It's in the mail

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these
couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

Well we've just about done it. The last remaining items on our seemingly never-ending adoption application to-do list - reference letters, medical physicals, and a fire safety form - are in the mail. Those who know me well know that I hate waiting. Even with all of this taken care of I'm still thinking, should I have hand-delivered each item?

You see, the adoption application process is excruciating. Those not familiar with the requirements are usually aghast to hear what's required. It's taken us about six months to compile everything. We've been fingerprinted, background checked, TB tested. We've completed a 16-page questionnaire (each), a 10-year residence history, and over 2 hours of interviews. The agency's got copies of our tax returns, birth certificates, social security cards and drivers' licenses. We both had physicals. We sent in copies of our pets' vaccinations. We've shared every detail of our personal, family, church, and work lives. We completed 16 hours of state-mandated training. And now we're waiting on the mail.

I can't wait because once everything arrives at the agency, our file is complete and we're "on the list." The list of potential adoptive parents. Once we're on that list, we could be chosen and matched at any time with a child or children in need of a home. There's a lot more to it, of course, but being on that list is the real deal. So if you see a mailman, maybe ask him to hurry up a little. For me?

Introduction

Shawn and I on our 2nd honeymoon in Vermont, October 2011.

As you may know, Shawn and I have decided to grow our family through adoption! We are very excited and anticipate many updates, so I'm starting this blog to share the information as it happens with all interested friends & family. If you want, you can subscribe to the blog and you'll receive an email with each new post.

The agency we have chosen to work with is Catholic Charities of Dallas' Children and Adoption Services and Community Outreach (CASCO) Finally Home program. The Finally Home program is designed to place children who are in foster care with CPS into adoptive families. We are excited to be working with Catholic Charities because we have found the caseworkers there to be very dedicated to what is best for both the children awaiting placement and the adoptive parents. Personal attention, trustworthiness and experience are just a few of the qualities we have enjoyed as we have worked with this organization over the past year.