August 13, 2014- Updated Post from August 8th

     Our amazing licensing SW found a technicality in our paperwork that gave us more time to get my two out-of-state checks run. She found that we can go 180 days from the first form we signed, instead of 180 days from our first day of class. This bought us a couple more weeks to correct the last bit of paperwork and resubmit it.

     Well, my out-of-state central registry check came in. However, we found out what the problem was with the other form. I had received the correct form from our SW, but our SW and I had filled it in incorrectly. Based on the specific form I had filled out, my social worker could not run the background and crimes against minors registry check on me. The form and payment were returned, and we mailed back the corrected form with the addition charge and the information for me to run the check on myself. It's summer, so the woman in the police office in charge of running this paperwork and sending us the results is on vacation this week, the week this is all finally due to state. We have stretched our grace period as far as possible, and we are praying hard that everything is taken care of by the end of the week so our finished application can be sent off to the state for our official approval and licensing to be foster parents. I'm obsessed with the mail. I love getting mail, and I can't wait for those letters to come. In the mean time, I have been nesting like a crazy person.

     The dreams are the worst of it. Ever had absolutely ridiculous dreams that are so real you wake up in a panic? Well, that's me, for the past month. Since Red has been home with my Mom for summer vacation, my days and nights are backwards again, it's an insomnia/Lyme Disease thing (nothing new). I sleep in the mornings after getting DH off to work and Sargie settled after a morning walk. Then, I wake up, heart pounding a million miles a minute, after dreaming completely nonsensical things. This morning I got in about half an hour before I dreamt that we received our first placement and the system I came up with for organizing the extra kids' toiletries last week didn't work as effectively as the system I had used before it, so I couldn't find the toothpaste, all my teeth rotted and fell out in a matter of seconds. A man in a white coat rang our doorbell and kidnapped me. He was a dentist trying to give me dentures. For the first time EVER, I woke up crying I was so upset. I've rearranged the toiletries at least 20 times in the past 7 months. The organization may change, but the location does NOT. All the children's toothpaste is in the same bin as their extra toothbrushes, and the bin with my toothpaste is underneath my sink. No worries there. BUT.... anyone who knows about my friend and I's encounter with my grandpa's teeth our Christmas in the 4th grade, knows that I am deathly afraid of dentures and the idea of bad teeth. I'm obsessive about my teeth. So.... I'm sitting in the nursery rearranging everything again. After Nick goes to work I'll probably rip apart our bathroom and reorganize that as well, so I can get some peaceful sleep this afternoon. Call me crazy, but at least I'm productive. 

     I'll be calling the police headquarters again today too, in search of any news on our paperwork. I'll do my best to update again soon.

**On a completely different note, 4 years ago this guy was afraid to work in the church nursery with me because he was afraid of babies. He said he was afraid he would break them and didn't know what to do with kids too little to play sports. Haha! Only took him about a month to change his mind, but reminiscing on our 2nd wedding anniversary last night had me in fits of giggles, so much has changed. When we work in the nursery now and I want to hold a baby, that he is holding (because I can't just hold one, I have to hold as many of them as I get a chance to), I am swiftly given "the look," which means I'm happy holding this baby and you are absolutely crazy if you think you're going to take it from me. 

And since he didn't let me post any pictures of him yesterday, on Thankful Tuesday for our anniversary, here is a super adorable picture of him getting a baby, that wouldn't give me the time of day, to both smile and giggle for him. Haha! I love this man! DH, I am so beyond thankful for you and excited for this next adventure to start rolling.

Can you believe this was 2 years ago?! Wow! Time flies.

Speed Bump!

     As we have steadily approached the finish line I was relatively at ease... until I was informed none of our references had been received and 3 of my background and registry checks results had not come in. The last couple weeks have been a flurry of phone calls, e-mails, bank runs, Facebook messages, and frantic calls to the social worker trying to sort everything out.

     References are hard to come by. Not because we aren't recommendable, but because references have to be non-familial. This became quite a task because we can't write the letters, so asking people that we consider family isn't exactly an option when they will introduce themselves and explain how they know us using terms like sister, uncle, cousin, etc. It makes the paperwork a bit more difficult, but it also helped to show us just how completely blessed we are to have such a large family, both blood and chosen through priceless friendships.

     We quickly realized that the three people who had offered to help in any way possible, once asked to provide us a reference, were either too busy and forgot or weren't that interested after all. We absolutely understand, we have been swamped around here too, but we wish they would have told us that they were too busy or didn't want their contact information filed with the social worker and the state, so we could have gotten another reference lined up in a more timely manner (they were given four months notice). When we learned our SW hadn't received anything the other week, we quickly sent urgent messages out to five other people/couples asking, if they had a few minutes to bless us with a reference on such short notice. Several were able to come through with glowing recommendations, literally overnight. They moved some serious mountains for us, and even though they'll all receive thank you notes, words don't really express how amazing it is to have them in our lives.

     Background and registry checks, however, are a nightmare! Nothing has ever sunk my heart so deep into my gut than hearing that these had not cleared by today (and that's sayin' something!). Weeks of e-mails, leaving voicemails, and searching for anyone who could answer a question without giving me the run around or passing me off to another agency or department, got the best of my nerves. It is all I can do to not scream at these people... and I've come very close with a number of state police and their office workers today. Needless to say, I've been doing a lot of praying. One year of preparation and six months of paperwork are ALL going to have to be redone- resigned, dated, and resubmitted, if the out-of-state background check and central registry check results aren't sent to our SW within the next few hours!!!  At this point, I have paid for all the checks twice and there are still no results to show for it. If our cashier's checks were not returned to our local DSS by mail, then I'll have to pay for it all again as well, and our indefinite wait will begin again. I believe we can possibly squeeze some progress in tomorrow morning, if we can find someone or someway to expedite the paperwork... maybe, just maybe.

     I'm growing hesitant to pray for miracles, because I do it so often, but what else can you possibly do at a time like this? It's time to take a knee and see what the good Lord has planned. After all, he is the one who set us on this amazing journey, so I know He has all the details covered. Sometimes, I think He just likes to test the control freak in me. Haha!

     PRAYERS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED as we cross the last hurdle partially within our control. Tomorrow everything is officially out of our hands and up to God.

Last Home Visit before Official Licensing

In our state, visits, or inspections, are required from the Fire Marshall and the county DSS social worker for licensing. We passed with flying colors on the fire inspection. The first visit with the social worker went pretty well, but we still had some work to do- mainly the garage, which was filled to the brim with unopened moving boxes, old furniture, military gear, wedding decorations and accessories leftovers, clothing and other items to be donated. There was a small path from the kitchen door out to the driveway, but by no means could we fit a car, or even a bike, in there. Two yard sales and two trash days later, we still have a large pile, but it is mostly items we could donate. We are filled with nervous excitement as we prepare for the visit from our licensing social worker in just a few short hours.

T - 6 hours, 5 minutes and counting....  7:45 am can not get here soon enough!

One Visit/Inspection Down, Three to Go

Today, we are in need of some fast and furious prayer. We had our first offical interview, an office visit, with our social worker (SW). Tomorrow morning we have our first of two home visits/inspections with our SW, and Saturday morning our home inspection with the Fire Marshall. Please pray that I/we can put the house back together in that amount of time, since I have ripped it apart, yet again, with this nesting phase I've been going through over the last couple months. Are there any other foster parents that go through this? I think I've washed all our linens, kids' clothes, toys, and carpets twice. I can't seem to stop cleaning and rearranging anything and everything in sight, and out of sight for that matter.