Checking off the list

The last week has been a whirlwind of activity as we continue checking things off the list in regard to our home study requirements and paperwork. Rob and I both had our psychological evaluations done last week, which is required by our adoption agency, and we both had our criminal background checks done at the police station on Friday. This week, we will be having our physicals and completing our medical letters for the home study and dossier. I am a little excited about actually completing something for our dossier even though I am not looking forward to having to get the documents notarized, certified and apostilled. But, as I have said many times before, we will do anything for our little boy!

We had a yard sale at our house on Saturday to help raise funds for the adoption. It was absolutely the best yard sale that I have ever had in terms of turn out and sales. I also got to meet several of our new neighbors who were all very nice and very excited to hear about our adoption. I even met several people that day who were adopting or had adopted internationally from different countries. Amazing!

Speaking of amazing, that was my mother-in-law Sherry this last weekend. Sherry came to our house on Friday night and helped me get ready for the yard sale by pricing items and getting the tables ready. And, on the day of the sale, she helped take care of all the people purchasing items from us. If I had been alone, I would have been overwhelmed. Sherry has been so supportive of our choice to adopt from the very beginning, and she is very excited about meeting her new grandson. I am always happy to talk to her about our adoption.

I am finding through this journey that the word "adoption" is so powerful. This seemingly simple word has such meaning for so many people. It binds people together who have had similar experiences in their search to have a child, and it brings people together by opening the hearts of all of those who hear their stories. It is a word that in its very utterance conjures up so many feelings and emotions. It is a word that is full of so many possibilities. Our possibility...today, we are a happy famiy of three, but through adoption we will soon be a happy family of four.