We are officially on the list for our PATH training! PATH = Parents as Tender Healers
PATH is required for all prospective adoptive or foster parents. We have to attend 30 hours of this training, every Monday evening for the next 11 weeks. Our class begins this Monday, April 13th, through July 6th. So, anytime after July 6th we will be officially open for placement as I am told the additional requirements (fingerprinting, home study, etc.) are completed during the PATH training. If I am being honest, my impatience was hoping for a Saturday class in which we could attend with longer hours but fewer days in order to complete our training sooner. But I know we can use all the extra time we are given to finish preparing for whatever may come and I have plenty I can do in the meantime. The walls could use some paint, we’re still hoping to lay our bamboo flooring but just a bit scared still to spend the money during this economic crisis AND I need a crib….just in case! That is low on the scale of priorities as I do have a pac-n-play still and who knows if we would even get a little one small enough to need a crib. But the crib I used for Wheat & Lake I put 4 coats of paint on and ultimately sold at a yard sale (pretty toxic!) and then the one I used for River I bought for $20 at a yard sale and it barely held up for him jumping around in it for two years so it went to Habitat.
My only real concern, and one I am asking prayer for from anyone who is willing, is that Jason is able to get off work each of these Mondays in time for us to make the class in time. He, as most of you know, has been working 70-80 hours a week for the last 5-6 weeks although the large project they have been trying to complete has finally peaked so I couldn’t be more thankful that we have actually seen him before 7 pm the last 2 nights this week! This to me is a blessing and in perfect time for his work to slow down so that we are able to attend this crucial training that is not optional and cannot be missed for any reason. Childcare is also a concern on all these nights, however, my mother does live next door to us and has agreed to try and leave work a few minutes early each Monday so she will be home for us when we need to leave. She is headed to Germany tomorrow for 10 days but my sister, Carmen, lives in Knoxville and we are dropping the boys off at her house on our way to our first class.
SO…..we’re off! 
Hope everyone is well and enjoying your Spring!
I have debated for some time blogging about this. It is a touchy subject but perhaps if others knew then you would keep us in your prayers. If you are close to us then you already know that Jason and I for years have hoped and/or tossed around the idea and dream of adopting. It has largely been pursued by me. Before we married, I told him it was my plan. It has been my plan since I was very young. In 5th or 6th grade I did an essay on Ethiopia and when reading through and cutting out photos from National Geographic magazines my eyes were opened to the unbelievably vast amount of famine there is in the world, especially in places like Ethiopia. We always knew we would likely begin with having children of our own and then sealing the deal with an adoption (or two, if it were up to me). I have always known and have appreciated how much we have and know that while we are not wealthy we have so much to give to do our part. It is all about the greater good. I know that not everyone could do this but *what if* even 1 out of every 10 did?
While we have grown and our lives have taken the paths that they have, we have agreed and concluded that for us in particular an international adoption is not possible at this time and may not ever be and I am fine with that. That aspect of my dream has evolved and matured a bit so to speak. It isn’t important for me to travel thousands of miles to find that one child I was meant to have and everything fall into place like I had always hoped. What Jason and I have always contemplated was how we could perhaps help more closer to home. It has always weighed heavy on Jason the idea of going halfway across the world when we could do as much good right here and I am grateful that he has helped me see this as well. I feel as if a heavy load has been lifted off of me because I am finally very content in the decision to not do an international adoption whereas this was all I could foresee in years past. It isn’t that I/we are boycotting the idea or criticizing others who do decide to go this route. It just isn’t best for us at this time. I know we can do good here. I am a bit dumfounded at how much it costs to adopt one child from another country and it does bother me if I let those thoughts creep in. If we really wanted that, we would make it work.
Furthermore, while we continue to contemplate the idea of adopting, we have decided to pursue foster care for the time being. We began talking about this option about a year or more ago. We have no idea what our future holds but we know there is a need and we typically find a need and attempt to help whenever we can. I can admit that adoption may not be in our cards and I am content with that but I feel like I have to do something. If you know me, you know that I can’t easily sit still knowing something should be done where there is a need. This is one of those things. We are blessed to know many families who foster and I have enjoyed studying them over the years. If perhaps something were to come out of a placement and we were able to adopt I know we would be thrilled. If not, I know that ultimately placing the child back with fit biological families is best for them. Thus we have begun the process of becoming Tennessee’s newest foster parents. We are being told that we have about 10 weeks of training amidst a ton of paperwork, home study, finger prints, etc. Basically, all the same work to actually adopt. I have many concerns but I know they will all work out and I think this will be a huge blessing for our family.
So here we go… I created a new category for posts pertaining to this subject and will from time to time keep everyone up to date on the happenings. I have also decided to create a virtual album of the children we are able to help along the way just to keep everyone up to date on our current brood. It will be a little while before our first placement as we have merely finished the beginning stages of paperwork and are awaiting our training classes to begin. So stay tuned!
