Last week, we began collecting items for our big yard sale April 26! Do you have unwanted items? We'd love them! I will even bring a box to your door and pick that box up for you when it's ready! Please let me know if you have items or think you may in the future at elizabeth@norrisfamilyins.com. Thank you so much for your help!
We just completed the final visit for our home study! If you've ever done one of these, you know what that means- ahhh :-) Social workers will encourage you not to stress over cleaning for these visits, but really...someone is coming in your home for the purpose of determining whether your home and family are prepared to welcome another child. You're gonna clean. We had a very pleasant experience with this home study, and so far everything is chugging along right on schedule.
What happens next? Well, we are waiting on two more sets of paperwork to complete the infamous "paper chasing," and then we wait for the report to go through review- hopefully about a month longer for that. Having the completed home study will allow us to apply to US immigration to adopt a child from China, and begin to pull together our dossier (the set of papers which are sealed and apostilled and made all kinds of official and then sent to China!).
How long will it be? The process takes about 12-18 months normally. We just finished month one, so we have a ways to go. I am feeling pretty relaxed about everything...maybe it's how early on we are and how quickly it is going right now, or perhaps is just having been through the process coupled with the busy-ness of our family since the last time. Having been stretched once through adoption, we're also aware- in ways we could only imagine before- how perfectly God weaves families and children together, and His sovereignty above everything else that hits you. That is a gem to hold in your hands!
Looking ahead, our other larger scale endeavor during the adoption process will (hopefully!) be a fun event this fall, and we are already working to make it special! If you know a place that might be willing to let us come host a family-friendly event with music, food, a silent auction, and a fun activity or two for children, would you connect us?
We have a handful of smaller ways to help that I am getting so excited about, and I cannot wait to tell you all about them during this year!
I am so happy you are following us on this journey. I know it's really different from last time we adopted, where everything was only 4 months from completion before we really told everyone, but I have to say it is very fun for me to be sharing these early steps with you!
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