Mrs. Mary

Mrs. Mary is coming over today.  She is our social worker and she is coming for our home visit.  We've done a little prep--I dusted.  I even dusted the stuff that she isn't going to see.  (Pat myself on the back.)  We've told the kids that she is going to ask them if we are good parents.  "Yes.  They are wonderful parents.  We love them." That doesn't sound coached does it?

This adoption process seems to be very slow to me.  We were ready and rare-in to go in May and after about half the paperwork, two interviews, and now this home visit. . . I feel that we are so far away from actually going.  There is still more to do. . . more papers.  More fingerprints.  More pictures.  More.  I just want to crush it, be done with it, and go get him.

Then reality hits me.  There is going to be another person in our house.  There is going to be another person in our camping trailer.  There is going to be another person who needs to be taught with patience and understanding (something that I fail in WAY to often).  We are doing great and we have a great groove and I know my four ducks.  I took them all to the dentist this morning and it went great.  I didn't even yell!  (I did give them fruit snacks in the car afterwards for a reward snack even though one of the things they told my kids to stay away from was fruit snacks.  I was NOT going to waste them.  Hey--they just had flouride put on their teeth--we should have had candy for lunch and cupcakes for supper.)

So I get scared sometimes.  And I get selfish sometimes.  I go camping and I love it and it is getting easier and I verbally celebrate that next year Michael will be with us but inside I wonder if it will be as fun. . .and easy.  Will he get along with me?  Will the ducks like him?

And then I have devotions in the morning and I'm reminded that God has led us to get Michael.  This was not a purely emotional decision.  He laid it on our hearts and He is in the paperwork process and He will take care of Michael when he goes to school in the fall.  He will help us find a conversion van.  He will help us find a super duper little cheap high miles-per-gallon car.  He will give us exactly what we need from our fundraisers.

We have three irons in our fundraiser fire.  My friend Sarah and I (just Sarah really.  I cheered.) put together a video to put on this blog.  I'm praying about when to debut it.  I think we'll have a bunch of adoption bills coming up the beginning of September, so the end of August might be a good time.  Let me know if God gives you great insight into this.  Second, our church orphan team is hosting a fundraising night at our church on September 7.  It is going to be a live mannequin night with sundaes.  All proceeds will go to us.  Isn't that a crazy awesome gift?  We were totally surprised.  Finally, the deacons are going to talk this month about opening an adoption assistance fund at church for folks who are adopting and might need a little somethun somethun to assist them.  We can apply to receive some of this aid.  I love this because we can ask for help now and then in the next year we can give back to help other families.

4:00 is coming and will bring Mrs. Mary to our house.  She won't see any dust, but she'll see an imperfect family who just loves God and with His help is trying their best to serve Him in the way that He has asked.