Sign Here & Read Read Read

This past week we have gotten very familiar with reading and signing our names and initials. We read through our Ethiopian adoption manual and signed lots of forms that need to be turned into our agency with the first half of our agency fee. Our agency also requires us to read the book, The Connected Child, and take 10 hours of online education. I feel like I am back in college. But, I must say that I am so thankful that Lifeline requires us to do these things. My eyes are already being opened to so much about adoption.

When you decide to adopt, most of your thoughts go only to the happy stuff: rescuing a child, a new family member, living out the gospel, etc. But the reality is, that the chances are the child that God matches you with, may have trouble fitting into your family right away. So many orphans have faced hardships like abandonment, abuse, neglect, disease, social and behavioral disorders, etc before they come home. For a lot of these children, coming into a new family where love and nurturing are second nature, is awkward and not easily accepted.

Being prepared for the possibility of issues arising from the transition is a must. You can't go into this with expectations that everything will be perfect. You have to be prepared. I have heard that as hard as the paperwork, the money, the waiting is, it's the post-adoption that can be the hardest, especially in the beginning. So, Evan and I are committed to being as prepared as we can be before our son comes home.  No, there is no manual that is going to give us step by step directions on what to do, just like no one gave us a manual when we left the hospital with our biological children. But we will be seeking out helpful resources and going into this whole process knowing that this won't be easy, things won't be perfect, but we will fight for, choose to love and embrace this child into our family, whatever it takes. If you have any resources that you have found to be of great help for adoptive parents, let us know.

Getting my education on:

Our first bag of Just Love Coffee came in and it smells YUMMY! We ordered the Ethiopian blend. While Evan is the coffee drinker in the house, I may be drinking a cup of this deliciousness before our 12 hour car trip to Texas tomorrow. Don't forget to order a bag of one of the yummy flavors for yourself or as a gift for someone. You can access our storefront through the icon to the left or here:

https://justlovecoffee.com/about/beneficiary/themcgintysadopt/

You can keep up with how our fundraising is going over to the right. A BIG THANK YOU to those who have donated so far...you are AWESOME!