Final Home Study

It is over! (Well, almost over)

We still need to send in some pictures and some money, but our adoption process is complete. We had our final home study last night. It went really well. Simon's adjustment and attachment have been wonderful!

Having regular home studies has been a thought provoking process for me. When we began, Gary and I had to analyse ourselves very closely. After many hours of talking with our social worker, we received a document stating who we were, what made us tick, what our values were, etc. It was very interesting to read. . . do I really behave like that? Do we really struggle with that? Did our childhoods affect us this way?

Last night I was able to see our year with Simon through different eyes. Renee asked us many questions about him, who he is, how he responds. They are many of the same questions that she asked us almost a year ago. During her first visit with us after Simon was home, I remember her telling us that it was going to get so much better. "How could this get better?" I thought. This is going great, I love this guy. Well, things have gotten better. There has been growth from all of us in regards to bonding and behavior. Our family is truly a family.

The best part of the evening came at the end. The kids had been put into bed and we were finishing up. She told Gary and I that we really operated as a team, that it was truly a gift what we had. Gary and I reflected on that after she had left. We praise God that we are a team. Yup, there are issues. Yup we don't always take care of each other like we should.

Yup, I love him tons, and love being with him, and love laughing with him, and love that he doesn't mind when I wake him in the middle of the night when I have a bad dream, and love cooking something for him that he really likes, and love looking across the dining room table at him, and love it that he'll get up at 2:00 in the morning to paint the kitchen, and love taking him on a surprise date tonight and and and and and. . . .

It has been a great and interesting year. It'll get even wilder in May! :)