Hooray!- Home Study Done!!!!

Last night we had our home study visit!  We answered a bunch of questions, turned in our MOUNTAIN of paperwork and a smallish (compared to what's to come) check.  Now we are waiting for our home study to be written by the agency, they then submit it to the court and then we will know if we are certified to adopt another baby.  We aren't really worried about not being approved, but every little step leads to another!  Once we get the okay from the courts we will be able to submit for a few grants to help pay for the adoption and a REALLY important piece of international paperwork (I-600A).  So again, we wait.  These are a few pics from our home study.

Picking up paperwork at my dr.'s office.  Is this receptionist the cutest or what?  This had to be notarized so my "traveling notary" came with me and then we went out to lunch!  Thanks Aunt Shari!!

Here is our big mountain of paperwork... Notice the folder is now EMPTY!!!!

Did you hear me?  EMPTY!!!!!

All that remains is our checklist and our receipt!!

If you know me at all, you know I of course have a binder for everything!!!  This is the binder we have using for the last few months preparing our home study documents and keeping everything organized.  I also started collecting info in here almost a year ago when I first started getting organized, having NO IDEA when we would have the opportunity to start our home study.  Just another reminder of God's faithfulness!  So last night, we ceremoniously went from this notebook to this one...

And here we are with the NEW binder.  Again, if you know me, you also know this binder has been ready for a few months too, but we just didn't have anything to do with it.  UNTIL NOW!!!

So now we begin the paperwork that is a dossier.  Lots and lots of notarized documents- 23 to be exact, all notarized in triplicate.  That is 69 documents.  Oh, and the measly amount needed to turn in the dossier to our agency...  $9500.  Sounds daunting, but we know our God is good...  all the time!  Please continue to pray with us for God's provision for the adoption and for the safety of our baby wherever he or she may be.