September 19, 2011

Our official number did go up this month to #33. With this we were grateful, though there is much hurt amongst families right now who are in several stages of the referral and finalization process. There is an uncertainty and heart ache for the children and families caught in the midst.

At this time we have come to realize that our well thought out plan for financing a large portion of the adoption expenses will not come to fruition, as the tax refund we were counting on expires at the end of December and additional fees for updating our homestudy and USCIS fingerprints will start to add on to the original cost. While disappointing and a bit worrisome, we know it will all be worth it once she is here with us! We are so appreciative of friends and family who are supporting us in many ways as we come to this understanding. One group of friends is putting together a Trivia Night in October as a fundraiser to offset these costs. We are hoping the participants have a good time and we are most thankful for this gathering and their efforts to help, whether it is through their time, words of encouragement, food donations, or participating in the event. While it was our choice to adopt and while we had a plan laid out to pay for the costs, it is meaningful when others support our choice and extend a hand when those plans don't quite go accordingly. She will come to our family with the hopes and help of many!