School

Can't believe it but my babies are old enough for school! We registered them tonight for Kindergarten. We are going to start both of them in Kindergarten next year. Benjamin is on the same level (if not a higher level) academically as Hannah. So we decided not to hold him back another year. He is reading; and reading quite well (she can do it but won't). The other day we were in Lifeway and he was reading Daniel book titles. The one I heard him read was "radical" of course he read it with the last "a" being a short vowel sound but hey, he was close. So anyway, we have made the decision to go ahead and start him in school.

We are going to homeschool the kids but they will be attending a tutorial school once a week, that is where we went tonight to register them. I think it will be a great opportunity for them to have interaction with other kids and other teachers! I'm their teacher at home and most of the time at church so it will be good for them.

It will be exciting to send them to school and also teach them at home. I have enjoyed looking through curriculum and making decisions on how I want to teach them and what curriculum I want to use.

Preparations

Tomorrow I am mailing an application to an adoption agency in Florida. This agency works with birthmothers across the US but mainly in Florida. So, who knows, we may just be getting a Florida baby!

It is so tough to fill out adoption paperwork. You have to decide which situations you will and will not accept. There are choices that involve the family history of the birth parents, their children, and their parents (mental diseases, cancer, diabetes, sickle cell, etc.) and there are choices that involve substance abuse while pregnant (these can be scary and you want to make sure you are making an informed decision). So Daniel and I read through these things tonight, made our choices, signed and sealed the document. Now we leave that and those decisions in God's hand and trust that He will bring us the right baby for our family.

A few days ago I was a bit discouraged that it has been a year since we bought our van and decided to go ahead and start the adoption process. I was hoping to have that van filled up by now! :) However, I started getting excited about the possibilities with this placement agency in Florida. I got so excited I started making preparations (even before we mailed the application).

Here are some of the things that have run through my mind and I have started dealing with in preparation for a phone call that our baby is ready to be picked up.

• Hannah care plan - I started thinking that if we got a call about a baby and have to leave as quickly as we did when Hannah was born I would not have time to let someone know about all of Hannah's medications, food, etc. So I have now typed out a Hannah care plan and e-mailed it to mine and Daniel's parents since they would probably be the first to be able to get to our house. This includes a packing list in the event that someone is able to bring the children to us during the intra-state compact waiting period.
• I have been thinking I might want to pack a bag too (this is so silly since we haven't even mailed our application but these are the impulses I'm having today). With Hannah we had no time to pack and Daniel was sound asleep. He didn't pack anything but a toothbrush and that is because I reminded him. He had to go buy stuff at Wal-mart the next day because I rushed him out of the house before he could think! So I figure to plan ahead and have a bag with toothpaste, toothbush, socks, and underwear is a good start! :)
• I'm thinking about how if we get a match in Florida that we could have a nice beach vacation while we are waiting to leave the state (note to self: pack swimsuits in that bag)
• As I was going through adoption paperwork I was also reminded of our Guardianship plan. This is the plan of what will happen to our children in the event of "our deaths or incapacitation" I e-mailed this to my Mom so someone else would have a copy. It kindof scared me to do it. It made me think that I'm planning for my "death or incapacitation" which I'm hoping won't be anytime soon. Hannah and I have been talking a lot about heaven lately and she said, "If you go to heaven before me then Grani will take good care of me" Well, I have no doubt that our friends and family will take great care of my babies if I were to leave this earth before them. But in some ways I feel like Hannah when a few weeks ago she said, "I just want to stay home" Our finite human brains can't comprehend heaven and leaving this earth. However, I know what the Bible says and I know if we have trusted Jesus as our Savior that when we die we will be present with Him! And in this I take hope and know I don't have to worry! This will be a good thing and something to look forward too! And contrary to what some may say if you die without Jesus you will spend eternity separated from God in Hell, are you prepared?
• The other thing my brain is trying to figure out is the financial aspect. Do we go ahead and apply for a loan now so that the money is there when we need it? Do we wait? How long does it take to get a loan? So I'll start investigating this in the very near future.

So for now I will prepare what I can and think through what I can. I think it is okay to plan as long as you understand that your plans may not be God's plans and you need to be willing to adjust your plans to His will. So throughout this adoption process I will continue to pray and ask God to direct us and lead us where He would have us to go and to make the plans that He would have me to make. I don't have to fear because I know He is in control of all of it! It doesn't matter what I say or do or plan, what matters is what God has planned; and it will be good!

Proverbs 16:3 says:

Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:9 says:

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

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