Here we GROW again!!!

Exactly 1 month ago today I blogged here about our desire to to adopt again in the near future. I explained that we were seeking, praying and searching for God's guidance. Little did I know that a few days prior to that post, the adoption tax credit was made permanent for adoptive families. Yay adoption! :) I know that not everyone is excited about tax credits. But I hope you can understand how helpful this one is for families that are passionate about adoption. We are so grateful that this is permanent now. How will Jeremy ever stop me from adding just 1 more to the family! ;) But before this recent change, this was one of the hurdles for us going our familiar route of a domestic agency adoption. So we were seriously praying about and considering other options. Then, just days later, I received a phone call from a dear friend about a need for adoptive families at an agency in the Houston area. Sometimes when people know you are going to adopt, these phone calls just come. And often they don't work out. But in the back of my mind, I kept thinking that was how we received both of our boys. Their stories of how they came to our family are miraculous, but very random when I look at all the details. Neither was "typical" if there even is such a thing. So Jeremy and I both felt we couldn't disregard the Houston opportunity. After a few contacts, we realized none of those babies were going to be ours. There were no tears or regret. I've seen God's goodness in my life too much to doubt Him when a door closes. But through this process, Jeremy and I both realized how eager we were to get this party started. I'll admit that I've been ready for a while. But after this little experience, Jeremy gave me the green light and I've been running full speed ahead ever since. So now we are knee deep in paperwork. After some communication with the agency that Holden was placed through in Oklahoma, we felt complete peace and quickly began moving forward with them. All of our paperwork should be mailed off to them by the end of this week. Jeremy and I are getting finger printed tomorrow...and from what I understand that only takes 10 days to process. This was a surprise to me since Oklahoma takes 6 weeks (or they did back in 2008). Our interviews with our local social worker were supposed to take place next Friday. Today I just found out that she bumped us up to this Friday. Jeremy goes for his physical today. The boys physicals are completed. Apparently, it is supposed to take a 1-2 months to get in to my doctor for a physical. I called this week and they could have gotten me in within 2 days!! Unheard of! Seriously. Since we had the finger printing appointment scheduled the day she offered me the appointment for the physical, I had to schedule it for next Thursday. Thursday is the boys school day and that is definitely not an appointment my little ones should be present for. :) It's all happening very fast. I would say even more quickly than when we zoomed through the process before Holden. How can it even be possible for it to go any faster this time?! I have 2 kids at home and it definitely limits my time much more than it did in 2008. But it is going super fast. Like we may have everything completed, start to finish, in a total of 3 weeks. And that inlcudes almost a full week that we were gone for our vacay, where we did nothing to move us forward in the process. Sure, I'm pushing along the paperwork on our end. But I'm just seeing some unusual things happen and doors swing wide open for us. So it just makes me wonder what God is doing. I am very well aware that we may just breezing through this to wait and wait and wait. I know that could happen. But it just leaves me wondering why the rush. We are excited. So excited! Excited to meet our next little love that will change our lives and our family forever.