Week #6

Tonight will be week number 6 in this journey we are taking and boy is the time flying. Of course it is because each week seems to pack itself before we have a chance to blink. Right now our schedule looks a little like this:

Monday: 5:00-7:30--YMCA soccer practice
Tuesday: 5:00-7:30 Soccer games
Wednesday: 3:00-5:00 Swim Team, 7:00-8:30 Midweek Church Activities, 9:00-?? Nate plays basketball.
Thursday: 6:00-9:30--Parenting Classes for Foster/Adopt
Friday 3:00-5:00 Swim Team
Saturday Morning: 7:30-12:00 -Soccer games
Sunday--10:00-2:00-Church


Somewhere in between all of this there is over 50 pages of paperwork to fill out, about 30 documents to locate and copy. Recommendation letters to solicit from creditors and friends. 3 children to raise, 2 acres to mow, one large disastrous landscaping project to fix, a house to keep somewhat in order, more laundry to do than should be reasonable, Nate's full time job (he has been averaging 60 hours this month) and my part time job. Phew...

By the grace of God we are getting it all accomplished, even with time for a few parties here and there.

Last weeks class was a really difficult and enlightening class to attend. The main theme of the class was attachment issues. The exercise for the evening was a reflective meditation where you closed your eyes and placed yourself in your mind's eye in the crux of your home. She then shared that there was a knock at the door and a "people mover" took you from your home, your family. You had 30 minutes to pull any belongings you wanted to take and you could only fill a paper sack. Once in the car as you were being transported from your home and your family, you were told there was another family who would be so happy to see you; they had been waiting a long time for you to come live with them. You are dropped off at this new house, it is a lot nicer than your other house. But standing on the front stoop is a man who is telling you to call him HUSBAND, and children who are calling you MOMMY. How do you feel? You are to go into this home and start living with them. You are not allowed to see your real husband, or your real children right now, but maybe, just maybe you will get a visit later. You have to begin their routine--of course first you need to figure out their routine. This family loves you like they have known you all their lives, but you just want to go home.

On and on it went. Perspective....wow. How hard for this to happen in your mind, as an adult. How much more difficult for this to happen to a child. Perspective. We are about 2 weeks away from having all of our packet complete, and then we will have our home study. We have about 10 things to do to the house before the homestudy--minor things (fix the handrail on the stairs, cover outlets with child-proof doodahs, put a lock on the door of the pantry which houses the cleaning supplies and medicines. We also need to get another twin size bed for Noah's room. I bought new sheets and comforters for the "boys" room last week. Looking forward to getting that all arranged and complete.

It is interesting as our recommendation letters come in to read them. It is a bit like hearing your funeral sermon. How sweet and gracious our friends have been in these letters. It is such a blessing to have such a great amount of support in this endeavor.

Well... off to pay for summer camp for the kiddos.