A year ago this weekend we took a few days and went to a quaint bed and breakfast (The Keating House) in San Diego. It was a sweet weekend to be together, explore the city, celebrate my birthday and slow down. Hours were spent walking on the boardwalk, at a Padres game, walking thorough Balboa Park. We spent a lot of our weekend intentionally talking about our future. We spend time praying and reading the Word and talking some more. At the end of the weekend we felt God leading us to begin two major life changing ventures...Chris would apply for Nurse Practitioner programs and we would start an adoption before trying for biological kids. We both felt God pushing us to trust Him in two major changes and trust His plan for our family.
I immediately started pursuing adoption agencies and talking with dozens of families who had adopted. I researched Ugandan laws, the current feelings toward international adoption and attachment theories. We switched churches and found one we ADORE who has a strong orphan care ministry along with sound Biblical teaching
Chris found the top schools, ones he qualified for and started making notes of when to apply. He started gathering transcripts, his diploma and enrolled in a class to meet the pre-requisite needs.
In our plan, Chris would go to school and we would begin our adoption this fall...We all know how that panned out!
Chris somehow misread the admissions process for multiple schools and was only able to apply to UCLA. This was our only shot at him becoming a NP, we agreed if he didn't get in he would not try again. He applied in the middle of December and we began the long wait to find out if he was accepted in April.
Over the holidays we told our families we were wanting to adopt and that it would be coming in the fall. We processed fears and joys with them and helped them learn the process we had been researching for months.
About a month later, God made it clear that we were to start our adoption and not wait until the fall. We found our agency, applied and were accepted. We found a home study agency to do our California home study and began diligently reading, collecting important documents, going to classes and filling out paperwork.
And now here we are...a year later. We have turned in ALL our home study paperwork and are yet again waiting on our home study agency to set up interviews (don't get me started on how frustrating our home study agency has been. Nice people but difficult to get information from and very slow at EVERYTHING ***NOTE: This is a different agency than our placing agency who is helping to reform adoptions in Uganda***).
We moved 30 miles away to be closer to Chris' work and school, I lost my job, Chris has completed his pre-requisite courses and starts school in 3 weeks!!
Wow what a year it's been. A year ago we had big dreams, we were on cloud nine with anticipation and hope. This year we are in the thick of it and still just as excited for where God has led us. It's crazy to think that last year these were dreams and today they're our reality!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!
I immediately started pursuing adoption agencies and talking with dozens of families who had adopted. I researched Ugandan laws, the current feelings toward international adoption and attachment theories. We switched churches and found one we ADORE who has a strong orphan care ministry along with sound Biblical teaching
Chris found the top schools, ones he qualified for and started making notes of when to apply. He started gathering transcripts, his diploma and enrolled in a class to meet the pre-requisite needs.
In our plan, Chris would go to school and we would begin our adoption this fall...We all know how that panned out!
Chris somehow misread the admissions process for multiple schools and was only able to apply to UCLA. This was our only shot at him becoming a NP, we agreed if he didn't get in he would not try again. He applied in the middle of December and we began the long wait to find out if he was accepted in April.
Over the holidays we told our families we were wanting to adopt and that it would be coming in the fall. We processed fears and joys with them and helped them learn the process we had been researching for months.
About a month later, God made it clear that we were to start our adoption and not wait until the fall. We found our agency, applied and were accepted. We found a home study agency to do our California home study and began diligently reading, collecting important documents, going to classes and filling out paperwork.
And now here we are...a year later. We have turned in ALL our home study paperwork and are yet again waiting on our home study agency to set up interviews (don't get me started on how frustrating our home study agency has been. Nice people but difficult to get information from and very slow at EVERYTHING ***NOTE: This is a different agency than our placing agency who is helping to reform adoptions in Uganda***).
We moved 30 miles away to be closer to Chris' work and school, I lost my job, Chris has completed his pre-requisite courses and starts school in 3 weeks!!
Wow what a year it's been. A year ago we had big dreams, we were on cloud nine with anticipation and hope. This year we are in the thick of it and still just as excited for where God has led us. It's crazy to think that last year these were dreams and today they're our reality!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!
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