Day 41...and Some GOOD News!!

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone!!  I haven't written in ages I feel, but I've also felt there's been a lot going on and we really needed to process ourselves before I start spewing stuff we don't even know we feel yet...though I swear that was what I said was the purpose of this blog :-).

OK!  So, for starters....about a week and a half ago, we were approached (through our case worker) from a case worker in Tuscon, about an 11 year old boy who she thought we'd be a great fit for.  We were interested in his initial file, so gave the ok to Hydee to send our home study.  Now keep in mind, this has happened several times, from other states, so the process is SLOOOOOOW.  Hurry and Wait is the name of this game.  So imagine our surprise when, just 3 days later, we got the following email:

Who knew that when we got THAT email we'd still step back and say "wait, what?!"  We have now come to the point of this journey where we have had very different reactions.  I got the biggest amount of butterflies in my stomach I've gotten through this entire process.  Chris had some reservations...not because of the child, but just because it had all happened so fast, and I don't think he had time to process everything.  So more talking, more waiting, more talking, MORE waiting....and a couple days later, we gave Hydee the "OK let's DO IT!"  So now, since Thursday, we've tried to NOT over-think every thing.  I have tried with all my might, to not sit in our "kid room" and plan the wall color and the posters I'm going to put up to welcome this Baltimore Ravens fan into our home...into HIS home.  I've tried not to re-plan Christmas plans to incorporate an amazing 11 year old boy.  I've tried with all my might to not look at everything we're doing and saying "this is the last time we're doing (fill in the blank) with out a kid".  "This is the last time I'm doing (fill in the blank) until I'm a mom."  And most of all..."This is the last Thanksgiving my husband won't go play football in the backyard with the boys without his son."  If I've never wanted anything more in my LIFE!!!

So here's how this "match meeting" process works...I think I already went over this a little bit,  but just for refreshment's sake:

Our case worker, Hydee, and the case worker of the child (we'll lovingly call him "T" until we know the outcome) will have a conference call with the case workers of the other families they've invited...usually 3 or 4 total.  All of the family case workers will advocate for their family and answer questions, sharing pictures and such, asking questions they have or they feel the family might have.  Then the case worker for T and possibly his foster family, or other important adult figure in his life, will ask questions of everyone, they'll all go back and forth, and then, generally, everyone present will "vote" for a family they feel is the best fit.  Now, it's kind of expected that a family's case worker will vote for them, but we've been assured by Hydee that her job is to not only find us a child, but find every child the BEST home.  Though she's maybe only voted against her family once, we know she has both ours and the child's best interests at heart and we fully trust that she'll vote the way God intends.  We feel that God's hand will be at work in that meeting and that the right family will come out of this with a child.   More importantly, T will come out of this meeting one step closer to a forever Mom and Dad and how AMAZING is that?!?!  I won't lie and say I won't cry my eyes out if they don't "pick" us, but I've really come to love him in the last week and though I can picture him as my son, even more than that, is I can picture him a happy child in a GREAT family, whether it's us or somewhere else.  Please pray with us that the right family is chosen for him....and if you feel like it, we'd KINDLY suggest in your prayers that we, of course, are it hehehe.

We won't likely hear anything Monday, but Hydee has said we'll know before Thanksgiving.  CAN YOU IMAGINE?!  The process won't stop there.  If we are chosen, we will then receive MORE information about T.  We will set up a time to go to Tucson to spend a few days with him and really meet him.  At that time, after that trip, we will give the final "yes" or "no".  They say you rarely get to the meeting stage with the child if you're not going to end up with them.  I'm not gonna lie, if we get a "yes" out of this meeting, I'm bringing this kid home!!  LOL.

Big day tomorrow!!!  Please keep us in your prayers, all the case workers, T, and that God's will be done, and that ALL families involved will be comforted if they're not chosen, and feel so abundantly blessed if they are!!

All our love and blessings!!!  Hopefully a big update coming in a couple days!

***J***