Homestudy here we come!

It has been way to long since my last post, and I have a few updates to share.

I am thrilled and excited to say that we received the contract in the mail from Journeys of the Heart. It arrived on February 10th. It took us some time to read through it. The legal talk is foreign to me. On Saturday (2/17) we had the contract and another document notarized. I am pleased to say that today (2/21) I sent out the contract with our first payment. This will get the ball rolling with our Home study, set us up with the Taiwan program, and cover education classes on international adoption, Paul and I will need to take. I also mailed out several more pieces of information that were needed to complete the application packet (pictures, Evacuation plan, copy of 06' taxes, Paul's autobiography, birth certificates for all of us, fingerprint receipts, and marriage certificate). I am very impressed by Paul's diligence in completing his autobiography. He had an overnight trip for work and was able to complete it in 3 hours. Sadly for me, I still have not started mine. I need to get pumped up to do it. With that said, to complete the application packet I need to get my butt moving on my autobiography, and pick up the medical forms that were needed to be filled out. Physicals have been completed and I will be getting those tomorrow (2/22). I am planing on mailing everything out on Saturday. That is my goal at least. Once this phase of paperwork is complete, we will be assigned a Social Worker to begin our Home study. We will also receive another packet which will tell us exactly what we will need to get our dossier completed. This means lots more forms. Good times! :)

I am trying to take a proactive approach and signed Paul and me up for a First Aid and CPR course. This is something we will need to complete. I am also in the process of reading several books on adoption and Taiwan. The social worker will set up an outline with required reading and homework assignments we will be needing to complete. I want this to move along as quickly as possible. I have been told that the Home study takes about 3 months with 2 in house visits from the social worker. The rest is over the phone. I can tell you more about this as we journey down that road.

Just one more note. I did contact Journeys of the Heart to see if I could find out a bit more information on the time line of this process. Since Taiwan is a very new program, they do not have it down to a science, like China. However, they did tell me that it takes about 6 months from the time you send out your dossier to receive the referral. Then after you accept the referral it is about another 6 months. So they said this process will take any were from 12 to 18 months. We will not be traveling as a group, so once we are told our paperwork is complete we are ready to go. There is currently a waiting list for a girl. The agency told me it is just under 10 families waiting.

Each day that goes by we thank God for our many blessing and pray that our journey will continue to move forward smoothly and gracefully.

Goodnight for now!