Thursday, May 7, 2009

APPROVED!!!

I just received this letter in my email inbox 2 minutes ago:


Dear Michael and Gayla,

Congratulations, you are now Gladney approved and ready to begin the dossier and ultimately the referral phase of your adoption process. I am mailing you both an approval packet with your approval certificate and quarterly training information for your “approved and waiting” period. (etc...)


WooHoo!!! That is a HUGE step in the right direction. It means our homestudy is complete and on it's way to CIS for final approval! It means we are very close to being on the "wait" list! It means this thing is REALLY going to happen!!! AAAAAAAUGH!!! I know we are nowhere close to the end, but I kind of got butterflies in my stomach when that email arrived. Wow. This is really going to happen. Am I up to this??? Am I up to this challenge??? AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So exciting and encouraging and terrifying all at once.

13 comments:

emily said...

Congrats!! We got ours yesterday. Sounds like we are on the same track.:) Do you know how long it typically takes for your approval to come from CIS?

Ours took 6 weeks last time from fingerprinting- not sure what current times are for Texas. We are still waiting on our fingerprint appointment. Waiting isn't very much fun!

Jocelyn said...

Congratulations!!!

Justine said...

Wonderful! Congrats! My CIS approval (I-800A) took 6 weeks. I was approved one week after being fingerprinted, so don't despair on the timeline!

:)
Justine

Eryn said...

I just got that same email on Friday! my first time to your blog, but we're in the same spot. We turned in our homestudy to CIS in person this week and were fingerprinted at the same time (there is ONE office here in WA State that will do that...we had to drive 4 hours to get there!)

What age/gender are you waiting for? We are waiting for an infant girl. Congrats...that email felt like a BIG Deal, didn't it? Really nice to hear that we're moving from the first category to the "waiting" category!! Eryn

Just Mom said...

Congratulations, Gayla!

Happy Mother's Day, too.

Heidi Jo Comes said...

fabulous. you are up to it. with God's strength all things are possible.

nancy said...

WOO HOO! I am excited for you guys

Becky said...

This is great, great news. I will continue to pray. Love hearing your updates.

Kimberlie said...

Gayla,
Congratulations! Yes, you are up to it. You can do it. Life will seem like a crazy roller coaster ride for the next year as you work through the process, bring your children home and assimilate to your new life. But it is SOOOOOO worth it.

Of course, it might help if you get some meds from the doc. :)

Michelle said...

Yes it is really, really going to happen. I remember when we were approved by Amani and they called to tell us about our son. We wanted a baby but God would not relent, they said he was a bit older but he was ours. This was the child God had for us a 13 month old little guy named Francis.

Oh, what would he think of us. How would he incorporate into our family. Would I love him the same? Did I have more love to give? Would he remember and miss his birth mommy. How would it all come together. I thought of him constantly.

I think of this lyric from a favorite song of mine "My someday coming child. I name and I rename you. I make up melodies for you."

I remember it like it was yesterday. After they said yes. We had a long way to go with INS approval. Homestudy. Raising money. The list was endless.

No you are not up for this. The game will change mid-play many times before it's over. The butterflies are real very real.

And yes, you can do it. Yes, the Creator of the world is with you every step of the way. The one who saw your babies be born. Who watched them and held them as they tried to sleep their first nights afraid and confused in the orphanage. He was there. He knows their names.

He was also with you whispering into your heart "Your girls. The ones that you dream of. The ones that your heart aches for. They are in Ethiopia. They need you, they need a father, brothers. Go to them."

Your way our of your league. But God is so faithful. I trust He will guide, direct and provide at each stop along the way. He is not safe. But He is good.

Love you and praying for you all.

Anjanette said...

Oh you're up to it! Congrats on the new progress! Cute new "paper". Oh, Joe had a great time this weekend with the guys. Seems guy-time is a good thing. :-) Take Care!

Sohailah said...

SO SO excited for you!!! You guys will be wonderful mom, dad and brothers to them!

Anonymous said...

So great meeting you too!!! We are thrilled to have connected with your family - it's gonna be soooo fun and exciting!! Now we can stalk your blog...muuaahhahahaaaa! :)

Selam! G'day! Hello!