that our daughter will be safely taken care of until the day comes that I will finally be able to count her sweet toes, kiss her cheeks and tell her just how much we all love her.
(I think it is so cool that as soon as I hit publish, my phone rang from the head of the Korea program at our international agency. Coincidence, I think not!)

from Sept. 29, 2009

The meeting last night went wonderful! We were the only couple – lol. We were really late, too. The lady was just leaving when I ran in the door. Whew!!!!! The coordinator was so kind and she talked with us for an hour and a half and just raved about the Korean program. I had a really hard time not totally tearing up when she was describing the process with getting the picture of our daughter, waiting for her, then picking her up from the airport. (with Korea, you can choose to have the baby escorted to the States, and with 2 small kids of our own and my husband’s company, it would be really hard for us to travel.) My husband is ready to go and said he was getting excited last night hearing the woman describe everything. I am filling out the application after i write this and am sending it off hopefully by tomorrow, then we will be assigned our social worker and get our first homestudy meeting set up.I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! !!!!!!! The Lord is good!
Psalm 118:24 – “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Re-Launch!

Okay, I am re-launching my site here!
I will be moving over my "things" from wordpress over the next few days. I changed the name of my blog, too. :) How do you like the new name?
I think Blogger is going to be much easier for me to navigate.
Please follow me over here from now on! THANKS, Elisabeth