IT'S TRUE WE'RE ADOPTING!!!!

  Sam and I have been talking about adoption for a LONG time now.  We talked about it before we were even engaged.  We knew if we were going to have children that it wouldn't be "the old fashioned way".  So shortly after getting engaged I started my wonderful job at West Sands Adoption.  Sam and I laughed and started talking  more and more often about adoption.  I was surround by the process, and loved going to work (I still love going to work).  I was able to go home and talk with Sam and Riley about all the different scenarios.  Our family conversations seemed to radiate around adoption.  Riley was asking so many questions, and I began to fall in love with the children I saw on a daily basis.  My heart went out to all the families bringing orphaned children home.  Everyday at work I could look around and see the beautiful faces of children placed.  I found myself  staring at the same photo day in and day out.  It  is a photo of 2 girls probably age 9-12 I could feel a longing.  Sam would later come into my office and look at the same photo and comment "We could adopt a girl like that".  It was at that moment I could feel my heart race.
   Long story short, after months of talking and considering and going through the "is the time right, do we have the money, are we sure Riley will be ok, how will our families react?" We went on vacation to the Caribbean where we met a wonderful couple; Dallas and Jamie who are HUGE advocates for terminally ill children.  We talked with them nightly and discussed our plans.  If you've every had a feeling wash over you that you know that everything will be alright.  Meeting Jamie and Dallas  triggered that feeling for Sam and I.  We talked endlessly on the trip home about adoption.  We knew we wanted to adopt, we knew the time to start was now, we knew this is the right path for our family. We never discussed the adoption of a younger child.  It wouldn't fit with our family dynamic. Both Sam and I know in our hearts that our child will be an older child. Riley is 9 almost 10 and bringing an infant into the home just isn't an option.  We came home, looked into a homestudy provider, received the Ethiopia Program Packet from West Sands Adoptions, and started the paperwork.  We've talked so much about adoption that when we made mention of meeting with the social worker to Riley her reaction was priceless "You mean we're really going to adopt?! I'm going to get a little sister!"  she bounced away with a smile.
  Right now we have met with our social worker once, filled out LOTS of paperwork, answered just as many questions, been finger printed for 2 different criminal checks, started gathering documents, jumped through hoops with our insurance companies (we decided to switch to BlueCross BlueShield) and still have a few more steps before our homestudy will be completed.  We expect our homestudy to be complete in July (cross your fingers) or August.
  Sam, Riley and I know that this is going to be a long process, that takes, time, tears, patience, faith, and love.  But it's simple... We are excited to be able add to our family, and no matter how long the wait, our family will be completed with an older child adoption from Ethiopia.