New Additions Update

A sweet reader commented today that she's looking forward to hearing more about the new additions to our family. Because this blog is public, I will not be able to post any sort of photos or personal information about them until after the adoption is finalized, which will happen sometime this winter, likely around Valentine's Day. Even then, I may need to go private with the blog to protect their identity. I don't know...I haven't decided yet how I'll handle that. I'll be getting advice from our adoption attorney, as well as from the girls' case manager.

For now, though, I can give you an update on where we are in the process. For the last month we've been waiting for our paperwork to go through ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children). It's an ordeal, and can take as long as six months in the toughest cases. Arkansas ICPC was right on their game, and got their end of the work done in a record three days. Florida has not been so great...until today. The administrator who was handling our case has gone on indefinite medical leave. I feel really bad for him, and understand better now why he never returned our calls. Our case has been transferred to a different administrator, and she is awesome! She called our agency today to get our home study--the only piece that is missing from our file. Once the agency faxes it to her, she'll stamp "approved" on the file, sign it, and return it to Arkansas ICPC. Arkansas ICPC will give it to our case manager in Arkansas, and we'll get approved for our travel.

Right now we have a tentative travel date set for June 27th. This, of course, hinges on the completion of the paperwork. It looks pretty positive right now, though! We'll have our placement staffing and meet our girls the first week of July, if everything goes the way the girls' case team has laid it out for us. We hope to be pulling back into our driveway on July 12th, just in time for Pepper's birthday!

I wish I could post photos. I wish I could tell you about these amazing gifts that God has blessed us with. We've been talking on the phone a few times each week, and they are incredible! Such courage, and such joy! I can hardly wait to get my arms around them.