Hello again...

I am sorry to admit, I pretty much forgot about this little blog I started a few years ago!  So much happened during the years I wrote and so much has happened since my silence.  I thought I'd throw an update up for those who may pass by and wondered what happened to us!

Well, after our last failed adoption; we were done.  I couldn't stand the process of adoption anymore. Getting super excited only to have our hopes dashed yet again.  We needed to step back and re-analyze what we should do.  We came to the decision we weren't going to try anymore and "gave it back to God."  We prayed that if God wanted us to have children, He'd have to make it happen how ever he saw fit.  We weren't going to try to force the doors open, He'd have to open them for us.  We made the decision to not go back into our agencies book and we let our home study expire.

Fast forward a few months...

Two days before our home study was set to expire (June 2014), I received a call from a friend who had adopted 4 children from Foster Care.  Her previous case worker was looking for a potential adoptive home for a sibling group. She asked if we'd be interested, and, ultimately, we said yes.  Dan said if we prayed for God to open doors, he didn't want to close this one by saying no. I was a mix of emotions/feelings from having come to terms with being done with the adoption process, and opening ourselves up to it again, in this new avenue.  Since our home study was about to expire, we had to start the whole process over...  YAY!  :) The situation my friend called about didn't end up working out, but it lead us to where we are today.

We started the many, many classes, training's, and home study visits for the MN Waiting Child Program (Foster Care Adoption) in August and we became licensed this January.  (We used a different agency this time around and are SO happy we did!)

Let me tell you, this program is eye opening. Some of the stories that we heard are unfathomable. The Foster Care system and what these children experience is something I was very uninformed about.  The need for foster families is great. The need for permanent homes for those who can't return to their parents is also great.  I never thought we'd be here, adopting through Foster Care, but I am thankful God led us here!  There is a great need and we are excited to find the child/children that we are meant to love on, protect, earn their trust, and teach about Jesus!

We're in the matching process now, which can take long or can go quickly!  We are presented with a child or sibling group and we decide if we want our profile shown to the county representing the child.  The county looks over the home studies submitted and picks a family for the child/ren.  After being picked, you start a transition to ease the children into your home.  Once they are living with us, it takes 6-9 months of monthly visits from the county and our agency until things can be finalized.

Finally, I want to share a blog that has encouraged me greatly on this new walk we're on.  I love his quote below and it changed how I think about adoption.  It is why we are here now.

"Adoption is less about getting a child for your family and more about giving your family for a child. Caring for children without families does not begin with what they have to offer us but with what we must be willing to offer them, no matter what, at all costs."

http://jasonjohnsonblog.com/#theblog