Monday, August 4, 2014

Big Announcement for Us!

So, this post is purely personal, no great teaching tips, products to share, or book reviews here...but I did want to let all of you know some big news for my little two-person family.


We are finally taking the plunge and have begun the journey to adopt our first (and very possibly only!) child. For the last seven years it's just been the two of us kickin' around in this house and we're hoping to grow our family by one as soon as possible. 

The process is a long, nerve-wracking, and expensive one. A domestic infant adoption can cost between 30-50,000 smackeroos. But every journey starts with a few small steps! And that's where many of you guys came in...

Whether you knew it or not, you guys have been helping us take steps for the last year and a half! Any time you have purchased one of my products, or even given me a good rating on a freebie, you've been helping our journey get started. Every cent of my Teacher pay Teachers earnings have been going into our adoption fund. In fact, that has been my motivation for all the work I've put in since day one! And now I'm proud to share that I recently hit the first TpT milestone! That's an amazing start (we're halfway there!) to the unfortunate high expense involved with this journey. 
So, THANK YOU!


We realized that we didn't have a single
working smoke detector! YIKES!
I'll be installing these new smoke and
CO detectors all over the house soon!
All of the flooding and set backs we've had with our house has been really discouraging. One of the adoption requirements is a home study, and with the state of our flooded house, we had to get that fixed. But last week, as many of you know, my dad and I put in 7 fourteen hour work days to put things back in order! We got most of it corrected, and luckily I only spent about a third of what it would have cost me to hire someone to help. 

It was still a financial setback...but we have decided that if we keep waiting for the "financially right time"...we could be waiting forever. So, we're trusting that God will provide, going into debt a bit, and we've taken the plunge and started the official process this past Saturday! 


We've started working with an agency, and have learned about all the things that we need to get in order to be matched with a birth mother. A lot of it is pretty standard stuff, like getting clearances, but there's also a doctor's appointment to prove we have normal life expectancies, a TON of paperwork to collect, the home visits (which means lots of cleaning and finishing the construction), the interviews by the caseworker, we have to write autobiographies, get letters of recommendation, make our profile(kind of like online-dating), and yada yada yada. It's a bit overwhelming...


This is the first piece of homework,
reading through this massive
information packet, and getting
all of our preliminary paperwork
together.
It's also a bit scary because the timeline is so unsure! We could get everything together, complete our home study, and find a match super quick...or it could take months to a year to find a match. I'm a little jealous of most people's pre-determined 9-month timelines.

But like I said...small steps!

I was wary about sharing my reasons for TpT'ing...but some of my BBBs out there convinced me to share the good news...and I really did want to thank all of you, whether you've bought something from me, or whether you've given a rating, pinned something from my blog, or even if you've just helped motivate me to keep writing this blog by commenting or reading my posts. It still amazes me how blessed we are that TpT is making something like this possible. With our salaries, it frankly wouldn't be possible otherwise. 

I'll be sure to include updates about our journey as we move along it! Thanks for reading!

22 comments:

  1. I am so thrilled for you guys and will be praying that the process goes as smoothly as possible! There is a child out there who will be so fortunate to have the two of you as parents! Hugs to you and Killer B!

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  2. You and Killer B will make absolutely awesome parents. I am so happy for you guys and can't wait to read more about your journey and help you in any way possible! :)
    One of your BBBs, Theresa
    Pinkadots Elementary

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  3. Wishing you lots of luck and happiness!!!!

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  4. Congratulations! This is a very exciting journey, and I am so glad you're sharing it with us! I will be following closely, as this is something we hope to do in the future as well!

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  5. Thanks for sharing your inspiration! I wish you all the best in your journey and look forward to hearing about all your small steps!

    -Lisa
    Mrs. Spangler in the Middle

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  6. That is awesome news!! I pray this will go as smoothly as possible, and that you meet your new bundle of joy really soon!!

    Erin
    Learning to be awesome

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  7. That is awesome!!! Good luck and hopefully it will be a fast process!!

    Lena
    4th Grade with Glitter

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  8. What an amazing process to be going through... Congratulations on your decision, and good luck with everything!!

    Andrew
    Mr. First Grade

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  9. Congratulations!

    Janeen
    Mrs. Kilgore's Classes

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  10. I'm so happy for you and Killer B. Congrats and I can't wait to see pictures of your new arrival (whenever he or she makes their debut). I'm so glad that I'm one of your BBB's and that you shared your story!

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  11. I'm so so so excited for you and Killer B! You know I'm here for whatever you need!!
    Jivey

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  12. Prayers and warm thoughts for a smooth, speedy process!

    Angela

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  13. I am so very HAPPY for the both of you and wish you both the very best thoughts as you go through this process!! YAAAAY! Best news ever, Nick!
    Alison
    Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin'

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  14. That's so wonderful! So happy for you and your family!!!

    Hope
    Teaching with Hope

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  15. I'm so happy for you guys!!! Maybe ginger ale and crackers will help with the paper cuts!! LOL! Congrats!!

    Rachel
    A Tall Drink of Water

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  16. Just purchased your Wonder guide on TPT and loved it so much, I had to check out your blog. Amazing news on here!! Best of luck in this small steps journey! As a mom of three, I am sending you positive thoughts and lots of love from Wisconsin!

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  17. Just catching up and getting a chance to read this post. I'm so excited for you and Killer B! Sending tons of hugs and virtual band-aids!
    Michele
    Coffee Cups and Lesson Plans

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  18. Oh my gosh, that story made me tear up. Best wishes to you and Killer B as you take this journey! I can't wait to hear all about it. You two will be such great parents!!!
    :) Wendy

    Read With Me ABC

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  19. This was one of the best posts I've ever read! You are such a great person and you and Killer B deserve every happiness parenthood has to offer! I'm here for you to help with anything you need. Hugs!!!
    ~Holly
    Fourth Grade Flipper

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  20. Awesome post to read! You and your wife would make awesome parents and I am happy for you guys.
    Jasmine H.
    The Dots of Teaching

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