So, we have alot of experience with adoption....or so we think anyway. We have been dealing with attachment and behavior "stuff" for about 13 years or so. We've had several different homestudies done. A couple for domestic adoptions and one for an international adoption. My point...adoption has been on our brain for years! Sometimes it seems that it is a selfish thing on my part...I just want what I want. But I know in my heart that is not true. Something much deeper is driving this...or should I say Someone?

So we have got all our formal application paperwork in for starting our homestudy. It was ALOT of work! But it seemed easy considering it is stuff we have filled out or completed so many times before! Really not, but at least it was familiar! The last couple of days we have been running around gathering marriage certificates and certified divorce papers from the courthouse. We have to have certified birth certificates, too, and eventually get them apostilled from the state! Copies and faxes and emails, oh my! ALOT of paperwork...but really it seems so easy compared to what our sweet little ones are going through -- living alone in an orphanage. Our first homestudy appointment is April 7th. Hopefully once our social worker gets going on that it will all get done quickly. We don't want our little girls to have to spend any more time away from us than necessary!

Did I forget to mention regular life? It is easy to forget about that when your mind is consumed with adoption and what all that is going to mean for your family! We had our oldest sons here for awhile...that was nice! The younger boys are busy with school and sports. There is practice for some sport almost every night. We just finished basketball, we're in the middle of wrestling, and baseball practice is starting, too. Our 2 year old is such a helper and tries to do my laundry for me! He is so sweet and smart! He takes the laundry from the washer and puts it in the dryer...and starts the dryer for me, too!! It has been a long winter and the little ones have been sick alot. Madalyn has been hospitalized twice in the last month - respiratory stuff hits her especially hard. It has been so busy, but we really don't know life any other way. We just move from one thing to the other! But it's usually always a happy busy!

Now I have to start figuring out how to fundraise for this adoption. It is going to be expensive for sure, but I know that God will provide for this! He has faithfully provided for our family through the years and we truly believe that He will continue! He has never let us down!!