Adoption

10/9/12
So we've been on a certain road for a while now. It's had alot of roller coasters on it and it's been a long one. Our road is adoption.
We've always wanted to adopt out of foster care, me since I was a teenager. I don't remember what brought me to that decision but I do remember wanting too one day, and telling my husband when we were dating before we married. He had to be open to it, of course.
I've always had a heart for it, for children.
And since I'm native american (Cherokee), when learning more about my heritage I learned about the ENORMOUS need for homes in the Cherokee Nation for foster children.
Why?
Well, there's a lil something called Indian Nation Child Welfare Act. It was enacted many years ago because the English didn't like how many Cherokee homes were and decided it would be in the children's best interest to take them. Their homes were fine, just small (because of the trail and taking all their fortune), and they lived with multiple generations. So Grandma might be taking care of the kids when the English came around and they didn't think it appropriate.
So, the Cherokee started to fight back, for the first time. And this act is tightly sealed in congress. While it was excellent back in the day, now I wonder how much good it's doing the children. BECAUSE, it states that no Indian child can be given to a non Indian family, unless they are directly related by blood or marriage.
What does this mean?
The Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare Out Of District Court And Permanency Services Unit (OOD CAPS) handles child deprived cases outside of the 14 county jurisdiction of Cherokee Nation. This unit works in hundreds of county courts advocating for the best interest of our Cherokee children. 

OOD CAPS is currently involved in 426 cases in 30 states, assisting 707 Cherokee children. 

~298 Cherokee children are placed with relatives

~38 Cherokee children are placed in a Native American foster home
~61 Cherokee children are in trial reunification with their parents
~7 Cherokee children were placed in guardianships

~17 Cherokee children are in a group home/shelter
~25 Cherokee children are in a therapeutic home
~13 Cherokee children are placed in residential treatment

~248 Cherokee children are placed outside of the placement preferences due to NO Native American home available to receive placement.

These numbers are changing daily. Cherokee Nation received notices for 1,226 children in the month of August; everyday court notices are coming in the mail regarding Cherokee children.

Taken from Homes for Cherokee Kids Facebook

This means there are more children in CN foster care per capita (the 14 counties) than anywhere else in the US, and the US already has a huge problem with children in foster care needing homes.

So. we started filling out paperwork last fall. 

And waiting is our game. They call it the "adoption pregnancy pains" or "the adoption labor pains". Being that this is normal. Still waiting, still hard, only none of the fun of pregnancy.
We had to wait for the training class, then we had to wait to move to Tulsa, then we had to wait for my health to get better since my issues had literally taken me down for the count (Thyroid is now out, thank Yeshua and other issues getting much better). Paperwork on our part is finally complete and now we are waiting to be given to our social worker so that we can have the homestudy. In regular foster care the homestudy is what makes you approved or not (they give more weight to your mental health than almost anything else). But, in the CN once all your paperwork and background checks are approved you are an approved family. Thus, we are. So, we just need the homestudy and the extras we need before they will start matching us up. This includes: Vaccinations for our animals (it's time), gun safe, plug covers, and fire extinguisher. I think that's it. THEN, once she has done the homestudy she has 3 months to put our paperwork all together and get us "online" to be matched. Once we are online then we wait for a phone call saying we might have a match.
Wait wait wait.

We are hoping to have another child by Christmas but it's not likely.
It's really hard to go thru Christmas when you are adopting, ESPECIALLY when you are open to adopting a child older than newborn, because then that child just might be out there, singing Annie songs, looking out his/her window, and wondering where his/her family is. On Christmas day you look at your children and are so happy and so blessed but at the same time your heart aches for the child that is not having such a good Christmas with their family.
Waiting is always the hardest part isn't it?!

10/19 Update:
I just received notice that it will be several more weeks till we are assigned a social worker. This means most likely Spring before we come close to our new addition.
Pray for our hearts and patience in waiting please?