How many more days?

It's getting closer!! Only 9 more days until we are able to really meet the girls again. At this meeting they will know that we are going to be their adoptive parents. It brings tears to my eyes even thinking about it. Next weekend will be our last weekend of it being just us. Our world is about to change and I can't wait!!

August is going to be one crazy month for us. With meeting the girls, work ending, lots of appointments, and our move coming up, I hope we have time to breathe!

I did plan a party for the girls so everyone can meet them. We are having it on August 18th at Xtreme Hang Time Trampoline Park. I am calling this our "Hello & Goodbye" Party. I want people that we know here to have the chance to meet the girls without it being too overwhelming for them, and I want the chance to also say goodbye to people here before we move. I am inviting everyone that knows us, so if you know us and are in the area, please feel free to drop by on the 18th from 4 to 6pm.

Since these are not 'babies' and I not having a baby shower, but I put on my party invite that we have a 'wish-list' at Toys R Us. (it's under Faith Stephenson). I mostly added games, puzzles, toys for the beach, and art supplies. Family members are asking what we need to help with the transition and filling up their rooms. As of now, I know that we will want to get the girls new bedding of their choice and other items to decorate their rooms. We have purchased a few things to far, like toiletries and some clothes, but we don't know what all they have and what all they need and of course, what all they like. If you would like to send a gift, gift cards would be great. We want the girls to be able to pick out what they want, to feel the ownership, to show their thankfulness, to feel the love, and to be able to express themselves. (And to be able to say "Thank You" in their own special way.)

The T-Shirts were our first purchase:

We all love Tervis Tumblers so I had to get new ones for the whole family!

A great friend through work gave us a Barbie house and
3 boxes of Barbie stuff, and a box of Build-a-Bears with
clothes and some pre-loved clothes from her daughter,
Thanks Tricia!

Risky sleeping next to the pile of clothes from Tricia! 

Yesterday's Walmart purchase. Had to get started somewhere!

I just found out today that Sean's Mom is purchasing all of the girls school supplies. That is so awesome and we are so thankful! One less thing on our never ending list of things to do before we move. (sigh of relief!)

We also got our first sweet card from the Krehn family. That was very thoughtful of them. It is such a loved feeling that family that lives far away are thinking of us and praying for our happiness and showing love to two little lovelies that will soon be in our lives.


All of the facebook posts from friends from my present and past warm my heart. I post the silly pics that show my excitement and friends reply with their happiness =  love & smiles!

I look at this Barbie house in the girls room and just can't wait to get on the floor and start playing!

Transition

And now for the transition period...

On July 18th, we had our calendar meeting. At this meeting we met with all of M&S's workers to put together a transition calendar. This was a very exciting time for us. It was finally here, something more real to look forward to.

The team put together a transition calendar that starts next month. The girls will be on vacation at the end of July and beginning of August. M&S will finally be informed about us on August 5th at a therapy session. At this meeting they will be given the family book that we made them. They will be able to talk with their therapists about the adoption and what it all means to them. The next day, August 6th, we will finally get to to meet them again! This will also be held at a therapy session. The next night we will be going to their foster home for dinner. That next Friday and Saturday they get the spend the day with us in our home.

The calendar goes on.... They will have their first over night visit with us on August 13th. Just one week from really being introduced to us. We have several meetings with their therapists that week and then we have another overnight visit for the whole weekend! The next week on August 21st, M&S will officially move in with us. On the 22nd, their therapists will be having a discharge party.

The next week we head out to CALIFORNIA---as a family!  We had thought that this process would never happen and that I would be staying here in New Mexico for a month or two longer to get everything completed. But it has all worked out. I feel so blessed.


Some other things have happened that I want to always remember about this time in our lives. The little things mean so much to me and makes me feel like this is meant to be. While at our calendar meeting, foster mom said that the girls really wanted their adoptive parents to have dogs. They wanted to take their dog if they didn't. This warms my heart. I am so thankful that these two little lovelies love dogs. The second little thing happened earlier today. I sent a text to foster mom for the first time to get M&S's clothing sizes. She replied with them and then mentioned that yesterday M said that she hoped that the couple they met at the Lobo's adoption event were the ones that were going to adopt them. (That's the adoption event that we attended) And S agreed with her. My eyes filled with tears. Another way it's meant to be. (BTW, the M&S do know that they will be adopted soon, they do not know how soon or who is adopting them.)

Now we wait, just a bit longer. We have a therapy meeting next week to learn more about how to specifically deal with their issues. They will also schedule more for the next week as well. In the mean time, I turned in my notice at work yesterday. My last day will be August 7th. (the day that we have dinner with them). After that, our calender is extremely full. We plan on doing tons of fun outings with the girls while we are still here for them to get to know us better. Swimming, rock climbing, Cliff's Amusement park, and a going away party at a trampoline park are just some of the great things that we will be doing. I can't wait to share our exciting adventures with our friends and family!

Here's a peak at our transition calendar:

My My Sweet July...

It seems like to took forever to get here, and I feel like we have forever to go. I honestly feel so blessed to be in this position.

Every one's asking "What's going on with the girls?"  We had our first full disclosure meeting on July 3rd with CYFD. In this meeting, their case supervisor gave us a review of their history and incidents that brought them in the foster care system. The meeting took about an hour and they have us two 3 inch thick binders of their information to review. The binders included their history, therapy treatment plans, safety plan, birth and school records. I spent July 4th reading M's file and finished with S's file on Sunday. We had our 2nd tier disclosure with their therapists on Monday, July 8th. At this meeting their foster mom attended. Their therapists were great at answering our questions and gave us a real insight to how they are doing. Meeting with their foster mom was also amazing. We heard first hand of how they do day to day. After these meetings we are required to take 72 hours to 2 weeks to decide if this is right for us.

I placed the phone call this morning to their placement worker and informed her that we wanted to proceed with the adoption of M&S.

So when do we get to see them? Well, we scheduled our calendar meeting for July 18th. At this meeting we will be making a 3 week transition calendar with them. This includes days we can meet, days we can talk on the phone, days that they can come over, and days that they can stay over. Their workers would like a quick transition due to their anxiety. They would like them in our house as soon as they can and then be able to visit with their foster parents and grandparents after they are with us (and of course before me move.)

We also have some therapy training sessions coming up next week. On Monday we meet one on one with their therapist to get more specifics, with a group training session following that. Also on Thursday we have an intervention therapy meeting with a group. These are just some of the classes they would like us to take to help process the hardships of M&S.

It's going to be a rough, hard, road for us and these two little lovelies. But I am dedicated to making it work, and having a fulfilling life with them. I so can't wait!!!

So that's where we are now. I can't wait for the future and to be able to share all the wonderful things we get into!