Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork!

Did you know we have to get a septic inspection to make sure our septic tank can handle another person in our family!?!?!?  Yeah Jason and I thought it was funny!  But not funny that it costs $200 for that inspection.... : (

Jason and I have both have had our physicals done. WOOHOO!  We both had to give 3 viles of blood to be tested for HIV, venerial (sp?) diseases and I don't even know what else!  We had to have a tb test which is where they put a shot just under your skin and wait 24 hours to see if you have a reaction which means you have tb. AND we both had to be drug tested along with all the other normal yearly physical exam stuff.  Glad to have that behind us! 

We also got our criminal records done today.  As we left the police station Jason said "Well why didnt they print something out to give us?"  I said "Thank God there was nothing for them to print out!" LOL!  The clerk was just able to check no criminal record & we had to have it notarized. :)

So we are moving on along in the pile of paperwork.  We hope to be able to travel to Nashville next week for our first visit with our social worker and turn in all the paperwork we have ready so far, which is most of what we need actually.  I have been one busy girl the last few days... :)Oh and don't forget to participate in the 100 wishes/prayers quilt if you can.  My flickr/quilting buddies have really stepped up to the plate and are really getting into this quilt...it is so sweet of them.  I am going to post a picture of one of their cards & fabrics below.  We will be receiving fabric truly from all over the world for her quilt & prayers have been said all over the world for this girl already!  What a blessing!  But I would love for some of our close friends & family to send a block too....so Aunt Gail, Meemaw, Grammy & Aunt Jenny etc... you guys participate too please.  I would mean so much to me and I know it will to her one day too. :)

Much Love!

Kendra

Stacks of Paperwork....

Well I feel like I have a hand cramp! :)  I have printed out all of the papers we need and filled out the ones that I can.  I will have to take a picture of this stack...I promise it is bigger than the stack we had for our martgage.  They definitely leave no stone unturned.  It is a little daunting but, I am approaching it with a smile on my face because it means we are one step closer to our daughter. :)

Jason is going to meet me at the police station today to get our local criminal record checks.  I also have to make an appointment to go in and get physicals for everyone (if they haven't been to the doctor in the last 6 months) and that will hopefully happen next week. The doctor has paper work to fill out for each of us.

I have heard that the 2 things that take the longest are the FBI fingerprinting and I did go ahead and register for that online.  And the child abuse checks that must be done in every state you have lived in since you were 18.  :( UGH!  Me that is easy....TN.  Jason well not quite as easy.  That will probably be the one thing we will be waiting for....Ohio is known to take longer than usual to get that done. :(  So pray that they get in gear and we are proven wrong.

I have looked at 2 files of little girls that I would LOVE to be ours over the last 24 hours.  It is going to be so hard to make that decision.  So just continue to pray that God reveals which child is meant for our family.

Much love!

Kendra 

100 wishes quilt

While we wait for this momentous occasion, we would like to honor a tradition from our daughter’s homeland ~ the making of a 100 Good Wishes Quilt. I thought what a good idea to do with my quilting buddies but, I thought there might also be some fmaily members that would like to participate. The following is a brief description of this tradition:

"To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt. It is a custom to invite 100 people to contribute a single square patch of cloth. The 100 patches are sewn together into a quilt that contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation."

We are inviting you to join us in this tradition by sending us a 5” x 5” square of fabric (preferably cotton) along with a card on which you have written a “wish” or prayer for our daughter. The fabric can be any fabric that you have that is GIRLY (I finally get to do girly stuff). The wish can be a simple statement, a favorite poem, song lyric, Bible verse….something that speaks from your heart to our daughter.

other ideas:

-pray for her health

-pray for other children in the same orphanage

-pray for the paperwork & that it goes smoothly

-pray for her foster mother & emotions she must feel

-pray for safe travels

-pray for her to bond quickly with us

-pray for her birth mother

-pray for our boys to adjust well

-pray for our adoption agency

-pray for the Chinese offcials that will review our dossier

-pray for her to get our care packages & that she would feel our love through them

When she is old enough she will be able to match the fabric in the quilt to the little fabric swatch on your card displayed in the album and read your message to her.

It will be something from you that she will have and cherish forever. Imagine how special it would be to look back upon the well wishes that were sent for you. Better yet, imagine being covered by all those good wishes every night.

I am requesting that you send your squares to me by March 15, 2011.. This will give me plenty of time to put together the quilt. Thanks so much!

Kendra

Approved and starting homestudy paperwork! :)

Well I just got off the phone with our adoption agency and....we are APPROVED!  and so now the home study paper chase begins....pray that this part goes as smoothly as possible.  They say and we hope that it will take 5-6 weeks. I have tried to prepare for everything that we are responsible for by ordering our birth certificates and marriage certificates etc...but there is alot of paperwork involoved.

We can now match with a child is we see one that we think would fit our family.  There is one child right now that I have requested her medical file....so continue to pray that God would show us the right child for our family.  It is so hard to look into their little faces in the picture they send and say "I just don't think you are right for our family"  I want to take them all home. :)  But we can also wait and have our social worker match us with a child...which she is really good at.  I think we will probably wait unless we see a child come up that we have a very strong feeling about.  We have asked for a female under the age of 3 and that we would consider twin girls. :)

Just a sample of some of the things we will be getting ready for our homestudy:

Personal Information

 Certified copies of birth certificates for you, your spouse, and any children already living in your home;

• Certified copies of your marriage certificate;

Financial Information

• Verification of employment on company letterhead (even if you are self-employed);
• Income verification (usually copies of your federal tax returns for the last three years);
• Proof of life insurance, including the names of beneficiaries;
• Proof of health insurance;
• Verification of all monetary assets on institution letterhead (including checking account, savings account, 401k balance, stocks, money market accounts, mutual funds, etc.);
• Debt information (balances on your credit cards, cars, house, etc.);
• Mortgage or rent information (amount of monthly payment and amount of equity you have if you own your home).

Other Information You Will Need for Your Homestudy

• Results of a recent physical exam;
• Results of a criminal background check from EVERY state you have lived in since age 18
• Public health inspection if your home has a septic system;
• Fire safety inspection;
• Letter from your veterinarian stating that all your pets are healthy and current on their vaccinations;
• Photographs of you, your spouse, and any children already living in your home;
• Photographs of the front, back, and inside of your home;
• Written references.

Much love!

Kendra

Here we go! :)

Well today we sent off the first money to our adoption agency.  I sat in the post office parking lot praying over our papers before they left my hands.  I know this may not be an easy journey all the way through but its just amazing how God has opened doors so far.

Drew & Ben have decided they want to share a room, so we have been busy painting and rearranging the room they will share.  We painted it a khaki color and we got new comforters from Ikea when I was last there.  They have bunkbeds that seperate to 2 twin beds.  They decided they wanted them seperated for now.  They were so excited to finally be able to see there new room and to sleep in there last night together for the first time.  They are such big buds! :)  I love that they get along so well most of the time.  I think they talked until about 10:30 p.m. before they both finally fell asleep.

Every night at prayer time Drew & Ben pray thanking God for letting us adopt....they are so excited too.  We've been having fun trying to come up with names. Ben said he had a dream about a sister named Charlotte. :) Drew says he wants to name her Meg....I think because he is good friends with a cute girl at school named Meg. :)  And well Will hates all of the names except for Rachel. :)  We will probably use her Chinese name as a middle name & we may also use Rose as a middle name after my mom.  So, I have posted a poll on the left side, check it out and vote for your favorite name just for fun. :)

Love,
Kendra