Andy left today for 140 days (give or take a few). He will be stateside and he won't be in the line of fire. For that I'm extremely thankful. We've spent time apart before and we get through it just fine, but man it stinks!
This will be the first time the boys really remember it. I remember when Andy went to Korea for a year and Matt was just turning 2. I kept him on a good schedule and he was so little I could go and do pretty much anything I wanted. Heck, I think I shopped for his birthday with Matthew in the grocery cart. He was young and oblivious and for his sake, it made it easier.
They will both definitely miss him and it just won't be the same around here without him. Hopefully we will get to see him once or twice during this time. You certainly don't get to do that on a normal deployment but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth!
The boys and I will spend some time in Oklahoma visiting family and celebrating the 4th of July. We're guaranteed to have some fun and make this summer without Andy go a bit smoother. The sarcasm and game nights alone will make the drive worthwhile. I love my family! We'll get to see both sides of the family and we can't wait!
Counting down until November....
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Bio-what?
We leave bright and early in the morning to head up to Birmingham to the USCIS office where our biometrics will be done. Sounds fun right?
To people who speak English...we're going to the Immigration office to have our fingerprints taken for yet another background check. This is all part of our petition to bring our adopted daughter back into the country after we pick her up in Taiwan. After this petition is processed, we will be all set to get her Visa so she can enter the US. Kinda a big deal. ;)
Latest info tells us that we shouldn't expect to Skype with her until mid-July or so. We're already working on how to do 3-way Skype. Apparently it's possible and we just have to figure it out so that Andy can be included in everything too. We should be receiving the paperwork that actually initiates the court process any day now.
I pray each day that we can get this process moving along, and then when it does, it's a little surreal. I know that included in the paperwork is a contract and a Power of Attorney. Our signatures will allow the Social Worker to represent us in all of the many court appearances in Taiwan.
We don't know exactly when she'll learn that we are going to bring her home to be part of our family. When the kids are in foster care, the agency doesn't have nearly as much control or say in how and when things happen with her. I'm glad she's NOT living in the orphanage at age 6, but gosh I wish they could give me a date when she'll know, a date of updates we'll get, and a date of when we can Skype and see her sweet face! Not that I'm planning it out or imagining it or anything... ;)
Oh well...tomorrow is another step closer and then we are going to go to the McWane Science Center to spend the day with the boys. I'm really looking forward to all of it. Family time is at a premium right now and we are certainly making the most of it!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Another step (two steps) closer!
Yesterday we received notification of our appointment for fingerprints at USCIS. Our I600A petition will be done as of next Friday...well, the application and fingerprint part of it. We are relieved that we got an appointment so quickly and can get it done before Andy leaves.
Secondly, today we got the email we've been waiting for.
We got orphanage approval!!!!
We can begin to have contact with her. We get to send her a photo album of us, our lives here, the house, the neighborhood, the school, the church, etc... We get to start introducing her to us. SHE gets to learn that there is a family working hard to bring her home, to adopt her and make her our daughter. She finally gets to learn about an exciting new future. AND, we get to start Skype-ing with her. I don't know when that will start exactly, but it's going to be soon and I couldn't be happier!
What a great day!!
Secondly, today we got the email we've been waiting for.
We got orphanage approval!!!!
We can begin to have contact with her. We get to send her a photo album of us, our lives here, the house, the neighborhood, the school, the church, etc... We get to start introducing her to us. SHE gets to learn that there is a family working hard to bring her home, to adopt her and make her our daughter. She finally gets to learn about an exciting new future. AND, we get to start Skype-ing with her. I don't know when that will start exactly, but it's going to be soon and I couldn't be happier!
What a great day!!
Generosity surrounds us
If I never see another box of random clothes, it will be too soon. Ha! We are preparing for our big Yard Sale tomorrow. We have been collecting donations from friends and strangers alike for several weeks. We spread the word at church, posted on Facebook, placed flyers in mailboxes around our neighborhood, and it has gone very well.
People have been so incredibly generous and it's been so fun! It's a lot of work, but it's also been a fun endeavor to experience the good hearts and generosity of so many. God has blessed us a thousand times over and we are very thankful.
We also received a donation in the mail from an old friend. God drove them to contribute and we are just so thankful. We know and believe that He works through many people, in different ways, and that you just never know what and when things will happen. As this process continues I am learning that He encourages us RIGHT when we need it, and He keeps confirming that we are following the right path.
I sure have had days where I doubted this, and doubted our ability to give our new daughter everything that she will need to adjust. And then that very day someone will send me a message saying they were just thinking about us and praying for our adoption. Or we'll receive unexpected money (from our mortgage company no less) and it's just before a payment is due. It keeps happening, and I keep being amazed and thankful.
And we can't wait to share all of this with K. Telling her the story of how we came to adopt her, and how God helped us and blessed us along the way is going to be one of the best parts of this whole process. She'll have immediate, concrete examples of how God works in our lives, how He guides us, and what it means to be a believer. Quite often, I imagine how that will go, and what we'll say. I. Can't. Wait.
People have been so incredibly generous and it's been so fun! It's a lot of work, but it's also been a fun endeavor to experience the good hearts and generosity of so many. God has blessed us a thousand times over and we are very thankful.
We also received a donation in the mail from an old friend. God drove them to contribute and we are just so thankful. We know and believe that He works through many people, in different ways, and that you just never know what and when things will happen. As this process continues I am learning that He encourages us RIGHT when we need it, and He keeps confirming that we are following the right path.
I sure have had days where I doubted this, and doubted our ability to give our new daughter everything that she will need to adjust. And then that very day someone will send me a message saying they were just thinking about us and praying for our adoption. Or we'll receive unexpected money (from our mortgage company no less) and it's just before a payment is due. It keeps happening, and I keep being amazed and thankful.
And we can't wait to share all of this with K. Telling her the story of how we came to adopt her, and how God helped us and blessed us along the way is going to be one of the best parts of this whole process. She'll have immediate, concrete examples of how God works in our lives, how He guides us, and what it means to be a believer. Quite often, I imagine how that will go, and what we'll say. I. Can't. Wait.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
I stepped away from the blog for a bit but I thought I'd update it, mostly so I have a record of this journey.
Our home study was officially completed in February. It was translated by our placement agency and then sent on to St. Lucy's in Taiwan. Every step is so exciting and gets us closer to bringing her home.
We've been waiting for orphanage approval for several weeks now. There's been quite a delay and so we began to ask questions. This is what we were told. St. Lucy's is undergoing an inspection by the government of Taiwan. This inspection happens every 3 years and it keeps the orphanage director extremely busy. Catholic Charities also wants St. Lucy's (in Tainan City) to open up an office in Taipei so the director is not only managing the big inspection, but she is traveling and devoting time to finding space for an office. This means our package sits on her desk and awaits her approval.
It's just standard for us at this point that the situation "isn't typical" and that the delays are unusual. Of course it is! There was a time when it would have driven me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I want this approval to happen so that we can begin all of the court processes there, and do a few more things on our end. But a large part of me keep remembering that God is in control and for whatever reason, this delay is happening...and I just need to shut up and let it happen.
Of course I can't know for sure but we believe that we now know why there has been such a delay. Andy was notified a week ago that he has to deploy on June 11 for 140 days. This deployment is pretty interesting as it's a stateside deployment and not the usual 6+ months. He was chosen to be a Det commander at one of the pre-deployment training bases. As far as deployments go, this is a pretty good deal. He doesn't have to be in the war zone, won't be gone as long, and will be on the same time-zone and have easy access to email, Skype, and phones.
As a side note I prayed he would not be sent to Afghanistan or Iraq this summer and be gone for 6+ months. I prayed specifically and well, God answered those prayers huh? lol
Upon learning of this deployment our first concern was that he probably won't be home in time to go to Taiwan and pick up K. But as each day passes, and the weeks add up, the 4-5 months left in the process begin to stretch out to the end of October!
We don't know anything for sure but I think/pray he'll be back in time to go with me.
If not, we have a contingency plan of my sister and mom going with me. I know I'd enjoy this trip of a lifetime with them. I love that we'd always have such a special memory of that together. So, not my ideal, but definitely okay if it happens.
Our home study was officially completed in February. It was translated by our placement agency and then sent on to St. Lucy's in Taiwan. Every step is so exciting and gets us closer to bringing her home.
We've been waiting for orphanage approval for several weeks now. There's been quite a delay and so we began to ask questions. This is what we were told. St. Lucy's is undergoing an inspection by the government of Taiwan. This inspection happens every 3 years and it keeps the orphanage director extremely busy. Catholic Charities also wants St. Lucy's (in Tainan City) to open up an office in Taipei so the director is not only managing the big inspection, but she is traveling and devoting time to finding space for an office. This means our package sits on her desk and awaits her approval.
It's just standard for us at this point that the situation "isn't typical" and that the delays are unusual. Of course it is! There was a time when it would have driven me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I want this approval to happen so that we can begin all of the court processes there, and do a few more things on our end. But a large part of me keep remembering that God is in control and for whatever reason, this delay is happening...and I just need to shut up and let it happen.
Of course I can't know for sure but we believe that we now know why there has been such a delay. Andy was notified a week ago that he has to deploy on June 11 for 140 days. This deployment is pretty interesting as it's a stateside deployment and not the usual 6+ months. He was chosen to be a Det commander at one of the pre-deployment training bases. As far as deployments go, this is a pretty good deal. He doesn't have to be in the war zone, won't be gone as long, and will be on the same time-zone and have easy access to email, Skype, and phones.
As a side note I prayed he would not be sent to Afghanistan or Iraq this summer and be gone for 6+ months. I prayed specifically and well, God answered those prayers huh? lol
Upon learning of this deployment our first concern was that he probably won't be home in time to go to Taiwan and pick up K. But as each day passes, and the weeks add up, the 4-5 months left in the process begin to stretch out to the end of October!
We don't know anything for sure but I think/pray he'll be back in time to go with me.
If not, we have a contingency plan of my sister and mom going with me. I know I'd enjoy this trip of a lifetime with them. I love that we'd always have such a special memory of that together. So, not my ideal, but definitely okay if it happens.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Homestudy visits complete
Today was the last visit from our social worker (for now). Now she writes the homestudy report and then it's reviewed (for accuracy, to see if it meets state laws, and then to see if it meets Taiwan laws). Once it's been reviewed it will be translated and sent to the Taiwan government. Taiwan will take 2-3 weeks to approve our home study. Once that happens, our dossier goes to them..and then we wait. We should be experts at waiting by the time we finally bring her home.
I think about her every. single. day. I can't wait to Skype with her in a few weeks and send her our first care package. That little girl has no idea that she occupies such a large space in our hearts. What a blessing she is!
Friday, December 16, 2011
1 month later
So much has happened in the past month.
First the good part. We received more information about our future daughter...we'll call her "K" for now. K is doing very well and we even received video that was made about a month ago. She is precious. She is soft spoken, bright eyed, and very cute. I keep watching the video over and over..it's slowly sinking in that this little being on the other side of the world is our daughter. What a strange phrase to even say out loud...strange but incredibly joyous.
As I mentioned before she has had a rough go of things, but from what we've learned, it's nothing that we can't handle as a family. I keep imagining all that she's been through, and then I picture the changes that are about to come her way. How can ANY 5 year old be expected to go through that? Bless her heart...I just want to shelter her from all of it, yet she has to go through it in order for her to become a part of our family. We both just want her here...we want to let her feel the love we feel for her in our hearts already.
I have definitely fallen in love with her and it's honestly quite scary. There is the risk that something goes wrong and we don't get to bring her home. I pray daily that there won't be any problems. That is all I can do..pray and trust Him. I know that but sometimes it's hard to remember to actually DO it. I think the next several months are going to creep by very slowly for me!
The sad news to share is that we lost a very special member of our family on Thanksgiving day. Monty was the love of my sister's life and died unexpectedly. We happened to be in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving this year and I'm so glad we were. I don't know that I actually DID anything to help but I'm glad we were able to be there for a few extra days to support and love on my sister. She's an incredible woman whom I have always looked up to and admired. She's the best mom I know and has a generous, loving heart.
Simply put, it just isn't fair that she had to lose someone who loved her so well. I hate that she has to go through this grief, but I also know she loved, and was loved by him very deeply. I know she wouldn't give up the 4 years she had with him. It's just sad and surreal that he is gone. It's been 3 weeks (today) and I still can't wrap my mind around it. We've all discussed that losing Monty is definitely a reminder to never let a day go by without telling those you love just how you feel. Don't take tomorrow for granted..things can change in an instant!
Prayers that K is kept safe and healthy in the coming weeks, and for peace and comfort for my sister would be appreciated. Oh and for patience for myself and Andy. Thanks!
First the good part. We received more information about our future daughter...we'll call her "K" for now. K is doing very well and we even received video that was made about a month ago. She is precious. She is soft spoken, bright eyed, and very cute. I keep watching the video over and over..it's slowly sinking in that this little being on the other side of the world is our daughter. What a strange phrase to even say out loud...strange but incredibly joyous.
As I mentioned before she has had a rough go of things, but from what we've learned, it's nothing that we can't handle as a family. I keep imagining all that she's been through, and then I picture the changes that are about to come her way. How can ANY 5 year old be expected to go through that? Bless her heart...I just want to shelter her from all of it, yet she has to go through it in order for her to become a part of our family. We both just want her here...we want to let her feel the love we feel for her in our hearts already.
I have definitely fallen in love with her and it's honestly quite scary. There is the risk that something goes wrong and we don't get to bring her home. I pray daily that there won't be any problems. That is all I can do..pray and trust Him. I know that but sometimes it's hard to remember to actually DO it. I think the next several months are going to creep by very slowly for me!
The sad news to share is that we lost a very special member of our family on Thanksgiving day. Monty was the love of my sister's life and died unexpectedly. We happened to be in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving this year and I'm so glad we were. I don't know that I actually DID anything to help but I'm glad we were able to be there for a few extra days to support and love on my sister. She's an incredible woman whom I have always looked up to and admired. She's the best mom I know and has a generous, loving heart.
Simply put, it just isn't fair that she had to lose someone who loved her so well. I hate that she has to go through this grief, but I also know she loved, and was loved by him very deeply. I know she wouldn't give up the 4 years she had with him. It's just sad and surreal that he is gone. It's been 3 weeks (today) and I still can't wrap my mind around it. We've all discussed that losing Monty is definitely a reminder to never let a day go by without telling those you love just how you feel. Don't take tomorrow for granted..things can change in an instant!
Prayers that K is kept safe and healthy in the coming weeks, and for peace and comfort for my sister would be appreciated. Oh and for patience for myself and Andy. Thanks!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Um...Taiwan?
So after my last entry, I received an email from a friend in South Carolina. She recently adopted from Taiwan and had told us about her agency. We were very interested in adopting from Taiwan and researched a few agencies including hers. All of them are closed. Her agency doesn't fill up the waiting list with too many people...makes the wait really long. When we saw the program was closed, we obviously moved on to other avenues and planned to adopt from China.
Well the email I received was her agency looking for a home study ready family for a healthy infant boy from Taiwan. I responded immediately to express our interest.
The exec director responded quickly and while we were not eligible for the infant boy (not home study ready), she was willing to answer some questions about Taiwan adoptions.
She explained that they had 3 people on the "healthy infant girl" list and 3 on the "either gender infant list." When the healthy infant boy became available, she asked each family on the "either" list if they wanted him. All three said no..that they actually wanted a girl. That's how the email looking for a family for the baby boy came about.
While we weren't eligible for this particular baby, I asked her if the wait list was open (since no one is on it) if we were willing to take an infant boy. She said yes. Then I asked her if they ever place toddler or preschool children...anyone younger than Nathan. And she said something that changed everything. :)
She replied "I happen to have a referral right here on my desk for a 5 year old girl" (2 mos younger than Nater). She has been in the foster system, has had a rough go of it for sure, and they were looking for a home for her. She asked if I would like to review the file.
About 10 min later I was looking at her pictures, reading a pretty extensive report on her family history, birth history, living situation, medical eval, school report, etc... Of course I immediately called Andy and forwarded it all to him at work.
She is absolutely darling. She's a petite little thing with beautiful dark hair, and huge brown eyes. Her mother is deceased and her father is out of the picture. She has two older siblings, one of whom was adopted by a family in here in the U.S. about 6 months ago.
We talked and prayed...a lot..and told the director we are definitely interested in her. We certainly feel like we were led to her and that a LOT of things had to happen in order for us to be considering her. We feel strongly God has put her in front of us.
Sooo, all of that to say that we are officially adopting from Taiwan. The agency director is traveling to Taiwan soon and will get to meet this sweet girl and speak with her caregivers to get some more information. We have some questions about some things in her referral and we want to make sure we understand and are equipped to give her everything she'll need once she arrives.
If this goes forward, we COULD have her home by the end of next summer. We were looking at an 18 month wait if we adopted from China. This certainly changes our timeline!
When the agency director gets the info we need, we will finalize our decision. If for some reason we feel that we aren't a good fit for her, then we will pursue the adoption of an infant boy from Taiwan. The wait will probably be a bit longer but we are prepared to follow God's lead in all of this.
So once again, our course changes. And we're VERY okay with that! It's been very exciting so far and we both have peace about what is happening. If she is meant to be with us, then she will be and in the meantime, we are praying for patience and clarity as we get more info in the next few weeks.
Well the email I received was her agency looking for a home study ready family for a healthy infant boy from Taiwan. I responded immediately to express our interest.
The exec director responded quickly and while we were not eligible for the infant boy (not home study ready), she was willing to answer some questions about Taiwan adoptions.
She explained that they had 3 people on the "healthy infant girl" list and 3 on the "either gender infant list." When the healthy infant boy became available, she asked each family on the "either" list if they wanted him. All three said no..that they actually wanted a girl. That's how the email looking for a family for the baby boy came about.
While we weren't eligible for this particular baby, I asked her if the wait list was open (since no one is on it) if we were willing to take an infant boy. She said yes. Then I asked her if they ever place toddler or preschool children...anyone younger than Nathan. And she said something that changed everything. :)
She replied "I happen to have a referral right here on my desk for a 5 year old girl" (2 mos younger than Nater). She has been in the foster system, has had a rough go of it for sure, and they were looking for a home for her. She asked if I would like to review the file.
About 10 min later I was looking at her pictures, reading a pretty extensive report on her family history, birth history, living situation, medical eval, school report, etc... Of course I immediately called Andy and forwarded it all to him at work.
She is absolutely darling. She's a petite little thing with beautiful dark hair, and huge brown eyes. Her mother is deceased and her father is out of the picture. She has two older siblings, one of whom was adopted by a family in here in the U.S. about 6 months ago.
We talked and prayed...a lot..and told the director we are definitely interested in her. We certainly feel like we were led to her and that a LOT of things had to happen in order for us to be considering her. We feel strongly God has put her in front of us.
Sooo, all of that to say that we are officially adopting from Taiwan. The agency director is traveling to Taiwan soon and will get to meet this sweet girl and speak with her caregivers to get some more information. We have some questions about some things in her referral and we want to make sure we understand and are equipped to give her everything she'll need once she arrives.
If this goes forward, we COULD have her home by the end of next summer. We were looking at an 18 month wait if we adopted from China. This certainly changes our timeline!
When the agency director gets the info we need, we will finalize our decision. If for some reason we feel that we aren't a good fit for her, then we will pursue the adoption of an infant boy from Taiwan. The wait will probably be a bit longer but we are prepared to follow God's lead in all of this.
So once again, our course changes. And we're VERY okay with that! It's been very exciting so far and we both have peace about what is happening. If she is meant to be with us, then she will be and in the meantime, we are praying for patience and clarity as we get more info in the next few weeks.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Meanwhile...
While we begin our adoption journey, life goes on as normal here in the Shanahan household. This Fall the boys got to play Flag Football with Upward.org. They had a blast and I wanted to share a few pics.
Andy helped to coach Nathan's team...ages 4-6. He described it as "herding cats."
After one of his games...Nathan's usual pose.
Matt really excelled at flag football. He loved both offense and defense, and plays ball with boys here in the neighborhood every day after school.
LOVE this picture Andy coaching Nathan's team.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Application Approval!
It's official! Our application was approved. Next week we go to our first meeting for our Home Study with our local agency, and we send our signed service agreement and first payment to our placement agency.
Let the paper chase begin!
Let the paper chase begin!
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