It’s June…..nearly the end of it, in fact!  June 1 marked our GO date for beginning the paper chase that is an adoption.  We’ve been busy gathering the details of our life into one green box that resides on top of our refrigerator.  I would guess that we have 1/3 to 1/2 of what we need gathered.  We had our psychological evaluations last week where we were (surprise, surprise!) deemed of sound mind to parent an adopted child.  Tomorrow we go downtown to get fingerprinted and get our police clearance reports.  We’ve sent in Child Abuse Registry clearance forms on ourselves and our oldest child (because she’s over 10).  We’ve preyed on friends to write reference letters on our behalf.  On Sunday we have our first home study visit.  Sometime in July we have our physicals and blood work done.  I’ve ordered ridiculously expensive birth certificate copies from North Carolina (where Matt was born) and gone downtown to pick up mine as well as our marriage certificate.  There’s much more to be done, but I am fully confident we will have everything gathered by the end of July, if not before.

In the meantime, we (mostly Matt) have been busy working on the house that we are planning to sell to help fund this process.  About a month ago we had a painting party at the property that has been named the Amania House.  I commissioned the girls (and their friends) to take pictures, so we have a lot of photos of them and their friends and a few of people working (mostly their back sides).  😉

We are so thankful to the many friends who came out to lend a hand and show their support.  We are also so blessed by the generosity and encouragement of so many as we walk this road.  It is a gift to see how God does all the work and does amazing things when we simply say “yes” and trust Him.