Announcing...

In November 2010 I got the baby bug. I wanted a baby, but I wanted to do foster care. Ryan wasn't super excited about it and honestly did not really care to do it. He knew it was something I truly wanted to do and he was supportive. So we started contacting agencies and found our match. We were eligible to foster through Theraputic Family Life. We started the paperwork process. Things were not going smooth. Everything we attempted to do just didnt work out. Looking back it was obvious that God was moving in us to get us to our Ethiopian adoption. I don't remember how it happend, but for some reason the foster care plan came to an end. We just didn't do it. We did start our adoption and you guys all know that story!
We found out a day before we were DTE that our agency had increased the wait time for referral to 18-24 months. This was a blow to us. However, it was also an unexpected reopened door. Ryan actually said we could start the foster care process again. He was 100% on board with it this time!

Everything about this go round has been different. Our paperwork is about finished, we have done our fingerprints (again!), we have completed our CPR/1st Aid training, and we have gotten our reference letters (again!). We are just waiting on our training (again!), and our home study (yep-again!).
We have been working on this stuff for about a month. It is flying by and our prayer is that we are licensed for emergency foster care by the end of May.

Our PLAN is (we know how well those work...) to be a family for a baby that needs a place to stay for a short time. Maybe until they get a permanent foster family, or maybe a just break from mom and dad. Really I don't know what this will actually look like. All I know is I am super excited and getting ready for a baby!!

This weekend my mom and I went out to our church's garage sale and to a few children's consignment shops. We had a great time and it was sooo unreal to be really preparing for a baby!! We didn't buy much because we have set pretty big age parameters. We are getting licensed for 0-4 years old, boy or girl! I did buy a bunch of cute girl clothes that I am currently washing right now!!

I have been hesitant to mention our new plan because I have been nervous it will fall through again. We are getting so close now that I don't mind sharing. If God has other plans for us this summer, we are open to it. But as of right now, we are planning to be welcoming children into our home!!  Please join me in praying it all works out!!