Evidence

Last week I was going NUTS! It seemed like everything adoption related was at a standstill. A friend on Facebook reminded me that God is still at work even when things seem still. Thanks, ST! But last week I had had enough. It had been over 3 weeks since our home study meeting and we were STILL waiting on background checks and fingerprints to arrive. We were also waiting to see if we’d really need to meet with our social worker one more time and if our basement renter would need a physical to accompany our dossier. With all that waiting, I felt like I was playing Uno with my boys and I kept getting socked with the SKIP card. I wanted to toss my computer out into the backyard because no email and no word of movement were eating me alive. CHOMP!

But tonight we had our final home study meeting. Yes, we had to have one. I had no idea what to expect in terms of discussion. Our social worker is really on the ball and had all her information already. This last meeting was mostly a formality. Want to know how relaxed I really was? I even wanted to wear yoga pants. How’s that for professional? Alas, I changed into jeans 20 minutes before our social worker arrived. You see, I have a graduated level system in my house:

• The first time a guest arrives, having never visited our home before, I will have showered and I’ll have freshly applied make-up. My house will be as absolutely perfect as it can be. In addition to all the general scrubbing and cleaning, all beds will be made (even the boys’ bunk bed) and I may even wash windows. Be very impressed!
• The second time that guest visits, I’ll be showered and dressed, but the make-up may not be freshly touched up. I’ll dust and vacuum and run a Clorox wipe over the bathrooms, and pick up the toys but that’s about it. No deep cleaning. Windows will have patty prints and paw prints. And beds WILL NOT be made. That’s a one-time deal, my friend.
• The third time, I’ll be cleaned up but I probably won’t be wearing make-up. There may be laundry on the couch waiting to be folded. There will definitely be a few toys strewn about, a couple white tufts of American Eskimo tumbleweeds rolling through because I didn’t have a chance to vacuum. Hope you don’t wear black clothing! If so, I’ll offer you a lint brush before you leave.
• Upon the fourth visit, it’s every man for himself! You’re fully initiated into my family and what you see is what you get. You know that I keep sodas in my garage fridge, the water out of the front of my kitchen fridge is the good filtered stuff and you help yourself and you’re fully knowledgeable as to where I keep my lint brush.

That to say, tonight’s meeting was really relaxed! We met for 45 minutes and mostly talked about our social worker's experience with 2 China adoptions of her own. She told us what to bring, what to expect. I appreciated her story! We reviewed our paperwork. All our paperwork has arrived, local fingerprints from the State Patrol and all state background checks. Jay has his physical tomorrow morning, so hopefully we’ll have his medical form filled out CORRECTLY by Friday. Still no word if our basement renter will need to have a physical. We know that the State of Nebraska won’t require one and that China won’t require one. PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS UNNECESSARY PHYSICAL CAN BE ELIMINATED [see our NEW Prayer Request tab at the top]! It wouldn’t be terrible, but he’s an out-of-state student on his parent’s insurance and it would just be a hassle for everyone and we know it isn’t required.

We’ve been told to expect the rough draft of our home study within a week. YES! Rock solid evidence of adoption progress! Thanks, God! I needed that!