At this point I am leaning towards the Ethiopia program, in thinking about what I would like to do adoption-wise. I am looking for like-minded blogging families who have been there and done that (all from the U.S., if you know any down under, let me know!).
On one hand I love reading their blogs, seeing them meet their children, and crying over the video montages. Really, that moment of becoming family is so powerful, and so intense, I rejoice in it most every time.
On the other hand I feel like picking up my keyboard and just chewing the keys and spitting them at my screen. (Really? Really.)
I see families grieve over a two month travel delay, or a paper that needs to be resubmitted. From their seat it feels so, so hard. From my seat, well, chewing the keyboard, because it all looks so much easier.
I have been doing the logical math of how long this is likely to take us. I don't think we will be able to even apply until I am a citizen, and that should happen (I hope!) by the end of this year.
The process in NSW involves 11 steps Thinking About Adoption NSW. I think it is somewhat realistic to imagine child(ren) coming home to us when Finch is about 7 years old. He is 2.5 now. Four years (remember 2012 is mostly about gaining citizenship) seems wildly optimistic to some people, but perhaps a little long to others. I don't know if I am being naive or not.
It is one of those situations where I could feel defeated before we even start. I wanted to title this post "A Little Bit of Complaining", but then I remembered my personal effort to "do everything without complaining" and I am trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps instead.
What I know to be true, whether I feel it or not, is that things in my life have always been timed well, whether they fit with other people's (or my own) time-lines or not.
I will KNOW in retrospect, that whatever path we have chosen, and however long it has taken, it will all turn out just as it should. I have four children in my life that echo that truth to me daily, if I have the heart to receive it.
It will all work out as it should.
I just wanted to write a couple of words of encouragement (and empathy!). I'm an Aussie living in the UK and adoption here is even more impossible, if you can believe that... 7 years to get right-of-abode and no adoption agency will look at us before then. But it will all be worth it, and turn out as God wants it to. So do keep persevering, and know that others are praying for you.
Posted by: Bonnie | 09 January 2012 at 07:05 AM
My brother and his wife are adopting from Ethiopia. I think they are almost two years into the process... but I don't really know what is going on with everything other than (of course) things have taken longer than they thought it would.
Posted by: Wendy Knight | 09 January 2012 at 07:36 AM
I am a friend of your friend Lillian, and I have another friend, Emily, who adopted from Ethiopia, about two years ago. Her blog is here: http://vogeltanzfamily.com/ - hoping this helps!
Posted by: Kelli | 10 January 2012 at 04:48 PM