I have been writing in my journal throughout our adoption process, but Mitchell urged me to blog about it as well. Most people don't understand the steps, processes and hurdles you have to jump through to adopt a child. Before we started this journey, I knew it was a long process and required a bunch of paperwork, but that was about it. So, here is summary of our adoption journey. It has been an emotional roller-coaster ride for sure, but one of the most rewarding journey's we have ever experienced. God is faithful and oh so good!!!

March, April and May 2015

On March 17, 2015 we submitted our application to Small World Adoption Agency based in Nashville, Tennessee. Hours after we prayed and pushed the send button, we boarded a plane for a long weekend in Dublin, Ireland. We had a fantastic trip and shared our exciting news with the kids at dinner on our second night there. They were initially shocked and couldn't believe it, but quickly became ecstatic over the news. It should have taken 1 week to receive our approval and we received it in just 24 hours.

The next step was to have an interview with the head of the agency, via Skype, and then start working on the Home Study process. This included an immense amount of document gathering, all of which had to be issued within the last 3 months. So, we had to apply for all new documents from the US, marriage license, birth certificates, etc. It also included online classes, training, personality tests on line (making sure Mitchell and I were compatible) and book reports. I took to the task like it was my full time job, even spending a good portion of our Easter holiday in Barcelona to work on it. I was able to get everything done lightning fast and 6 weeks after our initial approval, our social worker, Amanda, landed in Madrid to complete the final portion, a 3 day face to face interview.

Amanda was fabulous and it was so nice to finally have a person we could talk to about the process and answer all our questions. It was also a little worrisome to have a social worker touring your house and hanging out with your children to evaluate your family. :) She was great and fit in well with us, she even wholeheartedly enjoyed the hand puppet videos the kids (and Mitchell) had made for her.

It took her about a week to write and finalize a 30+ page document approving our family to move forward with the adoption. our agency was ecstatic and told us we had moved through the home study process faster than any other family. This was especially crazy for an expat family! I was organized, but clearly God was in control! We knew there was a specific sweet girl he was getting us closer to!!