Our Home Study Party Two

Last Tuesday we had the second part of our final home study.  

We let her meet the Lbs this time. After all they are part of our family.    We weren't two minutes into the meeting when she decided they were spoiled rotten.  We couldn't deny the fact.

Andrew and I sat down in different rooms to fill out a questionnaire that was 4 or 5 pages long.

Will the paper work ever end?

These questions were a little more personal than those she asked us in the first meeting.

I found this sample of the questionnaire online if you are interested in knowing what type of questions we were answering.

After we both finished answering these questions the three of sat down together to go over our answers.

We also gave her a quick tour of the house.

It really was pretty simple.

I can't believe it was our last step.

This process has felt incredibly long and really fast all at the same time.

Now we just wait for her to write up our home study so that we can be put into the system.  

Once we are in the system we will be an open home, meaning we can be matched with a sibling group.  We can either wait on the database to match us and for someone to call us or we can call about a sibling group.

We plan to call about a sibling group as soon as we are open.  

In just a few short months we could be meeting our children for the first time.

Our Home Study Part One

Yesterday afternoon Andrew and I met with a very nice woman to complete the first part of our final home study.

This home study is our final step before we are considered an open home and can be matched with a sibling group.

I still can't believe that I am able to type those words.

This journey has felt like a lifetime, but it has also felt like just a moment.  

We spent several hours cleaning and preparing our home for this interview.

She never went beyond the living room.

I kept telling Andrew that I felt like I should be nervous about this, but I wasn't.

God has been in this journey every step of the way.  I had no doubt he would be with us during this home study as well.  

Before we got started she told us that the questions she is required to ask would be personal and invasive.

And I guess to some people they may be, but we are pretty much open books.

She didn't ask us anything that we were uncomfortable talking about.  

She began by asking Andrew about his childhood.  He shared his happiest memories and his saddest/most traumatic memories.  

He told her all about his siblings and their families.  

He talked about his parents and his relationship with them.

When you have a family as awesome as ours all of this is easy. :)

Then it was my turn to talk about my childhood memories and families.  My turn was much shorter than Andrew's.  I have one sibling to his five and talk much less than he does.  :)

Her next set of questions was about our relationship.

How did we meet?

What do we fight about?

Are we sexually compatible?  

That's one of those personal and invasive questions she mentioned.

Why do we want to adopt?

And that was Part One.

It went very well.

If you are preparing for your home study, don't be nervous.

Just be open and honest.

They aren't looking to keep you from adopting or fostering.

They just want to get to know you.

The 2nd part of our home study is scheduled for next Tuesday.

During this visit she will take a tour of our home, get some information about the LBs.  

We will also have one final questionnaire to fill out.  

We have to fill it out separately, answering questions about ourselves and each other.  

After next Tuesday she will write up our report and submit it to her supervisor.  He will look over it and give it back to her if anything needs to be revised.  She will then resubmit it for his signature.

She said she will submit it for his signature no later than May 10th.

I didn't even think about that date until afterwards when I was sharing how it went with my sister-in-law, Krystal.  She pointed out that that was Mother's Day.

And then I cried.

How good is our God?

He is in every little detail.

Once her supervisor signs off on it will go back to the state employee we have been working with from the beginning.  

We will sign it and receive our copy and she will enter us into the database.

Then we are an open home.

We can be matched with our children.

Next month we could be matched!!!

It's crazy to think about.

It brings me such joy but also terrifies me just a little bit.