Browsing Archive: August, 2009
Posted by Kelley Cat on Saturday, August 29, 2009,
In :
Family
 I think I smile the best with kids around. Especially these two.
I'm sure that if you read this blog regularly, you've seen pictures of me, you've read my prayers, you've figured out my writing style, and you've gotten a pretty good idea of who I am. I don't hide my warts, I try to laugh at them, but I wrote a post a while ago about my family and then one one each of my pets and even one about Jer. Up until now I was not really ready to write one about myself. So, while the proverbial "iron... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Saturday, August 29, 2009,
In :
Family
 This Photo was taken when my mom was 28, my dad was 30, my brother J. was 4 and I was 6. I am the oldest of three children and the only daughter to L&L. I was always a "Daddy's girl" and my brother J. was sort of attached to my mom.  I'm 10 in this picture, J. is 7 1/2 and B. is 1 1/2. B. was like my "first kid", I took good care of him, and so did my mom! Poor guy, he had two mommies! I think this was Easter Sunday, I know that was my favorite dress for a long time, it had Violets on it.
...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Family
My mom and dad both helped, Mom lettered in pencil...
 My dad leveled everything out...he's so handy! He put up my new mantle too!
I painted in most of the letters. What do we think? Besides the fact that we need 1. more artwork in the room, and 2. a baby to go in the crib. (and the cat finally has discovered that the crib is comfy! And "Get out of my room if you don't mind!"MEOW!)
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Family
I drove down to Centrailia today, about 2 hours south of Seattle to visit with my mom and grandma who drove up from Portland. It's approximately half way between the two cities, which may be why it's called Centrailia...
 I almost never drive that long, Jer has motion sickness issues if he's not driving, and since we usually go places together, he drives. I forgot how much I love cruise control! we ate at the Country Cousin, which has decent food and usually isn't too loud, so it's good for con... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Family
Our vacation was great! We visited our friends the Shoultz's in Schroon Lake, NY. Schoon is a picturesque little town on the banks of the lake bearing its name.
Beth and Nathan let us stay with them, and insisted on giving us their room while they slept in the double bed bottom bunk in the kid's room. Nathan still has a bruise on his forehead from his generosity. Jer and I would have happily slept with the kiddos, but Beth was insistant.
I'd grown numb to their absence (they moved to N... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Fertility
I know that people process this whole thing much differently than I do, but it never occurred to me to be unhappy or not enjoy children or pregnant women for that matter, until other people mentioned that it was hard for them. And after I thought about it, I made a strict effort to focus on the fact that children have always made me happy and I shouldn't stop letting that happen, because I have quite enough to be grumpy about! And as for the prego ladies, I've just always thought pregnant wom... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
I'm not sure why, but it occurred to me that even though I am disappointed sometimes by the length of our wait, that I am living James 1:2-4
2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (Thoroughly prepared if you will)
James wasn't speaking to us directly, he was speaking to a specific people through a letter... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Family
 
The title of my Blog is "From You and Me, to Family"; so who is this person "You". He's a very specific you, not the "You all" You. I met him 12 years ago, he's tall blond, blue eyed, quiet, friendly and completely gorgeous. He is my husband, Jeremiah.
We met at a party at the home of a mutual friend in October of 1997. I was a newbie student employee in the Admissions and Registration Building, and I was just getting to know all of the other student employees when I met a young woman Z. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
I was looking around on the Bethany Christian Services site and started digging deeper into the site than I really ever have. I peek at my own profile more than I'd like to admit. I noticed the other day that they'd taken down several of the placed families (probably to make room for the new batch of families in May) and added one. And then I realized that with their newly designed webpage, it was much easier to see that there are a bunch of links to different sections of their website and t... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
The search continues the rollercoaster starts again, like Goliath at "Magic Mountain" my husband and I are headed down a drop at 80 miles an hour and half way down we're running out of air from the screaming. The turns at high speed are putting us on the brink of blacking out. And here comes another hill. What could possibly be on the other side of that? Will it be the exit? Or are we still stuck on this ride, going past all the other people who want to get on, and all the relieved and excite...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
Over the last few weeks our Adoption Profile has been circulated three times, and just this last week it has been marked as a favorite for a woman here in the Seattle area. She wants to look at "just a few" more profiles to make sure we are the right people and we should know by next week if we're going to be interviewed. I've been frustrated by the waiting in the past, and have felt rejected by the last few we've been passed over for. But to be honest, This time, I know what ever happens it ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
Application fees: initial and formal.
Finger Printing 10.00 per person for up to two cards each
FBI processing
Training fee
Home Study Fee
Web Profile hosting and development fee
Medical fees
Final Placement fee
Legal Proceedings
Pass Through Costs: Costs incurred by the birth family that a judge allows them to ask reimbursement for from the agency, which then gets passed through to the adoptive family. Most of the time unless the child is in NICU for several days prior to official placement, this d...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
When we began our adoption process, the portion I had the most concern about was the "Home Study" even today my friends are not quite certain what the home study process was all about.
The Home Study is actually a large document. (Think mortgage papers) Interviews, financial paperwork and applications are enclosed and a visit to the home is detailed in the home study document. Candidates for adoption are evaluated by questionnaire (the one I answered was 40 questions long and it was personal)...
Posted by Kelley Cat on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Fertility
When I first realized I wasn't going to be able to have biological children, I was angry. I was angry at God for taking my motherhood from me. I have always wanted children. Even when I was a child I knew I wanted to be a Mommy some day. So, for me to have my fertility in jeopardy initiated a fear that I would never be a mother, that produced anger toward God, the world, irony, etc.
But once I calmed down, after some yelling at the ceiling and God, and crying in the shower, I came to a realiza...
Posted by Kelley on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
Don't you want your own children?
Why would you want to adopt?
Where are you adopting from?
American babies are all drug affected aren't they?
Why don't you try in-vitro?
It's so sad you have to adopt.
You're so lucky you won't have to give birth.
How much does it cost?
Whoa, that's expensive, can you afford it?
Questions and comments like these are common for a couple looking into adopting a child to hear. I have been asked all of the above by people as close to me as my mother and as unkn... Continue reading ...
Posted by Kelley on Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
In :
Adoption
In February of 2008 we stopped wasting time. We'd been married for nearly nine years and had been trying for pregnancy for three. We decided that God's Plan was obvious. Our child would be an Adopted child.
After filling out endless forms and writing our life story we were placed on the Bethany Christian Services web site. We were approved and posted on our ninth anniversary and we're currently waiting to be selected by a birth mother. I've never been so excited or stressed in my entire life. ... Continue reading ...
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