Facing Race

Snake Eyes(good) & Storm Shadow(bad)

Last night Tony and I had an extremely rare 'date night.' (Soon to be all but extinct with kiddos! :) We went to see G.I. Joe: Retaliation in theaters.  Halfway through the movie I leaned over to Tony and asked him if he could think of any other time when two opposing characters (good and evil) are portrayed with good being dressed in black, and bad being dressed in white.  He couldn't.

Traditionally, characters in comics, movies, etc... always have the 'good' guys dressed in white and the 'bad' guys dressed in black.  Hmmm.   It's pretty common in our culture to associate good with things that are light, clean, heroic and safe, and bad with things that are dark, dirty, evil, or unsafe.  Ummm....The Dark Side?

Is it always the case?  Not at all.  Black is associated with elegance,  finances "In The Black," and let us not forget the LBD (Little Black Dress), any girl's go-to!!  However, do these trump the emotional upheaval this color psychology can have on our kids, my kids?

This issue is so deep, I can't even begin to touch it, nor am I qualified.   Watching the movie with Tony just put some thoughts into my head about how/when we will have to address this and what can we do to ensure that our child(ren) will develop strong sense of self and inner beauty to combat these subconscious thoughts?

Deep breath...
K & T

Cautious Nesting...

This past week, Tony and I have found ourselves beginning to cautiously nest.  We bought paint(gray) for the kid room and I found a mobile on etsy that I'm absolutely in love with!  The seller only had one, so I bought it!! It's actually a dreamcatcher, but I'm using it as a mobile!  We've been hesitant to begin purchasing and setting up.  Obviously, for many practical reasons including the fact that we have no idea whether it's a boy or girl as well as age, size, etc...  However, I'd be lying if I said that those were the only reasons.  Of course, once you start accumulating the 'stuff' it becomes a constant reminder of what you do not yet have.  I think some people are better at this, but I'm not one of 'em! 

Getting Ready for The Unknown...

I've found Sundays to be a great day to document our journey.  My mind is not full of the week's craziness quite yet and I have a clear(ish) head.

We have heard from so many people that the waiting period between dossier and referral is the longest.  For a long time,  I didn't buy it.  We have been at this process for nearly 20 months and have found each step nearly as frustrating as the last, if not more.  I WAS WRONG!!!  This wait is excruciatingly painful.  Every time the phone rings I stop breathing for a few seconds.  I just cannot believe that one day, we will receive a call saying they've chosen a child for us! 

In the meantime we're attempting to focus our energies on what we can control.  Getting things in order, preparing for the upcoming garage sale, and just living our lives.  (I really want to paint the kids' room but Tony is holding strong...)  :) 

 Now, we have no way of knowing when we'll get our referral.  It could be this week or next year.  What a ride!  Who needs the amusement park, just adopt! 

Ashe

Remembering to Live TODAY

In life, we try and 'live in the moment.'  To do this, we must try and enjoy the process of things as much as our desired end result.  Just like others, I often find this concept easier to stomach when it comes to the simpler things (diet, exercise, gardening, etc...).   I am loudly admitting that being in the moment has not always been on mind throughout this entire process, okay, never on my mind.  I have had difficulty finding joy in filling out paperwork and writing checks.

As we continue on our journey however, I find it imperative to remind myself daily to LIVE TODAY! 

Today I Enjoyed...
Having breakfast with my husband, dad, Patti & her son Kelvin
Watching cartoons
Napping
Playing with Sam
Checking Adoption Blogs

Today I Pray For...
Health of family and friends

<3 to All
T&K

Dossier Complete!!!

After a disappointing oversight on my part (and a $50 overnight fedex charge to Missouri) we have finally sent our dossier!  Hopefully they will have our paperwork within the next few weeks and we begin the big wait for a referral (that has a PICTURE attached of a kid/s).  We happily spent over an hour at FedEx/Kinkos and over $100 to make all of our copies and mail the goods tonight.

What's in this giant stack of papers you ask?



Certified Copies of Birth Certificates
Certified Copy of Marriage Certificate
Home Study
Medical Letters
Police Clearance Letters
Employment Letters
Bank Statements
Photocopy of last 3 years 1040 Tax Returns
Passport Photos & Signature Pages
Post-Placement and Heritage Trip Agreement
Pastoral Recommendation Letter
Family Recommendation Letter
Friend Recommendation Letter
Photographs of Family & Home
Guardianship Letter
Proof of Home Ownership
Travel Contract
Fee Agreement
Training Certificates
Service Plan
(Not to mention that all of these had to be notarized...yes, I had to notarize photos of my kitchen, as well as state sealed ;)

We are so thankful to all of the people who helped put this paperwork together!  We couldn't have done it without all of your support and help! Thank you!

<3 Tony & Kelly

Learn On!

The adoption process is full of hurry ups and wait...and wait...and wait.  Wait time isn't easy, especially when it's indefinite.  With our time, we are living life, but also doing what we can to prepare.  We've just purchased the documentary called Somewhere Between.  I can't wait to get it in the mail and share it with family and friends!  Documentary party at our place anyone?!  :) 

Next Steps

Wow, we are so excited to report that we have been fully accepted us into the program and we are good to go!  We know that so much can still impede us on this journey, but we are fully committed to being a family! 

Our time has lately been filled with completing the final portions of the dossier and are very optimistic that we will have our dossier in country by the end of March.  :)  Yeah!

We are keeping busy with preparing for our giant garage sale coming up on May 9-11.  Our good friend is storing all of the awesome stuff and we are slowly getting through it all to price and sort.  We feel so blessed with the outpouring of support shown to us during this time.  A difficult and emotional process has been made just a little easier with the outpouring of support. 

Love,
Tony & Kelly