Another Chapter

Yesterday, I took the first step in another chapter of our journey. I have been doing some research on adoption and have a couple of friends who have adopted. I sent my friend who lives here an email saying I'd like to know more about adoption but I didn't really know what questions I had. I only really knew that I heard it's really expensive and that a lawyer is probably involved somewhere.

She let me know more about her situation (it's a little different because they foster kids, too) and gave me suggestions on where to start and what financial resources are available. Let's be honest, we have good jobs, but not so good we have 20 - 30k laying around.

I did a lot of reading on my days off about the resources in Iowa. Then yesterday...I made the call. I was so nervous. I was sleep deprived and extremely stressed and emotional about another situation (which has started to resolve itself) but knew I had to take the step today.

As I talked to the woman and answered all of her questions: Are you interested in fostering or adopting? Do you have any children? Why are you interested? What race are you? Who lives in your house? On and on. I'll send you the packet in the mail and it will tell you all of the next steps you need to take.

I knew this was going to be emotional and difficult, too. But our lives are getting ready to be cracked wide open to the state of Iowa. I know they will come and investigate us and people in our lives. They will ask very personal questions. They will scrutinize things in our house, what goes on in our house. We are open books and have nothing to hide, (we really are quite boring) but as she was asking me, it kind of became reality.

We haven't done anything but ask for a packet, but I'm already getting little butterflies. I excited, I'm nervous, and for the first time yestersday, I realized that this process will make us better people. There will be questions we get asked and will have to evaluate things and most of all, my perspective of the world and of others is already changing. I love new perspectives. The door is only open a crack for me to see things in a new way and I can't wait to kick it open.