Sorry for the length of time between updates. We have been preparing to move. I've received a job offer in Texas! No worries, the adoption will continue. AGCI has been so wonderful to us! They prayed for us, and agreed to let us transfer the monies we've already paid into another program. Since we have to be in Ohio for the USA Program, we will be transferring to an international program. We have not decided on which one, yet. The agency advised us to wait until we move and get settled before we make any decisions...so we are not making this big decision under stressful conditions. Good idea!
So, we leave this week after Christmas and I start my job on Jan 3, 2011. Rob will hopefully find a job soon, as it is a big town for aviation (there are 60 + airports!). I'll give you updates as we go along.
Thank you all for your continued love and support of our crazy lives!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Deb
We talked to Deb Athans last night. She is the person we contact for all paperwork....and by the looks of the binder of paperwork, I'd say she'll be our new BFF.
Next steps: We have to arrange for fingerprinting, criminal background checks, parenting classes, Fire Inspection....as well as send some immediate paperwork to Deb. The immediate stuff is only about 5-10 pages, so not so bad. Though, we do need to start on those personal profiles (51 pages each), because, of course, they do take forever!
Next steps: We have to arrange for fingerprinting, criminal background checks, parenting classes, Fire Inspection....as well as send some immediate paperwork to Deb. The immediate stuff is only about 5-10 pages, so not so bad. Though, we do need to start on those personal profiles (51 pages each), because, of course, they do take forever!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Mercy gives hope...and hope is everything to a child
We have received our Adoptive Parent Home Study Packet! The saying on the front is "Mercy gives hope...and hope is everything to a child"
This saying reminds us of why we are doing this. There is a child out there with hope of finding his or her Forever Family, and God has planned for us to be the family for that child. It's something bigger than we can imagine, as only God can do. It's pretty amazing.
We have a VERY long road ahead of us....this home study packet is a 2 inch 3-ring binder of things to do. No kidding. We have to do the local, state and FBI criminal background checks, complete with fingerprints. Then there are the refererences, the statement of guardianship (should something happen to us), the home study visits, complete with fire department inspections, the 51 page personal profile.... no joke... - 51 pages. Then there is the Child Characteristics checklist, which is a 5 page document with 2 columns on each page (each column with about 50 questions) of what we will/will not consider. WOW!! You think you know yourself. The emotional part wants to check the boxes that we'll consider any child that God has planned for us....no matter what! The practical part says, "Hold on a minute! You know NOTHING about that - you even had to Google it to know what it means! How do you intend to deal with a child in that situation?!" So, I'm sure we'll learn a lot about ourselves and each other as we prayfully consider each line of this section of the home study. The financial and medical documents are only 2 pages long! Wahoo! But, then, there are the verifications for each of those. Well, nothing is going to be easy.
I would normally feel overwhelmed as I look at this binder, but our new BFF, Deb Athans at All God's Children will walk us through each step of this, and she has already been in touch with us to set up a time to talk about the first step. Thank goodness for Deb!!
Next step: Call Deb back.
More to follow.
This saying reminds us of why we are doing this. There is a child out there with hope of finding his or her Forever Family, and God has planned for us to be the family for that child. It's something bigger than we can imagine, as only God can do. It's pretty amazing.
We have a VERY long road ahead of us....this home study packet is a 2 inch 3-ring binder of things to do. No kidding. We have to do the local, state and FBI criminal background checks, complete with fingerprints. Then there are the refererences, the statement of guardianship (should something happen to us), the home study visits, complete with fire department inspections, the 51 page personal profile.... no joke... - 51 pages. Then there is the Child Characteristics checklist, which is a 5 page document with 2 columns on each page (each column with about 50 questions) of what we will/will not consider. WOW!! You think you know yourself. The emotional part wants to check the boxes that we'll consider any child that God has planned for us....no matter what! The practical part says, "Hold on a minute! You know NOTHING about that - you even had to Google it to know what it means! How do you intend to deal with a child in that situation?!" So, I'm sure we'll learn a lot about ourselves and each other as we prayfully consider each line of this section of the home study. The financial and medical documents are only 2 pages long! Wahoo! But, then, there are the verifications for each of those. Well, nothing is going to be easy.
I would normally feel overwhelmed as I look at this binder, but our new BFF, Deb Athans at All God's Children will walk us through each step of this, and she has already been in touch with us to set up a time to talk about the first step. Thank goodness for Deb!!
Next step: Call Deb back.
More to follow.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Paid
"Big" bill #1 paid. It hurt only a little. However, we almost immediately got news that we are authorized to start the home study process (yes - frantic cleaning in the house ensued)!!!
Aside from that; here is what we can expect:
Oregon has strict requirements. So, in order to meet them, we have to take a foster/adopt parent training.
Then comes the home study: minimum of 4 contact: individual and couple interviews and at least one visit in our home, resulting in at least six hours total.
Then, there are the Post Placement Reports: quarterly visits with letters from the social worker.
Oh - then the family photo album. Connie doesn't know this yet, but she'll be assigned to this. This is for the committe to select a child for us, and then it goes to the foster family once we are selected.
The requirements for the family album are:
The album should be geared toward the child(ren) and include the following:
Three notarized copies of the home study agency license
Three notarized copies of the social worker’s license
One original family photo album
Wow. We have a lot of stuff left to do!! This is pretty exciting. Cannot wait to meet our child and see who God has in mind for us.
Aside from that; here is what we can expect:
Oregon has strict requirements. So, in order to meet them, we have to take a foster/adopt parent training.
Then comes the home study: minimum of 4 contact: individual and couple interviews and at least one visit in our home, resulting in at least six hours total.
Then, there are the Post Placement Reports: quarterly visits with letters from the social worker.
Oh - then the family photo album. Connie doesn't know this yet, but she'll be assigned to this. This is for the committe to select a child for us, and then it goes to the foster family once we are selected.
The requirements for the family album are:
The album should be geared toward the child(ren) and include the following:
- A letter addressed to the child(ren)
- Pictures
- each member of the family
- family activities
- family gatherings
- pets
- the home
- the child’s room
- Captions identifying who/what is in the picture
Three notarized copies of the home study agency license
Three notarized copies of the social worker’s license
One original family photo album
Wow. We have a lot of stuff left to do!! This is pretty exciting. Cannot wait to meet our child and see who God has in mind for us.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Cha-Ching!
I first want to apologize for no details recently. I really have no updates – so no details to tell. However, I thought I’d drop a little note here to let you know answers to some of the FAQ’s we’ve been hearing.
We are approaching our first deadline for the first big payment. I know it’s typically rude to talk about finances, but, everyone asks, and I don’t mind sharing. Besides, in the adoption world, the big big deal is the cost. So, here goes. By Sept 24, we owe $4,025. That is $2,500 for the agency fee plus $1,575 for the home study fee. We get a discount for living in Ohio. (Don’t ask me why, I have no idea, I just figure it’s great!) The home study fee for other states is $1,750.
Four thousand dollars. It’s a huge step. We paid the $300 application fee, which is also non-refundable, of course. But, this fee is more than 10X that much….and once we pay our fees to the agency; this is the one we are going with. What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, we have been approached by many people about other opportunities to adopt. However, none of them are solid or they have fallen through in one way or another. We have prayed for unborn babies’ lives to be saved, we have been asked if we’d be interested in fostering, and we’ve been approached by a friend of a friend who knows someone who is in a situation….you get the idea. Once you tell the world you want to adopt a child, the world wants to help a child find a home. It’s a wonderful feeling and amazing to watch. However, it can build up a lot of anxiety. You find yourself looking at pregnant women a different way. You hear about horrible stories every day. Teenage mothers are rarely the ones who give up their children for adoption these days….it’s typically women who are pregnant via some type of unwanted situation or a mistake they’ve made (sexual assault or affairs, etc). I’ve prayed for more strangers in the past months – women I’ve seen on the street, in the store, heard a story about in passing, etc. But, I’m sorry, I digress from the big deal.
Here’s the big deal: Most home studies are interchangeable. Once you get a home study completed, you are eligible for any child that is ready to be placed. However, there are always restrictions and red tape involved in such a simple statement. That red tape applies when you are dealing with cross-border situations. The state of Oregon only allows All God’s Children International (AGCI) to perform the home study. When a private agency does the home study, not all public agencies (or other private agencies) will accept it. In other words: If we were going through the state of Ohio, we’d have a social worker assigned by the state of Ohio. He/She would do a home study, and then we could adopt from anywhere in Ohio – whether it’s from the Ohio foster system, a friend of a friend who knows someone, a teenage mother, an agency who is seeking us, etc. However, Oregon says it must be done through AGCI for this program. And, since we feel that God wants us to walk through this program, we are using AGCI. This means that friend of a friend or the pregnant teen….those doors are closed to us, unless we want to get an Ohio home study completed also. Our funds do not allow for several home studies, so we are choosing one and sticking with it.
Speaking of funds, let’s go back to the elephant in the room. We are commonly asked, “What is the cost to adopt?” I’ve asked some fellow adoptive parents. I’ve heard everything from FREE to $46,000. No kidding! That is a crazy range. “Free” was from the foster to adopt program – the child was fostered for a while, and then eventually adopted. $46,000 was a child from China. The typical US (domestic) adoption costs about $20,000. Wow. That’s still nothing to sneeze at. I can’t believe there are babies born every day who need a home, and adoptive parents just crying out for a child…but in order to do this, they have to come up with 20 grand. We are facing a challenge of coming up with the money. We want to pay for the process in cash. So, we are grateful that AGCI has broken down the payment situation so that fees are due little by little. We don’t want to get a child and deal with the financial stress of that on top of dealing with the payments of a loan. It’s stressful just to consider that idea. So, cash we pay – right out of our savings account. We may explore some grant opportunities, but not loan situations. Debt is something we avoid anyway, and besides, how would you word that when you are discussing that loan with your spouse, “We are almost done paying off the kid!” Hmm….doesn’t sound right. However, these are things couples talk about every day.
So, we approach our deadline. The agency was kind enough to give us an extension. We wanted to wait until Rob finished his tests, which he has done. (He passed!!) Anyway, the agency granted us an extension to complete the first payment as well as some paperwork…so everything is due on Sept 24. I can’t believe the end of September is right around the corner. But, around the corner it is, and we are prepared. Financially and emotionally.
Thank you to all of you for your endless love & support.
We are approaching our first deadline for the first big payment. I know it’s typically rude to talk about finances, but, everyone asks, and I don’t mind sharing. Besides, in the adoption world, the big big deal is the cost. So, here goes. By Sept 24, we owe $4,025. That is $2,500 for the agency fee plus $1,575 for the home study fee. We get a discount for living in Ohio. (Don’t ask me why, I have no idea, I just figure it’s great!) The home study fee for other states is $1,750.
Four thousand dollars. It’s a huge step. We paid the $300 application fee, which is also non-refundable, of course. But, this fee is more than 10X that much….and once we pay our fees to the agency; this is the one we are going with. What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, we have been approached by many people about other opportunities to adopt. However, none of them are solid or they have fallen through in one way or another. We have prayed for unborn babies’ lives to be saved, we have been asked if we’d be interested in fostering, and we’ve been approached by a friend of a friend who knows someone who is in a situation….you get the idea. Once you tell the world you want to adopt a child, the world wants to help a child find a home. It’s a wonderful feeling and amazing to watch. However, it can build up a lot of anxiety. You find yourself looking at pregnant women a different way. You hear about horrible stories every day. Teenage mothers are rarely the ones who give up their children for adoption these days….it’s typically women who are pregnant via some type of unwanted situation or a mistake they’ve made (sexual assault or affairs, etc). I’ve prayed for more strangers in the past months – women I’ve seen on the street, in the store, heard a story about in passing, etc. But, I’m sorry, I digress from the big deal.
Here’s the big deal: Most home studies are interchangeable. Once you get a home study completed, you are eligible for any child that is ready to be placed. However, there are always restrictions and red tape involved in such a simple statement. That red tape applies when you are dealing with cross-border situations. The state of Oregon only allows All God’s Children International (AGCI) to perform the home study. When a private agency does the home study, not all public agencies (or other private agencies) will accept it. In other words: If we were going through the state of Ohio, we’d have a social worker assigned by the state of Ohio. He/She would do a home study, and then we could adopt from anywhere in Ohio – whether it’s from the Ohio foster system, a friend of a friend who knows someone, a teenage mother, an agency who is seeking us, etc. However, Oregon says it must be done through AGCI for this program. And, since we feel that God wants us to walk through this program, we are using AGCI. This means that friend of a friend or the pregnant teen….those doors are closed to us, unless we want to get an Ohio home study completed also. Our funds do not allow for several home studies, so we are choosing one and sticking with it.
Speaking of funds, let’s go back to the elephant in the room. We are commonly asked, “What is the cost to adopt?” I’ve asked some fellow adoptive parents. I’ve heard everything from FREE to $46,000. No kidding! That is a crazy range. “Free” was from the foster to adopt program – the child was fostered for a while, and then eventually adopted. $46,000 was a child from China. The typical US (domestic) adoption costs about $20,000. Wow. That’s still nothing to sneeze at. I can’t believe there are babies born every day who need a home, and adoptive parents just crying out for a child…but in order to do this, they have to come up with 20 grand. We are facing a challenge of coming up with the money. We want to pay for the process in cash. So, we are grateful that AGCI has broken down the payment situation so that fees are due little by little. We don’t want to get a child and deal with the financial stress of that on top of dealing with the payments of a loan. It’s stressful just to consider that idea. So, cash we pay – right out of our savings account. We may explore some grant opportunities, but not loan situations. Debt is something we avoid anyway, and besides, how would you word that when you are discussing that loan with your spouse, “We are almost done paying off the kid!” Hmm….doesn’t sound right. However, these are things couples talk about every day.
So, we approach our deadline. The agency was kind enough to give us an extension. We wanted to wait until Rob finished his tests, which he has done. (He passed!!) Anyway, the agency granted us an extension to complete the first payment as well as some paperwork…so everything is due on Sept 24. I can’t believe the end of September is right around the corner. But, around the corner it is, and we are prepared. Financially and emotionally.
Thank you to all of you for your endless love & support.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Waiting...
Not much to post. Just waiting. I hear that song come on the radio "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. You may have heard it featured on the movie with "Fireproof" with Kirk Cameron. Well, that' us. Waiting.
Rob has his testing at the end of August. It's a lot of pressure, and I'm proud of him for coming so far with this. We have to wait for the "Child Abuse" search to be complete before anything happens anyway. We are told that takes 90 days. We are about 10 days or so into that wait. Ugh.
Anyway, it's a lot of waiting around here at the DeVol household. We are making the best of it. This weekend: Ropes Course, next week: business trip to Houston, following week: Climbing lessons. It's not a boring wait, but frustrating, indeed.
Here are the lyrics to the song. I sing it daily...at the top of my lungs:
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
Rob has his testing at the end of August. It's a lot of pressure, and I'm proud of him for coming so far with this. We have to wait for the "Child Abuse" search to be complete before anything happens anyway. We are told that takes 90 days. We are about 10 days or so into that wait. Ugh.
Anyway, it's a lot of waiting around here at the DeVol household. We are making the best of it. This weekend: Ropes Course, next week: business trip to Houston, following week: Climbing lessons. It's not a boring wait, but frustrating, indeed.
Here are the lyrics to the song. I sing it daily...at the top of my lungs:
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Signed, Sealed, Delivered....well, in the mail, anyway....
We had a STACK of papers to get notarized. Our friend Kelli was gracious enough to offer up her notary service and we had a little signing party. It was fun to get it all done and catch up with our friends at the same time.
The papers are all "in the mail" as they say...or rather in the UPS, to be honest. Per the fancy UPS tracking device, they will arrive on time next week and then we are off to the next step:
The Ohio Child Abuse Checks. I don't know much about it, but I do know that it takes 90 days, and we can't meet with our social worker until this is complete.
Sorry the updates are not so exciting these days. Imagine how we feel! Exciting announcement, then waiting forever. It's like a broken roller coaster. But, we are still pretty excited. So, maybe it's like getting stuck at the top of the hill on the roller coaster. Which, I would think would be pretty fun.
I think the most exciting part is watching others get excited for us. My mother-in-law and I were garage-sale-ing (yes- that IS a verb!) the other day, and she was wishing she knew age/gender/etc of the child we'll get because she's ready to get toys, clothes, etc. She did talk me into buying one of those car window screens that block the sun. It was $1. I already use it. Good thinkin, Connie! Thanks! :)
That's all for today. Have a great weekend.
The papers are all "in the mail" as they say...or rather in the UPS, to be honest. Per the fancy UPS tracking device, they will arrive on time next week and then we are off to the next step:
The Ohio Child Abuse Checks. I don't know much about it, but I do know that it takes 90 days, and we can't meet with our social worker until this is complete.
Sorry the updates are not so exciting these days. Imagine how we feel! Exciting announcement, then waiting forever. It's like a broken roller coaster. But, we are still pretty excited. So, maybe it's like getting stuck at the top of the hill on the roller coaster. Which, I would think would be pretty fun.
I think the most exciting part is watching others get excited for us. My mother-in-law and I were garage-sale-ing (yes- that IS a verb!) the other day, and she was wishing she knew age/gender/etc of the child we'll get because she's ready to get toys, clothes, etc. She did talk me into buying one of those car window screens that block the sun. It was $1. I already use it. Good thinkin, Connie! Thanks! :)
That's all for today. Have a great weekend.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Blog Subscriptions
Hey everyone - Just a little note about blog upkeep: Several people have asked why they don't get emailed updates when we post.
The short answer: I don't know.
The longer answer: I looked everywhere on the site to figure out how to get emails sent to everyone when I update. I can only select 10 email addresses - so this clearly is not the answer.
So, I put a new gadget on the site that should allow you to "subscribe" to the udpates. Someone please check this out, test it, and tell me if it's working. :)
Who wants to be the guinea pig? Step right up....
The short answer: I don't know.
The longer answer: I looked everywhere on the site to figure out how to get emails sent to everyone when I update. I can only select 10 email addresses - so this clearly is not the answer.
So, I put a new gadget on the site that should allow you to "subscribe" to the udpates. Someone please check this out, test it, and tell me if it's working. :)
Who wants to be the guinea pig? Step right up....
Monday, June 7, 2010
NEXT STEPS
Well, our last post said we were "approved". I have had a lot of questions about what that means, exactly. So, here it is: We are approved by the agency to proceed with the adoption process. It's that simple. We still have a looooong road ahead of us.
To clarify, here are the next steps:
1-We received our orientation packet, and have reviewed all of the documentation.
2-We completed an orientation call with Erin at All God's Children (more on this to follow).
3-We have to complete and notarize all documentation. (Is there a notary in the house?)
4-Then, we submit documents and initial fees.
5-We have to select a home study agency (this is with the help of All God's Children)
Steps 1 & 2 are complete. Now....to find a notary...and time on the calendar that we are both available to visit the notary. Easier said than done...not the notary, but the calendar part. *Sigh*
With that being said, let me tell you a story. The company I work for got a new client in Oregon. My colleague was supposed to go visit them last week, but she resigned - and I was selected to replace her. So, at the last minute, I went to Portland, Oregon to visit the new client, and - before leaving - I spent an extra few hours to visit the Adoption Agency! Erin from All God's Children picked me up at the hotel on Friday morning, took me to their office (which is an old house converted into their offices in a really cool part of town). I had a chance to meet all of the ladies & gentlemen that will have a huge part in changing our lives. It was pretty exciting.
One of the ladies I met, Emily, is the one who goes to committee to state our case to the state of Oregon. It was a unique experience, as most communication is done over the phone...and Emily usually only reads the Home Study that is written by our social worker here in Ohio. We may talk to her on the phone, of course, but it is rare that we'd actually have a chance to meet her in person! Emily was on cloud nine when I met her, because she had just placed a child into her "forever home". It was a pretty neat experience.
Well, that's it for now. Off to find a notary.
To clarify, here are the next steps:
1-We received our orientation packet, and have reviewed all of the documentation.
2-We completed an orientation call with Erin at All God's Children (more on this to follow).
3-We have to complete and notarize all documentation. (Is there a notary in the house?)
4-Then, we submit documents and initial fees.
5-We have to select a home study agency (this is with the help of All God's Children)
Steps 1 & 2 are complete. Now....to find a notary...and time on the calendar that we are both available to visit the notary. Easier said than done...not the notary, but the calendar part. *Sigh*
With that being said, let me tell you a story. The company I work for got a new client in Oregon. My colleague was supposed to go visit them last week, but she resigned - and I was selected to replace her. So, at the last minute, I went to Portland, Oregon to visit the new client, and - before leaving - I spent an extra few hours to visit the Adoption Agency! Erin from All God's Children picked me up at the hotel on Friday morning, took me to their office (which is an old house converted into their offices in a really cool part of town). I had a chance to meet all of the ladies & gentlemen that will have a huge part in changing our lives. It was pretty exciting.
One of the ladies I met, Emily, is the one who goes to committee to state our case to the state of Oregon. It was a unique experience, as most communication is done over the phone...and Emily usually only reads the Home Study that is written by our social worker here in Ohio. We may talk to her on the phone, of course, but it is rare that we'd actually have a chance to meet her in person! Emily was on cloud nine when I met her, because she had just placed a child into her "forever home". It was a pretty neat experience.
Well, that's it for now. Off to find a notary.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED!!
Ok. So, not such a long wait after all. We got the call from Erin at All God's Children International this evening to advise us that we have been APPROVED!!
Next step: She will send us the orientation packet and we will have a conference call next Wednesday (a week from tomorrow) to have our Orientation.
More to come....Thanks for your prayers and support.
Next step: She will send us the orientation packet and we will have a conference call next Wednesday (a week from tomorrow) to have our Orientation.
More to come....Thanks for your prayers and support.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
WE HAVE OFFICIALLY APPLIED!!
Well, we don't have much of an update, except that we got everything in order and submitted our application. We did it Thursday, so we are a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Yipee!!!
Also, our renter has notified us that she'll be moving out of our place on July 22, so we will move out of this tiny cramped apartment on July 24. Not that the other house is huge, but at least we don't have to deal w/ a lot of the things that we deal with here (that list is long, so I'll spare you the details.)
So, we now have to wait for the approval process. I had to send a pic of where we live...and a pic of the two of us. I don't know how long the approval takes, but right now, it's a long wait...and it's only been 4 days. I'm sure they have not received it in the mail, yet....hmmm. Oh, well. We'll survive. We have plenty of things to keep us busy in the meantime.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
Also, our renter has notified us that she'll be moving out of our place on July 22, so we will move out of this tiny cramped apartment on July 24. Not that the other house is huge, but at least we don't have to deal w/ a lot of the things that we deal with here (that list is long, so I'll spare you the details.)
So, we now have to wait for the approval process. I had to send a pic of where we live...and a pic of the two of us. I don't know how long the approval takes, but right now, it's a long wait...and it's only been 4 days. I'm sure they have not received it in the mail, yet....hmmm. Oh, well. We'll survive. We have plenty of things to keep us busy in the meantime.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Now for the exciting stuff - LIFE INSURANCE!
In the last post, we talked about the tedious things - like life insurance. We finally took some time to visit our insurance guy...and he was so kind as to give us warning that we would receive a phone call from someone at the headquarters asking us all kinds of crazy questions. Well, he was NOT kidding. Though, I'd say the questions were a little beyond crazy. I learned that when the insurance guy asks you if you've ever had a headache, the correct answer is "no". I made the error of telling him "yes" which led to a series of questions that made it seem like my headache put me on the verge of death and they were calling hospice. Finally, I said "look, I think you are making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. I get a headache from time to time, and my eye dr gave me glasses to look at the computer. It's not a big deal." It did not stop the barrage of questions, though. They kept coming.
I held my breath when I had to tell him I had fibroid tumors. In case you were not aware, "tumor" is a dirty word in the insurance world. Be careful how you use that word. Anyway...to spare you a lot of the gory details, insurance guy launched into about 50 other questions, and I had to explain that the diagnosis resulted in a hysterectomy. Ok.....so, we make it through the next 75 questions...and at the very end...after he asked me if I'd had a cold in the last 10 years...he asked if I am pregnant. Seriously. I could not resist.....I said, "Well, seeing as how I've had a hysterectomy, I don't exactly have the womb required for it." He said, and I'm not kidding here,"Oh. I see. So...... No? Right?"
Really?
Rob got the call before I could warn him. He texted me after to tell me "I feel dirty".
We both felt violated. And, it's not over yet. They still have to come to our place and do a physical. I can't wait to see what that is like.
I held my breath when I had to tell him I had fibroid tumors. In case you were not aware, "tumor" is a dirty word in the insurance world. Be careful how you use that word. Anyway...to spare you a lot of the gory details, insurance guy launched into about 50 other questions, and I had to explain that the diagnosis resulted in a hysterectomy. Ok.....so, we make it through the next 75 questions...and at the very end...after he asked me if I'd had a cold in the last 10 years...he asked if I am pregnant. Seriously. I could not resist.....I said, "Well, seeing as how I've had a hysterectomy, I don't exactly have the womb required for it." He said, and I'm not kidding here,"Oh. I see. So...... No? Right?"
Really?
Rob got the call before I could warn him. He texted me after to tell me "I feel dirty".
We both felt violated. And, it's not over yet. They still have to come to our place and do a physical. I can't wait to see what that is like.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
Change is good, so they say. And, I couldn't agree more!
First, I want to apologize for the length of time it has been since our last posting. You see, a LOT has been going on. Here's the rundown:
We sold our home on Oak Meadow. I wish it were really as simple as that 7-word sentence. We listed our home on the MLS via owners.com (a fsbo website). Within week, we had 5 phone calls! And, a blizzard. So, the showings were postponed a week, and another blizzard! But, this didn't stop one buyer who happened to fall in love with the house and all the furniture. No kidding! So, they made an offer and we took it! The buyer had a certain kind of high-maintence government-funded loan that required lots of jumping through hoops, which we did - and a month and a half later, we closed. PHEW! It was a very thorough and time-consuming (not to mention stressful) process. I believe it was God's way of preparing us for the home-study that we are facing. It was only a little taste, I'm sure. But, we pushed through it without any major glitches.
Meanwhile, we had to move. Our 2nd house still has a renter occupying it, at least until August. So, we found a nice little apartment complex near Grandview/Hilliard area that has a giant lake, a dog park, a pool, etc etc. So, we moved into a 2 BR place that is about half the size of our house. Needless to say, we are crammed in here with all of our stuff. We have spent the last three weeks weeding through all of our things. It's been an interesting journey of determining what is valuable to us - and what will make the cut to live in our small apartment with us. I'm proud to say that we've already donated 7+ boxes to our karate group's garage sale. The kids will sell our wares (along with others') at Vineyard Community Church on April 24 at 8am. (For more info on this, visit http://www.vineyard05.com/bulletin/Bulletin/Bulletin.html.)
Oh, and - I got a new job! I am now a Business Relationship Manager at Travel Solutions, Inc.
So, you may be asking, "What does ANY of this have to do with the adoption process!?" Well, it actually has a lot to do with it. The move to the apartment helps us to save money for the adoption - these things aren't cheap, ya know! But, nothing is perfect. We can't use our 2nd bedroom to store all of our extra stuff. We need to make it acceptable for a child. This is no easy feat! So, we push through. We can't submit our application until we are ready for the home study. We aren't ready for the home study until we have this place presentable.
In the meantime, we'll re-write the application with our new situation. New job means different financials, new place means different square footage. There are also tedious things like establishing life insurance, visiting doctors, etc. I've learned a lot already. First, I learned more about term, whole, and universal life insurance than I ever thought I could know. Second, I learned that a simple letter of recommendation from my doctor could bring tears to my eyes. It was so sincere and sweet, I never knew she thought such wonderful things about me. (sniff, sniff). In addition, we have learned about the strength of love and support of family and friends. Not a day goes by that someone doesn't offer help and support. It's in everything, from asking how the process is going to offering for us to store things in your basement. You know who you are. Thank you.
So, here were are sitting on our pile of things, whittling them down to things we need, things we don't need, things that are broken, thing that are new. We are making huge progress, and our little apartment is starting to feel like home. We have set a personal deadline (meaning, we are holding ourselves accountable - and now you all are in on it) of May 31 to submit the application. Once we submit, the real fireworks begin. It's going to be an exciting summer!
First, I want to apologize for the length of time it has been since our last posting. You see, a LOT has been going on. Here's the rundown:
We sold our home on Oak Meadow. I wish it were really as simple as that 7-word sentence. We listed our home on the MLS via owners.com (a fsbo website). Within week, we had 5 phone calls! And, a blizzard. So, the showings were postponed a week, and another blizzard! But, this didn't stop one buyer who happened to fall in love with the house and all the furniture. No kidding! So, they made an offer and we took it! The buyer had a certain kind of high-maintence government-funded loan that required lots of jumping through hoops, which we did - and a month and a half later, we closed. PHEW! It was a very thorough and time-consuming (not to mention stressful) process. I believe it was God's way of preparing us for the home-study that we are facing. It was only a little taste, I'm sure. But, we pushed through it without any major glitches.
Meanwhile, we had to move. Our 2nd house still has a renter occupying it, at least until August. So, we found a nice little apartment complex near Grandview/Hilliard area that has a giant lake, a dog park, a pool, etc etc. So, we moved into a 2 BR place that is about half the size of our house. Needless to say, we are crammed in here with all of our stuff. We have spent the last three weeks weeding through all of our things. It's been an interesting journey of determining what is valuable to us - and what will make the cut to live in our small apartment with us. I'm proud to say that we've already donated 7+ boxes to our karate group's garage sale. The kids will sell our wares (along with others') at Vineyard Community Church on April 24 at 8am. (For more info on this, visit http://www.vineyard05.com/bulletin/Bulletin/Bulletin.html.)
Oh, and - I got a new job! I am now a Business Relationship Manager at Travel Solutions, Inc.
So, you may be asking, "What does ANY of this have to do with the adoption process!?" Well, it actually has a lot to do with it. The move to the apartment helps us to save money for the adoption - these things aren't cheap, ya know! But, nothing is perfect. We can't use our 2nd bedroom to store all of our extra stuff. We need to make it acceptable for a child. This is no easy feat! So, we push through. We can't submit our application until we are ready for the home study. We aren't ready for the home study until we have this place presentable.
In the meantime, we'll re-write the application with our new situation. New job means different financials, new place means different square footage. There are also tedious things like establishing life insurance, visiting doctors, etc. I've learned a lot already. First, I learned more about term, whole, and universal life insurance than I ever thought I could know. Second, I learned that a simple letter of recommendation from my doctor could bring tears to my eyes. It was so sincere and sweet, I never knew she thought such wonderful things about me. (sniff, sniff). In addition, we have learned about the strength of love and support of family and friends. Not a day goes by that someone doesn't offer help and support. It's in everything, from asking how the process is going to offering for us to store things in your basement. You know who you are. Thank you.
So, here were are sitting on our pile of things, whittling them down to things we need, things we don't need, things that are broken, thing that are new. We are making huge progress, and our little apartment is starting to feel like home. We have set a personal deadline (meaning, we are holding ourselves accountable - and now you all are in on it) of May 31 to submit the application. Once we submit, the real fireworks begin. It's going to be an exciting summer!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
All God's Children International
First, I want to say something about how awesome our church is! Last Sunday, Pastor Dave and his wife Roxanne hosted a new group for foster and adoptive parents. It was uplifting and overwhelming at the same time. It was fantastic to meet people in our church family that are either foster parents or adoptive parents. I could have sat and listened to their stories of courage and love all night long. It was an honor to be among this group of caring and selfless people who open their homes to children who need them....for a night spent in a warm bed to a lifetime of memories with their Forever Family. What a heartwarming experience!
The reason I'm writing today is because we have decided on an adoption agency! It was not an easy decision, but God kept putting this agency in front of us while we did our research. So, it seemed very clear to us that this is the direction He wants us to go. It's called All God's Children International www.allgodschildren.org. It is a non-profit Christian agency that works with the Oregon Foster Care program. The children are currently living in foster homes, and the birth parents have lost their parental rights. The children are living in a safe and loving environment while they wait for their Forever Home. The program has children ages 1-17 years. We will still be focusing on children under the age of 3. When the time is right, we will travel to Oregon to take custody.
Our first step is to fill out the application. It is about 6 pages long, plus all of the supplemental paperwork that goes along with it - the 3 page financial statement, the doctors' letters, the personal medical statement, the right arm, the left leg...the list is crazy!
Once we fill this out and submit it with our application fee, then, we wait for the approval. Once approved, we will begin the Home Study process. This takes 3-4 months. During this process, we will complete a 2 day orientation class, meet with our social worker who will get to know us, our lifestyle, and do an inspection of our home. The social worker will be the person writing our profile that will later be presented to the committee (I'll explain that in a minute). Home Studies can also involve inspections from other sources, such as the Fire Marshall to make sure our house is up-to-code with smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, etc.
Following the Home Study will be the Referral Process. This can take anywhere from 1-24 months. We will review bulletins of waiting children, select children that our family is open to adopting, then AGCI will submit copies of our Home Study to the State of Oregon Caseworker.
Following that, we wait to see if the caseworker accepts our Home Study (they will select up to 3 families for each child). If we are selected, then we will be represented by AGCI at the Adoption Committee. The adoption committee will choose which family will be the Forever Home of the child or sibling group. This process can take 2-4 months.
Once we are chosen by the adoption committee, placement can happen in 1-4 weeks. We will travel to Oregon for this.
Wow - as you can see, we have quite a long road ahead of us. We have faith that God has a plan, and He will make it as simple as possible. Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement.
I'd better get moving along...and start that crazy long application. I'm sure it'll take a couple of weeks just to fill that thing out! eek!
The reason I'm writing today is because we have decided on an adoption agency! It was not an easy decision, but God kept putting this agency in front of us while we did our research. So, it seemed very clear to us that this is the direction He wants us to go. It's called All God's Children International www.allgodschildren.org. It is a non-profit Christian agency that works with the Oregon Foster Care program. The children are currently living in foster homes, and the birth parents have lost their parental rights. The children are living in a safe and loving environment while they wait for their Forever Home. The program has children ages 1-17 years. We will still be focusing on children under the age of 3. When the time is right, we will travel to Oregon to take custody.
Our first step is to fill out the application. It is about 6 pages long, plus all of the supplemental paperwork that goes along with it - the 3 page financial statement, the doctors' letters, the personal medical statement, the right arm, the left leg...the list is crazy!
Once we fill this out and submit it with our application fee, then, we wait for the approval. Once approved, we will begin the Home Study process. This takes 3-4 months. During this process, we will complete a 2 day orientation class, meet with our social worker who will get to know us, our lifestyle, and do an inspection of our home. The social worker will be the person writing our profile that will later be presented to the committee (I'll explain that in a minute). Home Studies can also involve inspections from other sources, such as the Fire Marshall to make sure our house is up-to-code with smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, etc.
Following the Home Study will be the Referral Process. This can take anywhere from 1-24 months. We will review bulletins of waiting children, select children that our family is open to adopting, then AGCI will submit copies of our Home Study to the State of Oregon Caseworker.
Following that, we wait to see if the caseworker accepts our Home Study (they will select up to 3 families for each child). If we are selected, then we will be represented by AGCI at the Adoption Committee. The adoption committee will choose which family will be the Forever Home of the child or sibling group. This process can take 2-4 months.
Once we are chosen by the adoption committee, placement can happen in 1-4 weeks. We will travel to Oregon for this.
Wow - as you can see, we have quite a long road ahead of us. We have faith that God has a plan, and He will make it as simple as possible. Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement.
I'd better get moving along...and start that crazy long application. I'm sure it'll take a couple of weeks just to fill that thing out! eek!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Research, research, research
Not much of an update, yet. We are still in the midst of research. The outpouring of support from friends and family is a little overwhelming...and it is simply fantastic.
We've received emails & phone calls from family and friends with all kinds of connections. It's amazing to watch the work that God is doing here.
This is all I have for an update: We have found an agency that we have a great feeling about, but haven't made a decision on them, yet. We have given ourselves a deadline of the end of January to decide what we'll do. It's time to get moving on this! We have months of home studies and strangers scrutinizing our personal lives to look forward to!
I know what you are thinking: What is a "home study"? Well, we will be assigned a social worker who's job will be to help match us with the appropriate child. A home study also includes classes on parenting (isn't that cool - we actually get to learn the proper way to be parents!), interviews from the social worker, including visits to our home (to ensure we meet state licensing standards, the size of our home, etc). They'll also review our health records, our financial statements, and our background checks, etc, etc....you get the idea.
The Home Study report will include family background, education/employment, relationships, daily life, our parenting perspectives, religion, feelings about our readiness for adoption, and a summary of the social worker's approval/recommendation.
In other words, it can be a long and difficult process. Of course, all of this needs to be completed before we can even think about moving on to the next step. So, we'll look forward to these steps next month.
Thanks so much for all of the prayers!
We've received emails & phone calls from family and friends with all kinds of connections. It's amazing to watch the work that God is doing here.
This is all I have for an update: We have found an agency that we have a great feeling about, but haven't made a decision on them, yet. We have given ourselves a deadline of the end of January to decide what we'll do. It's time to get moving on this! We have months of home studies and strangers scrutinizing our personal lives to look forward to!
I know what you are thinking: What is a "home study"? Well, we will be assigned a social worker who's job will be to help match us with the appropriate child. A home study also includes classes on parenting (isn't that cool - we actually get to learn the proper way to be parents!), interviews from the social worker, including visits to our home (to ensure we meet state licensing standards, the size of our home, etc). They'll also review our health records, our financial statements, and our background checks, etc, etc....you get the idea.
The Home Study report will include family background, education/employment, relationships, daily life, our parenting perspectives, religion, feelings about our readiness for adoption, and a summary of the social worker's approval/recommendation.
In other words, it can be a long and difficult process. Of course, all of this needs to be completed before we can even think about moving on to the next step. So, we'll look forward to these steps next month.
Thanks so much for all of the prayers!
Friday, January 1, 2010
WE HAVE BIG NEWS!!!
HAPPY NEW DECADE, EVERYONE!
We have big plans for 2010. And, God has even bigger plans, it seems! We know 2010 is going to be a life-changing year for us, and we are looking forward to every second of it.
To be honest, we really thought things would be getting ramped up for us in the summer, but our Pastor called us to a meeting and asked us to help lead the church's youth group. So, we are going to go check it out to see how it goes. That starts next week. I don't know where it will lead, if anywhere, but it will be a fantastic experience and one that I think we'll need, as we head into some of our other plans/hopes/dreams, call it what you like... haha.
In the summer, Rob will begin preparing for his very difficult FAA exams for the A&P Mechanic license. He should complete testing by the fall.
By that time, we hope to know more about God's plans for us, in the meantime, we wait patiently. It's not easy...but we feel He's going to lead us into good things, so we faithfully wait.
We also feel that God has put it on our hearts to ADOPT A CHILD!! This is huge, as you know. It was a big decision for us to accept this calling, and it's still difficult to believe....but we are sure this is in His plan...so we are putting it out there that we are open to adoption opportunities..whatever God brings our way. We are excited to see what the plan is for us.
We have announced this to our immediate family over the holidays. It was a fantastic and eye-opening experience, just to announce. Some were joyous, some cried, some screamed, some were just indifferent, saying things like, "that's great" and wishing us luck with the endeavour. The most memorable ones were Mike, who will be our child's Papa cried (first time I'd seen that...and it made me cry), and Martha, who will be our child's Great-Grandma, who joyfully told me that it will be her 12th great-grandchild, and she can't wait to meet him/her.
Several people have asked us to keep them updated, and I figure the best way to do that is to blog about our journey. So, here you are, the first entry in our Journey to Adoption blog. We have decided to call it "Chosen DeVol" because we believe that our child will be chosen for adoption by God, just as He chose Moses to be adopted. We want our child to know that he/she was chosen and that being a DeVol means being loved...just spelled backwards. :)
OK - and here is the stuff you want to know: Here is where we stand: We IN THE BEGINNING! So, here is what we need: ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! If you know anyone who is connected to the adoption world, if you know a birthmother seeking two very awesome adoptive parents, if you know anyone, anything, anyhow, anywhere, please let us know. We are praying for a healthy American child under the age of 3. Gender does not matter. So, get your thinking caps on. You can help us by considering all of your contacts and giving them a call, having them call us, etc. We want our friends and family to have a HUGE part of this experience with us. After all, it takes a village, right?
Wow, it's really been a journey for us the last couple of years! I have learned more about myself, my limits, my abilities, and my awesome husband (I couldn't have made a better choice!)! I have come to truly understand the meaning of FAITH...and how to exercise that faith in a positive way and how to not just believe...but to KNOW good things are coming our way. It is a hard lesson, but it's been learned, and I'm glad for it.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS WONDERFUL JOURNEY WITH US!
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