Preparation and Socks

There is no one post or one blog that can contain all of the preparation we have gone through to get ready for Violet. I am fairly confident that I could have read one book and been about as prepared as I am now. I could have read just one book and got her the next day and we would have been fine. However, that is not the way. Here are a few pictures of some of the most recent and most enduring preparation we have under taken.

Amanda says she hates Mondays. She actually is just sad that we're still waiting. We believe that God's time line is the only one, but it is harder for moms. I just pray about it a lot and put it out of my mind, some days. Today that is pretty hard. I'm not certain exactly why, but there was an understanding in the air at work today that there were somethings that people needed me to get done before I traveled and stayed home to attach. It was busy and I left with many more things on my to-do list than I arrived with, but I liked it. It was fun. I worked hard. That makes me happy.

Most of the documentation.

The binder on the left does not look very big, but it was filled one piece of paper at a time: one copy of a document, form completed, form received, and important documents to be saved at a time. There is a lot of stuff in there. If our house was on fire and I could get one thing, I would get this binder. Most people think of pictures first, but all of our pictures are on my laptop and those are all backed up, so this binder is next. We could start over with this binder and some cash. Marriage license, birth certificates, immunization records, income tax information, insurance policy information, and proof that we've completed the education requirements for the adoption are all in this binder.

Books

To the right are some of the books we have read. These are the books that were required. I have read a lot of non-fiction books in the last several years. These are not the best. In fact, I have some disappointment in how most of them are not speaking to the situation we find ourselves in. Most paint one horror story after another. Basically, if Violet does not bind us and set us on fire while forcing the other children to watch, we have been warned. Most likely whatever our journey ends with we will have read about much, much worse.

Certificates

Left are some of the certificates we have earned. Some were for online classes. Online classes are either really good or they are really bad. Amanda and I have sat through about 50 hours of online or synchronous classes. Through those, we have been bonded closer. Through those we have learned a lot of important things. 

I hope Violet likes socks.

We have acquired a few pairs of socks for Violet. I hope she gets to wear each pair once before she grows out of them. It seems like a lot of socks and somewhat wasteful. I will tell you that I am confident that Amanda has paid much less than you would imagine for that drawer of socks. We probably have $8.00 invested in socks. That seems impossible, but if you figure Amanda has shopped for 40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year (she does take her two weeks of vacation) for 3 years, she has had 6,000 hours to find the best sock deals on the Internet.

I cannot wait to have child number three at home. I am very tired of having a child living half-a-world away. I believe that at some point I might have actually wished that either child 1 or child 2 did live half-a-world away. I now regret that. I should have just wished for a visit to Bella's or Grandma's. Be careful what you wish for!

Through documentation, education, and socks, I know we will be prepared. Certainly more than the education and even more than the socks, I faithfully believe God has prepared us too. I am thankful to Him. Amanda and I have always had hearts ready to raise children and to adopt children. I am thankful to God for her. I am prayerful to Him for more patience and wisdom in child rearing. I love Him for the sacrifice for me, Amanda, and our children. I pray that our children will be agents in growth of His church.
-CLAY