The long and winding road. Really, really long.

I realized recently that it has been nearly an eternity since I've written at all about our adoption. And, well, I actually have an excuse. That is because it has been nearly an eternity since anything has changed on that front.

After beginning to collect all the information and jump through all the required hoops in July of 2005, we finally completed and sent in our dossier in March of 2006. We expected a baby perhaps that coming Christmas or early 2007. But about that time (March), Chinese adoptions came to a screeching halt. Okay, maybe not a halt. But a definite slowdown of epic proportions. We were given reasons...China had been pushing domestic adoptions, there was a huge insurgence of Americans wanting to adopt, and some internal changes all led to a growing waiting list with less children and the need to be patient.

Ah, patience.

31 months of patience, to be exact. So far.

And while we are told that China is working to speed up the process, we haven't exactly seen the rubber meeting the road in that respect.

In the meantime, we've welcomed Abby into our home, we moved to the country, Don is no longer employed full-time by the Air Force (though he is at the moment), and we'll need to be "approved" all over again in a new state. And our future holds the introduction of Don's folks into our home. In addition, requirements have changed and we now need a number of educational credits on adoption and child rearing due to the Hague Convention. Honestly, it has all become increasingly frustrating. I simply cannot imagine the torture of those adopting parents who are waiting to hold their first baby in their arms.

I don't know where we will go from here. We are holding open our hands, waiting to see what God has planned for us. Perhaps it might not happen for us after all of this. Perhaps it will. We don't even know, at this point, if our current financial and familial situation will exclude us when we need to renew (for the third time) or home study and state approval.

For now, we wait.

I wish the news could be more exciting. Honestly, most people have stopped asking. I mean, how many times can you hear, "Nothing new," and still keep beating your head against the wall? I don't want anyone to think we are depressed about this. We're not. God has blessed us in so many ways, none of it deserved, and we can't ask for more. And while it is easy to get frustrated and anxious for the future, I've settled back into a place where I can contentedly wait and see where God will take us. It's a good place to be.

Good news abounds!

We just got word that we are officially approved by the state for our adoption. Whoo hoo! Now, we are just waiting for US Immigration to send us our approval. Paper-pregnancy is way worse than actual pregnancy! I thought 9 months was long before we started this! We are at 7 months & counting & we haven't even began our official waiting stage.

We also have been working on our taxes & I got a delightful surprise that we'll be getting a significant return this year! We have it set to take the highest possible taxes out (We hate the interest-free loan the govt gets when you end up getting a refund) but still will get a good amount back. A portion will pay off some student loans, some will go toward our adoption expenses (which will be fully funded by April) & the rest will be spent on a grain mill for me & a guitar for Don. How exciting! I'll finally get to grind my own wheat & can start experimenting with sprouting/soaking & making my own bread & pasta (I have a pasta maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid). Anyway, I'm excited & have been shopping online to decide which mill to get. I'm leaning toward the Country Living mill which is a hand-crank one. Everyone I know of that has a mill has an electric mill, but for some reason, I'm thinking this might be better. Still more research to do!

Adoption Links

Here are some links that we've used in our quest to adopt.

• Adoption.org
• Adoption Learning Partners
• Great Wall China Adoption
• Adoptive Families Magazine
• USCIS (US Immigration)
  

Financial aspects:

• Affording Adoption
• Shaohannah's Hope
• IRS Adoption Tax Credit
• Christian World Adoption financial aid