(Lots of detail. I’ve bolded some of the key points.)

With our homework turned in, we are now in waiting mode for Antioch Adoptions social workers to write it up. After some preliminary writing, home visits will be scheduled (2-3 different times at about 2 hours each). Once all visits are completed, the home study will be written and we will acquire our foster license. Estimated length of time is 6 weeks to 3 months to complete this phase of the process. During this time, I am working on creating a picture profile of our family that will represent us to the birth parent or social worker for the child. (Appreciate your prayers for this tender subject.)

Once we are licensed, we WAIT for a call from Antioch that they have a potential child match.

When the call comes, get some info and then hang up and pray. We won’t call back for 2-24 hours with our answer.

Then, our caseworker, Chelsea, will present our case and picture profile to the birthparent or social worker on behalf of the child. The birth parent or social worker may have up to 4 profiles to look at along with ours, and then we are either chosen us or not. We receive a 2nd phone call giving us the ‘verdict’. If not chosen, we await another child match and begin that part of the process again.

If chosen, (WOW!) we make an appointment to read the child’s records.

Next, a transition plan is formulated which includes our first visit with the child (adults only) where we also get to meet the current foster parents. This visit is typically a couple hours long, and since the kids can’t come we may bring a special toy on behalf of them to present to the child.

In subsequent visits, Ashley, Jordan, and Bekah will be able to come and meet their new sibling. We could go do something fun together. We may also have a weekend visit where the child comes and stays for the weekend. When all involved think the child is ready, the child moves into our home. (Typically a month-long transition process.)

During the next few weeks, Antioch social workers and foster care social workers will be coming out to the house just to check in and make sure all is going well. These are called post-placement visits and are carried out as a help during the transition. These social workers are also always just a phone call away.

How long this entire process takes is only in God’s wisdom. Our job is to stay following Him. Only by staying close and intentionally letting him lead (not asking him to hop on board with US), will we be in the right place when the calls come. It will be an emotional rollercoaster. We appreciate knowing you are praying for us.

Wow – time flies!

Jordan’s Stage II surgery for the BAHA went great and the doctor was very pleased with how the posts had osseointegrated. The soft tissue work was done at this last surgery as well as adding the abutment. He’s had his post-operative appointment and is scheduled to receive his processor (hearing aid box) on MONDAY!

Here are a couple photos…

This is what Jordan's head looked like the day after surgery - 10/24. There is a disc covering the surgical site which is wrapped with a strip of Vaseline gauze.

This is what the site looked like the day after the post-op appointment when the disc was removed. (The disc snaps on and off, and stays in place except for times when we add ointment to the site.)

The site is healing very well. The biggest issue seems to be a disturbance to his balance for some reason. His aid at school, therapist at horse riding, and also a volunteer at riding therapy all noted some atypical instability in Jordan. Not sure what that’s all about. Appreciate your prayers.

Jordan’s check-in time at Children’s is at 8:45 Friday morning. Surgery will start about an hour and a half after that and will last about an hour fifteen minutes. Recovery will be 1-2 hours and then we head home. Jordan is very ready to have his BAHA! (We’re trying to help him understand that this process still isn’t over. He still has to heal for 2 weeks before the actual amplification box delivery appointment occurs.)
We much appreciate your prayers for Jordan’s safety, our peace, and the girls as they will be home (and are both fighting the flu).

Willie and I survived our 3-day state training this past weekend. Most of the time this class is offered over about 7 different meeting times, so ours was very intense. We also had family speakers who had previously adopted, sessions on multi-cultural families, and special needs. It was, well, boring a lot of the time, but it did give us the opportunity to meet 11 other couples also going through the process of adopting. Of these, 8 already had biological children – that surprised me, I thought we’d be the odd-balls.

Willie and Stephanie with our Antioch Case Worker, Chelsea

Our PRIDE class on a quick break Sunday afternoon - this was about the only sunshine we saw all day (all sessions were held in a windowless room!!)

I will update again soon as to the next steps in our process!

Our first baby is FOURTEEN!

On Friday, 10/2, Ashley got a Mom and Dad date where we went and picked out her first cell phone followed up by the movie FAME with us and her friend Rachel. It was a fun night. The phone has changed her life, but we haven’t had to take it away… YET.

On her actual birthday, 10/5, we opened presents together at home and then headed out to a special family dinner at Red Robin. Embarrassing her with the Red Robin birthday song was very fun.

Ashley got a phone call from Uncle Wes and Aunt Kara the morning of her birthday. They announced to her that for her birthday they were going to fly her down for the weekend in January or February.

Celebrating with the family is always special, but celebrating as a teenager the party with friends is always a highlight. It was a ‘party year’ for her (up through 10 they get yearly parties and then it goes to 13, 16 and then 18 years) but between Ashley and her friends there are 4 birthdays within 44 days. These good friends got together and planned a birthday bash they called “B.R.A.M.’s 14th B’day Celebration”. B.R.A.M. are the girls’ initials: Bekah Russell, Rachel Mansfield, Ashley, and McKenna Welch.

Enjoy the pictures of her big day(s)!

Birthday Card from Gramma & Grampa

The Girls

Ashley and Jordan

Tearing up over a note from Gammy

Special memory album of Ashley's first years from Gammy and Pa

Lamp and iPod doc from Grandma Yogi

Red Robin sings for Ashley

McKenna, Bekah, Rachel and Ashley

Friends!

Beautiful Birthday Girl

Ready for the FBI

It’s September 23, seven months since our introduction class (2/23) with Antioch Adoptions, and I’ve finally gotten the last of the preliminary paperwork taken care of. These fingerprint cards, money orders, and a notarized letter were mailed to the FBI today for our federal background checks.

Where are we at right now? I explained to someone that it feels like being on a log ride at an amusement park. We’ve been sailing along, occasionally bumping the side and questioning, but for the most part it has been smooth sailing. Well now, the big, you-know-it’s-coming drop is just around the corner and we’re about to plummet. Things will be picking up speed very quickly and we’ll be that much busier as we complete classes which allow us to be licensed as foster parents.

In just a little over 2 weeks, Willie and I will spend 34 hours over the course of 3 days in special training called PRIDE (Antioch Adoptions’ adoptive family preparation training and also fulfills State requirements for foster licensing). At this weekend training we also receive PRIDE Homework and Adoptive Homestudy Homework which must be completed before a caseworker can be assigned to complete our homestudy. Once we have our piles of homework and the weekend is completed, we’ll still have 21 hours of individual classes to attend. BUT, once this is all done, the homestudy can be scheduled and completed… and then we just WAIT (prayerfully!).

Thank you for praying with us!

The kids all ready for school and waiting with Jordan for his bus

Close-ups

Maltby Cafe tradition on the first day of school. Hot chocolate - steamed milk and whip - YUM!

The girls!

We started the year with a family meeting the night before and began a new schedule for the first day of school which included everyone at the table at 8:00. Working on improving that family time! Jordan had an “awesome” day and hardly used his walker all day. The girls dug in and got their work done without too much complaining as well. To glorify our Lord, that is our goal.

Jordan: “Mom, I totally need to get my hair cut. I can’t go to school lookin’ like THIS.”

In an amazing turn of events that were a total answer to prayer, 5 days before we left for Family Camp I ’stumbled’ upon information that Outdoors for All rents equipment. I had checked with therapists and case workers and no one knew of anyone who rented stuff. The very next morning I took Jordan to Seattle and tried out a bike. And then, only by the provision of friends was the bike actually rented for the week. It was such a blessing.

And at the end of the week, when asked if he’d liked Family Camp, Jordan responded, “Yes! ‘Cause I had my bike!” Like, duh!