Moving Along

We finished filling out and completing everything for our homestudy packet! Now we will be assigned a social worker and go through the visits/interviews. We also have our next packet of forms waiting to be filled out - I think that they are never-ending!

Just in case you're interested, here are some selections from the autobiography I had to write. (I know you don't want to read the entire 5 pages! And, yes, it took a lot of condensing to get it that short!) :)

For those of you who don't know how Andy and I met - here's the short version:

Andy and I met in 2001. He worked full-time at the YMCA as a teen director. I was still in college and worked part-time at the YMCA as an after school counselor. Our paths didn’t cross that often at the YMCA, but I later found out that he had been talking to my boss about me. We ended up working together one day and hit it off right away. At the end of the day, I was expecting him to either ask me out or at least ask for my phone number––he didn’t do either. I didn’t think about it too much more until I received a message from him on my answering machine. I was uncharacteristically giddy about his call and asked many of my friends to come listen to it to determine if he was calling about something work related or if he was calling just for me. Turns out that he was calling just to talk. We had a great conversation, and he asked me out. I already had plans with a group of friends but invited him to come along. This gave us another chance to get to know each other a little better without the pressure of a “first date.” Our first “official” date after that was perfect, and I think that we both knew that it was the start of something special right away. At the end of the night, though, he confused me by telling me that I was a “sweet girl” as he dropped me off. I took that to mean something along the lines of “let’s be friends” and was a little confused when he asked me out on another date. Little did I know that he was just trying to complement me! We became engaged on our six month anniversary and were married about nine months later on Dec. 28, 2002.

A little bit about our marriage:

I would definitely classify our marriage as a strong, healthy marriage that is filled with love for each other. From the beginning, I was very impressed with Andy’s outgoing personality, his sense of humor, his love for kids, and his sincerity and genuineness. We are similar in many ways and our differences seem to complement each other. His love of being “in the spotlight” is helped by my enjoyment of doing stuff “behind the scenes.” His tendency to become stressed out at times is tempered by my laid-back personality. His attention to detail counters my lack of organization. Our ability to compromise is seen even in small areas. For example, he loves watching NASCAR (which I definitely do not love), so he spends those hours every Sunday folding and putting away the laundry while he watches the race, which receives NO complaints from me! In addition, another important key in our marriage is that in spite of our busy schedules and the hindrances that come with having two young children, Andy and I realize the importance of having quality time with just the two of us. We know that we can’t have a strong family without a strong marriage. Above all, our common ground in our love for Christ gives us the ability to work out any differences that might come up in our marriage. It makes it easy to keep sight of what is truly important.

A little bit about how I feel about adopting:

Our family already consists of two children: Emma Lee, who is five years old, and Kerri, who is four. Andy and I both see them (and all children in general) as gifts from God. Nothing gives me more joy than being a mom. I see it as a fulfillment of my life’s desires and embrace all that comes with it with excitement and anticipation. Although we have our own biological children, Andy and I have known since before we were married that we wanted to adopt. I know that God placed this desire in my heart way before I even knew it! Looking back, I can remember how affected I was as a child reading books about orphans. In college, one of my best friends and her brother grew up in an orphanage in Albania, and we had many late night talks her experiences. After we were married, Andy and I hosted two girls from an orphanage in India while their group was visiting our area. These and other things laid the foundation and enhanced my desire to adopt.

I don’t have any concerns over loving this child as my own. Even now, without knowing who it is going to be, I already have a love growing inside of me, much like a pregnant mother before she meets her yet unborn child. I also do not believe that our daughters will have too hard of an adjustment. They have been talking about getting a baby brother for years, and not once have they ever shown the slightest hint of jealousy. Children their age make friends so quickly, that I’m expecting their bonding process to be without too many hindrances. They are both entering a more self-sufficient and independent stage, wanting to be “big girls” and do things on their own. I think that in the face of me being occupied with another child, they will find pride in being able to be a “big helper” instead of resentful of having to share my time and attention with another sibling. I am not delusional that everything will be perfect from the moment we step off the plane. The concerns that I have stem from the perspective of the child we will adopt. I worry about what he has had to deal with already in his short life and how that will continue to effect him throughout his life. I worry about the confusion he will face coming to a new country, a new environment, and a new family. I worry about the pain my heart will experience if he is hesitant to accept our love at the beginning. At the end of the day, I remember that we are following the desire that God has placed in our hearts and that we can trust in Him to reward our efforts.