H.S.T.K.

Unbelievable! I have thought of this moment for quite some time… the day that it becomes official. The point of no return so to speak. The day we are officially placed on the Korea waiting list…. when we know for sure that what we’ve been waiting for will eventually, certainly come to pass. We are now officially HSTK!!!! And what better day to get this great news than on our wedding anniversary. 
 
Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!   God is so good!
  
It is amazing to think that somewhere, at this very minute, a beautiful little person who will one day call me mommy, is sleeping, eating, or playing….not yet dreaming of his one day forever family. Having no idea that in a few short months time his whole world is going to change (for the better, I pray), and that even while he leaves so many firsts behind, he will be journeying into a whole new world of firsts.
 
When I think that he has probably just celebrated his very first Christmas, and will soon be celebrating his very first New Year… even though it is without his mommy and daddy, I know it is with someone who loves him dearly; someone who will make it as special as they are able, with much love and affection in their hearts.  Thank God for those amazing Holt foster moms.
 
HSTK may just be four small letters to some…and there may be many of you who don’t quite yet know what those letters mean. But for most of us it is the confirmation that we have made it to the halfway mark. Knowing that we are officially on the waiting list… and it is the unspoken promise, that someday soon – two weeks, two months, or even two years from now, our baby will be home in our arms.
 
Now we wait….for our baby to find us, and for us to find him.

  

Home Study Visits

  
I hadn’t written anything about our home study visits before today because there was just so much going on, and so much that we were unsure of with regards to needing permission to post, or even wanting to post, that I thought I would just wait it out until we were officially HSTK, or at least very nearly so....which we are, so here's a quick run down of our home study experience.

Our first visit with our social working was a bit nerve wrecking for us… and by the way, this is not a reflection on our SW’s personality. Not at all. It was just all us. Or maybe I should say….All Me. :o)

I so wanted everything to be perfect that I almost drove my husband mad with planning. I picked out our outfits, I made sure that we stuck to our schedule so that we would be ready for her as soon as she was ready for us… I kept asking him what I though the interview would be like…what questions she would ask…what topics would be the most important, etc., etc., etc…. And if I didn’t know better I think he had half a mind to move me downstairs into the guest room….lol.

Anyway, turns out I had nothing to worry about. Our social worker was amazing! Incredible! She made us feel so comfortable, so at ease, that they conversation simply flowed. (It didn’t hurt that we seem to have similar personalities so that together we were more like two old girlfriends catching up after weeks apart, than an interviewer and interviewee). Now don’t take this to mean that she wasn’t on the job. Oh yes sir… there were many a serious question raised, and quite a few posed by DH and I as well. But all in all it was no where near as stressful a situation as I had imagined (which is good, because I have a really vivid imagination). :o)
  
Our other visits went equally well, and so I know in a short while, we'll be approved.
  
Can't wait...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"For Unto Us A Child Is Born...

Unto Us A Son Is Given"

May Your Christmas Be Filled With

Peace, Joy, Love & Happiness!

I'm Back!

  

Hey All ! ! !

 
I've finally found a few moments of peace where I can settle down and put some words together on this blog again. What has it been? Well over a week I think. Gee... that's a long time in between posts.
 
So.... what have I been up to?
 
Well, last weekend we went to another PIP Class with other pre-adoptive parents. Met some more really awesome folks, and had an opportunity to see some of my old pals from our last PIP Class -- all in all it was a fun day.
  
During the class an adult adoptee came in for a visit and was kind enough to share many of her experiences with us. She also shared with us her (very personal...very touching) reasons for wanting to search for her birth mother, needing to connect with her Korean culture, and desires to work with young adoptees. It was an amazing (AMAZING) discussion, and there wasn't one dry eye in the room during much of it.
That day we also met with our wonderful social worker to discuss a few issues that, looking back, were really not issues...lol, but you know how things go when you're in the moment. :o)

Finally we drove over to my MIL's house for dinner with the family who were eagerly awaiting news and updates on how things were going with the adoption process.
 
All in all.....it was an awesome week/weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Ode to Peddler's Village

We had a wonderful visit to Peddler's Village over the weekend.