Not "Waiting" Yet :(

I have been terrible at blogging, and not because I have nothing to say.  I have been terrible because I spend every evening at school really late and then have no desire to turn the laptop back on when I get home.  I finally started being a "real" teacher.  I am in charge of 19 little minds and getting all the information into them that they need to learn in 3rd grade.  I am excited that part of my job is leading my students to Jesus everyday.  I love when I can connect the curriculum with what we've learned in Bible.  I also love that I can ask, "Is this what Jesus would want us to do? Is that speaking in kindness to our friends?"  My beginning has not been without its pitfalls and every time I think that this biggest pitfall has been overcome it seems to rear its head again, so any prayers on that would be greatly appreciated, but I love feeling like I am where God wants me.  It was awesome my first day because it just felt so normal and peaceful.

I am getting slightly better at not staying at work until very late at night but I am having a hard time coming home alone.  My dog was ran over by a neighbor a couple of weeks ago and since then it has been even harder to convince myself to go home to the empty house.  I know that God knows what he's doing, and probably Josh wouldn't have as many opportunities for overtime if he worked first shift, but I am so over being on opposite shifts.  I either don't get enough sleep and am grouchy all the time or don't see Josh and am therefore grouchy all the time.  I don't like going out to people's houses every night but then get frustrated if I'm home alone.  I try to do the "Paul" thing and be content no matter my circumstances, but I definitely find these circumstances to be trying.  But just when I am complaining to God about how I hate it, He had someone share their family story with me that had me shutting up and thanking Him right then for the great man He has put in my life.  I am not sure why I am so lucky to have a guy who works so hard for me or values my happiness so but I am glad that I do.

What else... well my sister had a stroke.  At 31.  Over Labor Day weekend when we were supposed to be camping.  I didn't even know 31 yr olds had strokes.  I was so so scared and then so so thankful to God for His healing.  A million different "coincidences" happened that day that prevented it from being so much worse and I praise God for each of them.  She's doing pretty good now although not quite up to speed (and a little ditzy which isn't normal) but the doctors still haven't given a definite diagnosis and plan of action.  So again I would covet prayers for that.

Finally I thought I would be an official "waiting family" this week.  I finally had all the paperwork for my dossier and then mailed it off to Indiana's Secretary of State.  I get it back in less than a week (with a holiday weekend in the middle, Gold Star for SOS) but alas I am not ready.  They refused to certify 3 of my papers.  I want to complain about all 3.  If you've had enough of my complaining, feel free to skip, but I must get it out!

I was told by my adoption consultant and other adoptive moms that I needed to go to Indianapolis to get my official official birth certificate.  So I did.  I went to the department of health (which has a super dumb address and my droid was being dumb at showing me at street/walking level where it was) walk in with all my identifications and marriage license so I can get Josh's also only to be told, "Oh, we don't do that here anymore you need to go to the county you were born in." So I ask to confirm that this will be the official one because I was told to go to Indianapolis and they assure me this is the way the state is doing this now.  So then on a different day I drive the 2 counties over to where both Josh and I were born (another random "coincidence" I found out that day we were even delivered by the same doctor).  I find their vital records department, go in prove who I am and she gets me the birth certificates.  While there I explain I need these for international adoption and had been told to go to Indy but Indy said come there so these would be the most official ones, right? She assures me they are what I need.  Unfortunately for me she and the people in Indy are WRONG!!! I have to go to some random website enter my info, upload my identification (seems like a wonderful method for identity theft to me), and they ups'd me the birth certificates.  That only took another week.  After the 2 days and hundreds of miles I drove.  For the birth certificates I wish I knew where to officially complain because I would.  Because I covered all my bases and asked and asked and was still wrongly informed.  But such is life in this broken world we live in and God knows the plan so I/my babies must need the extra time that those birth certificates have given us.

Then they also returned my marriage license.  It was returned because the certification (stamp whatever it is called) and signature of the clerk on it were over 3 years old.  This is because it's the first official one I received when I got married 5 years ago and nothing in any documentation told me I needed to have a newer one.  This is a little ridiculous to me since marriage licenses don't expire! C'est la vie.

The final thing returned was one of the letters we had notarized.  Apparently something is wrong with this notary's (who works at a bank) stamp.  Her dates are all wrong so she doesn't work so the letter had to be reprinted and renotarized.  Since I have no way of knowing this before sending it to the SOS I pray that the new notary is acceptable.

I have the new birth certificates and the new notarized letter.  I just have to find time (or hopefully Josh can find time) to get to the courthouse in a town we don't live in.  As soon as we get that we will mail those 3 items back to the SOS who hopefully will once again have great turn around so we can finally mail that dossier and be an official "Waiting" family.

Psalm 27:14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord