That has summed up my last week. We had a good first visit for our homestudy. The problems started when we arrived home and took a good look at all of the paperwork. There were multiple appointments and papers that had to be signed or notarized in three weeks. Three weeks because that was our next scheduled visit. Ugh. One of the most frustrating things for me is this: our 16 year old daughter with Down Syndrome has to be treated as an adult for the fingerprinting and criminal background check! I know the powers that be make the laws to protect everyone across the board, but come on! She has the mental and emotional age of a 10 year old! So, that being said, we have a few more fees we didn't count on.
I have been training for a local 10K race on the 27th, trying to make appointments for all of us within the time frame, plan and organize the benefit dinner and silent auction we're having on April 3rd, plus get our future guide dog ready to go up to New York to be tested for harness training and say our good-byes on April 3rd. It seems I cried a lot lately.
I decided to quit training for the race and not participate. That helped some. Rob has made a list of things he can do and has run with that. That took away some of the stress. I found out I can't even get a physical appointment until April 7th. That doesn't even include the two weeks that it will take to get the lab results and the doctor to sign off on it. So...I need to reschedule our homestudy visits for the end of April. I was upset at first, but I see that it gives me much needed time.
Once we get the benefit dinner out of the way, I'll be able to focus more and handle things better. I believe what makes this adoption more stressful for me is the lack of direction. The other times we had people telling us where to go at what time. They'd say, "Sign here, here and here." Not this time. I feel like I'm supposed to somehow know exactly how all of the required things are to be done. I ask, but it just isn't clear. I call and ask again. It's frustrating to have a homestudy done in VA and the adoption work done in WA. Next time we adopt, it's all going to be done under one roof. I really don't need any more gray hairs!
So. Thank you for reading my rant. Hopefully, it will be better the next time I post. I have never planned a wedding, but from what I've heard and seen...I think I can compare planning this dinner to a wedding AND I've become Bridezilla! I need peace. Jesus said He'd give peace. So lay a little on me, Jesus. I need it.
'Til next time.
Hang in there girl! Everything will get done in God's timing. That is such a great thing to rest in, knowing that it really doesn't matter how quickly/slowly we get all our paperwork and appts done with...God will give us our child at exactly the right time!!
ReplyDeleteOur next visit is tomorrow, Saturday. It is our in-home visit where she will meet our kids and have one on one interviews with Tom and myself. Fun, fun. Hopefully Tom has memorized the script I gave him....LOL!!! Boy girlfriend, you do have A LOT going on. So cool you get to see your son who has been serving our country!
ReplyDeleteMy hubby feels as overwhelmed as you. He is a CPA so it is a CRAZY busy time for him right now and with so many appts, training, books to read, and misc.things to do he feels overwhelmed. Our agency is traveling to our adoptive country at the end of April and said they would hand deliver our dossier if it was ready, I was trying to push for that, but right now don't see how that will happen....oh well!