More paperwork........... can there possibly be ANY more paperwork? Why is Andy always right. Last week when we found out our date was officially bumped back, Andy called it! Now before you read further- we LOVE our new agency and are so thankful they agreed to help us after The Ark filed for bankruptcy........... tonight we got an e-mail that contained at least 8 "worksheets." They were referred to us as homework. When I opened the first one I felt like the kids do when we have to chunk their assignments because they feel so overwhelmed... It had about 50 questions and after I read the first few my blood began to boil. I try to look at things with an open mind but given the steps already taken in this journey it made me want to draw blood.
The question read: "After you return to your life and the Euphoria of adoption wears off and you start to feel like, What have I done to my life..... How will you deal with the stress that this is forever?"
Ummm, where do I start........ First of all do you have any idea what we have gone through to start our family? Do you know what it's like to try time after time to have a baby and pray for those pink lines? Have you felt the years of heartache every day watching everyone around you move on with their lives while you still remain giving it everything you've got? Do you know what it's like to be poked and prodded, to have your tubes blown open with no pain medication, to have your legs in so many stirrups that it makes going to the gynecologist a treat, to insert estrogen capsules and lay down on the floor of your office for ten minutes hoping no one comes in with their key asking you to explain what you are doing, to have injections in your stomach every day, or how about telling your husband for the last time how sorry you are that it just didn't work...... again. I am pretty sure that the "Euphoria" will NEVER wear off. I am pretty sure we know exactly what we are in for and we welcome it! I promise you, we will never complain and we don't need you to help us think through this part. We understand what forever is and we welcome it.

After that the questions just got funny....... the next one read:  "What procedures do you have in place when you enter a foreign country and you find it hard to communicate and anxiety kicks in. How will you handle your stress?"  Thinking back on our Journey I laughed. Oh you mean like the first time we traveled to Czech and took the train to Austria? You mean when we stood on the train track for two hours and they kept changing our track to another location and they announced the change in every language but English? You mean like the time we tried to buy a ticket but we could not get them to understand we wanted to go to Prague so the lady just turned her back on Andy and ignored him? Or how about the time Andy went to the restroom in the train station and the guy chased after him because we did not know you had to pay to use the restroom..... Wait, what about the time we ordered and when the food came we asked for the check.....  Wait, how about the time I traveled by myself and Barbora, our coordinator took me shopping. I left the phone in the apartment and she dropped me off at the apaprtment. I forgot the floor AND the apartments were not numbered. Every door looked alike but mine had a small keypad to the right. I had to walk every floor and check every door until I found it- you mean that kind of stress? Maybe you are talking about the night we arrived in Brno for the first time and Andy packed his X-Box..... I was working hard on my laptop and he was playing a game. The next thing I knew we were both in the dark. You must be referring to the stress that occurs when your electronics from the US throw the breakers for the entire apartment complex and leave everyone in the dark.  I think the answer to that question is simple, have a way to communicate.

Now we realize that these are questions probably created for people beginning the process to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.... But we are WAY past that point. I loved the next question- "Are you prepared for the anxiety caused by strange smells and sounds." Ha ha ha.  Do you mean like the little place below our apartment where we stayed in Czech that smelled of curry? The last one in the restroom and to put a towel over the vent and shut the door or you would wake up in the night feeling sick at your stomach. Are those the smells you are talking about?  We got this........

There were about 50 questions like this and each one came with these overwhelming feelings of where we have been to be where we are now. Maybe in some ways those questions were another reminder to me of how thankful I am to have found "N" and "Z". Several people have shared with me how wonderful it is that we will be able to provide them a better life and how fortunate they will be to have us as their parents. In reality, they are saving us as much as we are saving them. So here is an answer to all of your questions-

We can't wait for our world to be ROCKED, we welcome the craziness, and we know life will never be the same for us again. That is EXACTLY what we've been praying for! Did we pass the test?