Waiting

So now begins the waiting. We know that this journey is going to be filled with various lengths of waiting, but I am not a patient person. Future Dad is quite patient. Possibly the most patient person I know. We have been discussing the adoption process and the waiting time, and it seems as though we are at odds with what we think the worst of the waiting will be.
He seems to think that this beginning time will be the worst, filling out papers and waiting for a referral. At this point, we have no clue who these children are and when they will join our family. 

I, on the other hand, believe that the second half will be worse. Once we know who our sweet children are, see their faces and know that they are meant to be in our family, I am going to have a really hard time waiting to get them. 
This process will be full of hurry up and wait. Wait for paperwork, wait for a phone call, wait for approval, wait for the meeting, wait for a match, wait to travel, wait to come home.... Our agency predicts 12-24 months from start to finish. 

Last Wednesday, the 19th, we submitted our application to Lifeline Adoption agency and we are currently waiting to be an official accepted family. They said 3-5 business days, but of course we submitted our application over the Christmas Holiday, so we are hoping to get the welcome phone call sometime between now and Friday. After that, we will have paperwork and an introduction interview (assuming we are accepted)!

Back to the blog title "Our Extra Pickles"... I know it will be a struggle to not complain about the wait and to enjoy it, but I will  enjoy this journey. I will enjoy the waiting because it means one more Christmas to spend focused on my sweet husband. One more dinner dreaming of our future. One more night out at our favorite restaurant complaining about the people with all the crazy kids just knowing in our hearts that soon enough, we will become that couple. Staying up giggling about who knows what, because we aren't yet exhausted from parenting all day. Being involved with our youth group and young adult ministries with our whole hearts before we add children's ministries to our list... We will try to enjoy our extra pickles as we journey to forever.