Eternal Blossoms + Home Study Interview

Hello Friends!  My sweet friend Kathy just opened up her own Etsy shop!  It's called Eternal Blossoms and includes hair and clothing accessories for children and adults.

 This one is my favorite.  Such a cute button detail! 

Please go check it out.  She really has a gift of creativity!!

Tonight, the MR and I have our first home study interview.  I am honestly excited about it.  I did have a monentary lapse and got nervous (randomly saw the Friends episode where Monica and Chandler are doing their adoption interview and they say a few too many stupid things.)  I think it will just be a time of her getting to know us and us asking any questions that we have.  So nothing to worry about!

So far this process has gone pretty fast.  But, I know it will probably slow down.  I need to prepare my heart to be ok with waiting and being patient.  For example, I sent off for a few copies of our Birth Certificates about 2 weeks ago.  I emailed them today to see what the estimated wait time was and they said 7-9 weeks from today :(  Sad sad day.  Home studies usally take 8-10 weeks to complete.  So that news just gets me ready to wait.  Oh well.  In HIS timing, not mine.

I have found that when one HUGE thing is going on in my life, it makes it tough to blog (much less talk) about anything else.  So I'll give you a quick update on our adoption status, then talk about some fun decorating projects that I look forward to working on. 

MR.P and I had a goal to finish all our initial home study paper work by Sunday night (the 16th) then to send it all in on Monday morning.  Well we reached that goal!

Here is MR.P working on our cultural worksheet.

Tortilla chips - check!  Starbucks - check! We ran to starbucks to get a fun drink in order to get excited about finishing our paper work.  Sadly, starbucks totally messed up.  We got our drinks to go (bc the starbucks by our house closes so dang early).  We waited until we got home to take a sip.  Our drinks tasted like water :(  Our fav drink of all time - Chai tea latte with vanilla.  It was such a bummer.  But MR.P had such a great attitude and worked through some of the tough questions with me. 

Monday morning I sent everything off to our home study agency!  I prayed over the paper work that it would get to the agency in a timely manner and that the Lord would direct to us our baby.  It's starting to really feel real now that we are getting things accomplished and checked off our list :) 

UPDATE:  Just got an email from the home study agency.  They received our paper work today and will be assigning us a social worker today.  We should hear from them in the next few days!

Now, for some decorative projects I'd love to complete.  I found this awesome chair on craigslist.

I sent an offer in today.  Hoping I hear back soon.  I'd love to paint it black or white and put it in our office.  We really need a good chair in there.  The leather one is yuck! 

I'm also looking for a precious little white chandalier for the baby room.  I know, I am just starting the hunt.  Not fully decorating the room (although, it's totally done in my head!)

Pottery Barn Kids has one but it's $169.   

I'd also LOVE to paint our dresser in our room.  It just stares at me everyday asking to be painted.  It's just quite heavy and I need the hubs to help me.  Then it would be in our garage for a few weeks while I painted it every night. 

I'm also looking to find a desk for our office.  We are using my sister's desk right now, but it's dark wood.  I want black...at least I think.

I think it can be overwhelming to think of all the projects I would like to get done.  So I am going to just keep putting these off for right now!  With our adoption paper work and such it's too much to handle :)

Adoption Update!

A lot has happened since last week!  My personality is coming in handy with this adoption process (I love following up)!  I emailed our home study agency to just introduce ourselves and let them know we wanted to get started once we were allowed.  Well, surprise!  We got a call the very next day saying we could start ASAP!  The agency emailed over all the forms we needed to get started.  To say I was excited is definitely an understatement.  I was elated!!!  I wanted to burst I was so excited :)

I emailed, called, and texted MR.P trying to get him to call me.  He just so happens to be working in a school where he doesn't get great reception.  So I had to hold in the excitement for about an hour.  Pure torture!!

Once we got the forms, MR.P and I got started very quickly.  We even talked about ways for us to make the process of filling out forms fun and helpful to our relationship.  We came to the conclusion that we should make a date out of it.  That way we are giving our full attention to the forms. 

I bought this great folder from Vera Bradley that has a file section as well as a notebook attached.  Soo cute and definitely makes me excited to work on our paper work :) I've found this really helps me to stay organized.

We finished everything except for Matt's autobiography (which he is working on tonight), the transracial worksheet, and the transcultural worksheet.  These are things we have to do together. 

I also emailed our adoption agency to make sure they got our paper work.  They did, but they have to wait for their director to get back in the country before placing us on the waiting list.  I guess I should get used to waiting!

I can't believe that we are being called to adopt :)  Every time something happens pointing us to adoption, I can't help but think its a coincidence.  BUT IT IS NOT!!!  God is not a God of coincidence.  If he didn't want us going down the path we have started he would NOT have lead us to several friends going down the same path, he would not have had our friends ask us to an adoption meeting THE DAY we decided to pursue adoption, and he most certaintly would not have put it on both Matt and I's hearts.  I have never believed in coincidences and never struggled with that until now.  It's hard to believe the Lord wants something so great for us!  I am beyond excited and honored. 

Pray for us.  Pray that it would bring Matt and I closer to Him and to each other.  Pray for that precious baby that is waiting for us.  Pray for the birth mother.  Pray that we won't have fear.  Matt is doing an amazing job of helping me to not fear :)  Pray that this process is speedy ;)

Thank you to everyone who is following us on this journey.  It amazes me what the blogger community can come together and do. 

1st Paper Work

So last night MR.P and I finished filling out all of the paper work together.  It's a short 3 page application.  It wasn't tough to fill out, just had to look up a few things like the square footage on our house, how big our lot is, and what our ins covers.  Fun things like that ;)  So this pic is from this morning on my way to work.  I hope to be able to document this part of our journey in pictures.  Keep me accountable to that, ok blogger friends?

Thanks for all of your encouragement throughout this process already! 

Preliminary Application

Happy Wednesday.  Today I decided I should email our adoption agency and make sure that we are still set to send in our paper work for June 1st.  I just like to stay on top of things.  I got an email back quickly that just this week they had to start a waiting list for people adopting from South Korea :(  Bummer news. 

But, God is good in everything.  The good thing is that we can go ahead and send in our preliminary application to get on that waiting list!  That means we get to start a little early...then wait on getting started with major paper work.  Pray for patience and quick moving on their part!

Mother's Day!

Ok, so I realize that both my posts today are not housing related.  Sorry guys :(  But anyway, Mother's day is May 9th.  Do you have your gift yet?  Well, today is the last day to Order your Mother's Day gifts from Stella & Dot!

Here are some great ideas! 

Glint Flower CZ Necklace

 

Aimee Locket Necklace

Together Forever Necklace

(My friend Lila bought this necklace and LOVES it!!)

Avery Chains & Pearl Necklace

These are all great choices for Mother's Day gifts!  Let me know if you need help finding the perfect gift for your mother!

Anyone want to buy our 4 runner??

Good morning Bloggers!  MR.P and I are selling our 2004 4Runner in order to save more money for our adoption!  (We'll get an older car for MR.P after we sell this one.)  I thought I would do a little ad on Design A-Peele so my sweet blogger friends can pass on the info to anyone who might be interested. 

Here is our craigslist link:

Craigslist Ad for our 2004 4Runner

And here are some pics as well. 

We love this car and are sad to see it go.  But, starting our family is way more important, so we are ready to give her up.  We've taken great care of her.  Let us know if you want to take a look or know of someone who is interested.  She has 78k miles.  We first listed at $15,800 and have come down to $14,900.  Have a wonderful Monday!