****Home Study Completed****

NEWS FLASH - the Adoption home study has been completed. We now have all documents completed that will allow us to get on that elusive waiting list. This by far was our biggest hurdle to date. Let me explain.

The Adoption Home Study is a big report prepared by our social worker - all about us. It's the specific reason why we've been meeting with our social worker regularly over the past 2 months. It's the main reason why we had to read all of those books, submit to interviews, describe our home and marriage in detail. Technically speaking, it's considered the final approval for moving forward with the adoption, meaning, we're eligible to be placed on the waiting list. But hooooold your horses, 2 small, but critical steps before this happens...

The Home Study is a major requirement for our Guatemala Dossier, along with all of those items mentioned in my previous post. Right now we've got a giant pile of documents that will need to receive a state seal (which is essentially a verification of all of those notaries - we'll take care of this in Harrisburg tomorrow) . Then they will be authenticated (which Bethany will take care of next week). Think of this step as a having a certificate of authentication for a valuable autograph or antique.

By this time tomorrow, our documents will be on their way to Bethany's central office for one final check. It could be as little as 2 weeks before we're on the waiting list for Carmen!!!

A quick timeline update from there. There are slew of interim steps involved, which I'll explain later on.

Mid Feb - on the waiting list.
June-Aug - receive referral.
Dec 07-Jan 08 - bring home CJ.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support. It's a huge relief to get to this stage. The paperchase is complete!