I'm still an engineer...

We got fingerprinted today, working on our homestudy application.  I usually have a sour attitude towards giving fingerprints, as the government knows plenty about me already, etc., etc., grumble.  But this time we were qualifying for something that really mattered, bringing our little girl into our home.  So I had a much better attitude.

AND, the coolest thing was the scanner.  It was not ink, it was like a photocopier for your fingers, but with a really shallow depth of field, and would image the print just perfectly when you touched a thin film on the glass platen (not sure if it was functional or just to keep it clean).  We each spent about 2 minutes at the machine, and had full prints done (rolls and all), then the guy just laser printed them out onto the cards.  It was SO COOL.  And we don't look like we just got back from the police station.

Providence

It is a hard thing to start working a new person into your heart.  God often gives about 9 months of warning, and then your affection grows with the baby.  With an adoption, you must nurture this growth, if not artificially, then at least concertedly.  With a special-needs adoption, it is hard not to just put pity in the place of love.  Pity goes a little ways, but it is not love, and must not be so mistaken.

This leads me to my next point.  We have thought about what to name Garnet, and were unclear on a middle name. We were casting about, playing the familiar mild-argument marital name-game, when we realized we had no idea what her real name meant (which I am not sure if we can disclose yet).  Her mother had named her, probably knowing that she would give her up, and I wondered what runs through your mind when you are set on a road like that.  Turns out, the name has two meanings, one of Russian origin and one of Hebrew.  The Russian-derivative (probably what her mother thought) is "calm" or "tranquil".  The Hebrew-derivative is "the Lord has redeemed". 

And here is providence.  Our sovereign God knows all things, and plans them out for His own glory and the good of His people.  Our little girl will keep her name, as a middle name, to remind us that God has been working her whole life to bring her to us and to bring us to her.  This reminder helped a great deal in working her into my heart.  We only pray the more fervently that she would indeed be blessed to live up to her name.

Penny...

Remember when I said it wouldn't be the last time that I would post Penny's picture on this blog?

Well, we aren't adopting her, but another family is.

They are a big family who live in Virginia, and they will be a wonderful family for sweet Penny!

You can visit their blog. Stop by! Say Hi!

I just got an Email

UPS just emailed me to tell me that our documents have been signed for and received by the proper recipient in Garnet's country! Hurrah!
Hopefully we will know if we are officially matched soon.

Acts 20:24

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

First shipment

Our first packet of documents got sent off to Garnet's country! When these make it, the government of her country will reserve her file just for us!

Oh, and shipping to her country via UPS with a tracking number costs $120. Wow.

First Home Study meeting is done!

This morning we met with our home study caseworker, and it went well!  I found the stack of paperwork that she gave me to be less intimidating than I expected. And we already got copies of our certificates, which is required for this paperwork. This makes me feel very ahead of the game :-)

When we turn this paperwork in, we pay our fee, which I will put on our "timeline with $" page.

Home Study part 1

Our first in person meeting with our home study caseworker is on Wednesday. We are hoping that it goes smoothly, and that our caseworker is as excited for us to bring Garnet home as we are.

We are both First Aid certified now, and are working on completing CPR certification in anticipation that both of those certs will be needed.

I have my updated passport now, praise God.

Susanna from The Blessing of Verity was at Garnet's orphanage last week and though she didn't get to see her, it was for the wonderful reason that she was not in her crib, but up playing! Hooray!

A Reprieve

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130110/178694199/Bilateral_Russia-US_Adoption_Agreement.html

It looks like, according to this article, all 46 families who are in process with Russian adoptions will be able to continue. This is good news, no matter how small it may seem!

Notaries

Turns out, you have to make sure the notary does his job right the first time.  For an Arizona apostille, you need to have the "Subscribed and sworn before me in (county, state) on (date)" next to the notary stamp on each document. 

Guess I'll be going back to the capitol later this week.  At least the apostille itself is easy, once the papers are right.

Matthew 6

Some good verses...

vs 1: Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

vs 24-25: No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

vs 33-34: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Aack

I just got an email from our placing agency that was like "get moving!"

We have been too draggy. We have been acting like we have a lot of time when we don't.

On the plus side, since I am still waiting on my passport, I found out that I can use driver's license information on these documents.

Whew.