New Home Study Finished!!!!!

I can't believe I'm blogging twice in one day, but just got the most miraculous news!!!!  Just received and email from our SW today that she has our new home study finished, has sent it to AGCI, and will be sending it to Springfield, IL for approval!!!  I can't believe it.  I was expecting to wait at least 2-3 weeks and our SW got it done in less than 4 days!!  We are sooooo blessed to have our SW!!!! You may wonder why I thought it would take so long.  The agency who did our home study will be going from 3 SWs down to just one for international adoptions in a couple of weeks.  They have a waiting list of 50 people and are not taking new names at this time.  So you can imagine how busy she is.  God is above ALL things.  Now the wait for the approval from Illinois.  Last time we were told it could take up to 6 weeks and ended up taking about three.  I'm okay with the unknown.  God is in control.

On a side note, just passed a garage sale that had lots of baby stuff.  Sooooo tempted to stop as we don't have anything left from our first four.  But what if our child(ren) is not an infant?  So I'll just wait.....

Changing Parameters

Wow!  I just got back from subbing in our school's little Morning out for Moms program.  I got to work in the 3 1/2 to 5 year old room.  They were SO MUCH FUN, so curious, so trusting, so loving, so excited about life, such a simple little faith... and I'm even more thankful we are changing our parameters for siblings.  We originally put in our homestudy 0 - 3 years, which I took to believe was 0 to 48 months, but I was prompted a couple weeks ago to ask about it.  Our SW let us know that here in Illinois it means 0 - 36 months.  So after talking with her and AGCI, we have decided to go ahead and change it, but to extend it even further to 60 months...seems strange we have to be so specific.  We also originally wanted to just put siblings...not a specific number, but Illinois wants us to be specific so we stuck with two.  Unfortuately, in Illinois we are not able to just do an addendum.  The entire home study has to be redone and reapproved by Illinois before we can resubmit it to USCIS again.  So once again, we wait.  But I know the Lord is in control.  He already knows the child or children we will be blessed to love one day.  These changes are doing nothing to His plan.  These changes will neither slow down nor speed up the process.  I put my total trust in Him and really feel His lead in making these changes.

As we wait, our children here at home get more and more excited.  I am in the process of moving our two girls into a room together.  It's been a challenge to put both of their tastes into one room, but we are getting there. We decided to use 2 paint colors, so last weekend, I was able to get one of the colors done.  The girls don't have school tomorrow, so I think we will try to finish painting.  I got each of them their own big bulletin boards to go over their beds.  They are so excited about those, but Dad's going to have to get the drill out for that one.  After having a room to themselvesfor so long, this will be a big change for them, but they are so excited about it.  I can't wait to post pictures...cause that will mean it's done!!!  B was so cute the other day.  He came home from school and said, "Mom, I wish we were adopting a boy my age.  That would be so much fun."  He also has mentioned before how he'd like a little brother that he could teach how to do things, play catch, play basketball, etc.  He will be such a wonderful big brother.  So we are all getting so excited around here and can't wait to see what the Lord has planned.

There have been lots of other things going on around here. H is going to be a section leader for her marching band next year. T2 made the cheerleading squad for high school next year. T1 went to his first prom and was on the court. I got to chaperone Post prom and didn't get home until 5AM!!!! And baseball has started for B and just sang his first duet in front of a crowd!!! It's so much fun to see our children using the talents God has given them. I'll have to post some more pictures soon, cause all these words can be sooooo boring!

                                                            T1(left) and friends.

April numbers

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted...well, yes I can believe it.  With Spring Break in Florida, a garage sale, college visits, soccer games and baseball games, this month has flown by.  But with all the craziness, we have had some great news.  Our appoval letter came from USCIS and we received our FDL!  There have been many, many referrals in the last two weeks, which has been so wonderful knowing so many children are coming home.  We also got our new official numbers last week!!!!
32 Girl
13 Siblings
And with all the referrals that have gone out in the last two weeks, the numbers have to be better!!! Sometimes waiting is so hard.  I want everything to go one speed - fast, fast, fast. I am so thankful God has a plan...a perfect plan.  Better than any plan I could ever imagine.  He knows our child and knows when they'll come home.  I can't wait!!!!! But while I wait, I can pray.  It's hard sometimes imagining that our child may be out there somewhere.  Maybe hungry, tired, scared, grieving.  I pray that God will take care of them while we wait...that He will hold them in His arms until I can....