We're a "House" Divided!

How did this happen? What are the odds? Our beloved Jayhawks made it to the Orange Bowl, which is exciting enough...but add in our opponent, the Hokies of Virginia Tech and we have a matchup that we always hoped would happen. We'd like to congratulate Matt and Leah, the Hokie McFarrens, on their Orange Bowl bid and look forward to seeing our teams play each other on January 3rd! Usually, we wear our Virginia Tech gear to support your team, but we're sure you will understand that we just can't do that this time around. As we are all very true to our school...Rock Chalk Jayhalk - go KU!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday! We enjoyed visiting Steve's family in Virginia and are now settling in at home for a fun Christmas season! We have much to be thankful for...healthy family, close friends and a world of opportunity ahead of us. The big adoption application #2 is still waiting for us to tackle it...it taunts me from the coffee table daily. Pray that I can start chipping away at the long list of things we need to accomplish so that we can hurry up and wait some more!

This Is What Adoption Feels Like

Just saw this story on MSN and thought it'd be appropriate to share as November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Also, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, it's nice to be reminded that family can be built in a variety of ways. If you have some free time, check this out...just click on this post's title, "This Is What Adoption Feels Like," and you will be taken there!

Sophie's Gotcha Day!

One year ago today, our Sophie was placed in our arms at last! We arrived home at the KC Airport at 1:53 p.m. to our loving family and friends. What a whirlwind this past year has been - we feel so blessed on this day and every day. Happy Gotcha Day, Sophie-girl! We are mad about you!


ADOPTION
With anxious hearts
and open arms,
We sought you everywhere.
You are, dear child,
a gift from God,
the answer to our prayer.
No matter whether birth or choice,
A home is blessed from above,
when caring parents claim their child,
A family is formed by love.

Author Unknown

Just like that...

Our application #1 was approved! That seems fast - here's hoping the rest of the process goes just as quickly! Application #2 with all of its instructions is on its way to us in the mail today.

We submitted Application Part 1!

We enjoyed our nice scenic drive to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend the workshop at our agency's main office. Sophie played with her Grandma Gayla while we got to meet some other families at various stages of the process of adopting from Korea. It was great to hear their experiences and we know now, more than ever, that Sophie has been an easy child to adopt! Attachment hasn't been an issue in our family...we are blessed by that AND prepared that the next child might not be so adaptable. Overall, it was a successful day and the main reason for that was that our application part 1 is submitted and we are on our way.

Application Part 1 is the preliminary app that just asks for our basic personal info and we had to answer some questions related to our motivation to adopt again. After this is approved, we get the instructions for application #2 - that one is the major application that requires an awful lot of paperwork, doctor's visits, fingerprints, time and our money!

For those who want more details...we are adopting from South Korea again and we have not specified if we want a boy or girl - we checked the "either" box. We did discover at the workshop that boys are being placed for international adoption at a rate of 2 to 1 compared to the amount of girls. So, once again we prepare ourselves for the probability that it would be a boy. (However, we were surprised once before!) Timeline right now is 12 months for a referral once we are on the waiting list...that doesn't happen until our homestudy is complete.

Driving back home, Steve and I felt calm in that this is the right time to begin again - it just feels natural!

Here we go again!

Steve and I are headed to the main office of our adoption agency, Dillon International in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to complete our first prerequisite for the adoption of "Number 2." That's right - this Saturday, we'll be attending the "Adopting Again" workshop in the hopes of getting some of our questions answered and we will be submitting application part 1 - the very first step in a very long process of adopting another little one!

We're super-excited but a bit overwhelmed at all of the work that lies ahead for us in the coming months. Wish us luck!

Poor Sophie just doesn't even know what's coming her way - we ask her if she wants a little brother or sister and she continuously says, "no." (Not that she really understands what we're asking...no is just her favorite word at the moment!)

So, friends - here we go again!