No News...Is Well...No News!

During our wait for an acceptance from the Philippines, our agency would always say, "No news is good news!"...No news meant the authorities in the Philippines had not rejected our file.  I've been terrible updating this blog, but again I have nothing to update you on!  In this case, no news, is well..no news!  It has taken us forever to get our file to the local youth and family services (Batshaw) and once we finally did there were some documents missing (not from our end since by now I could prepare all the paper work with my eyes closed).  I think everything has finally been completed and we should be getting a call this coming week (maybe) to set up an appointment to sign our contract with Batshaw and then we can finally get things set up with our social worker.

We are praying for the same social worker we've had for the last 3 homestudies (yes I know we only have 2 children but the last one required an original homestudy and then a revised edition!).  He knows our story inside and out, he has our homestudy saved and since pretty much the only thing that has changed is Fredrick joining our family, it should be quite a fast write-up!  The benefit of having the same social worker is he really "knows" us.  He knows how passionate we are about adoption, what a stable family we are (or at least we think we are HA), and how much we want each of our children.  We don't have to "rehash" all of our feelings, intentions and life stories.  He is an awesome social worker and we (well Jon) feel pretty relaxed around him.  On top of all this, the less time he has to spend writing a homestudy report, the less it will cost us.  For Fredrick's report it was already that much less than Nathaniel's so here's hoping this one will be even that much less! In the adoption world the least amount of pennies spent, the better!

So one of the most common questions I get when people find out we're trying for a third adoption is, "Do you really have to do everything again?  All the same paperwork?"  The answer, my friends, is yes!  The same medicals, the same reference forms, the same personal information forms and yes another homestudy!  These are all set in place when you start an adoption process.  As annoying as it all is, I can understand that it is there to protect the children so I accept it and just get it all done!

I have many fears that we will be rejected for this adoption.  Keep in mind I was voted school pessimist in high school!  But then I look at pictures of our family of 4 and I get this overwhelming feeling that there is someone missing.  Another little boy (or girl if the Lord deems that necessary).  I also get these amazing visions of travelling to China to meet our son (daughter) and then I get excited but then I come back to reality and I don't want to play with my emotions.  I also tell myself daily that I can't possibly deal with 3 kids anyway.  But I know that isn't true.  The Lord will not give me more than I can handle.  So if He has chosen another child for this family, then with His strength and by His grace, I can do it!!!

"then Job replied to the Lord:  I know that YOU can do all things; no plans of YOURS can be thwarted."  Job 42:1-2