We need an addition....

We need an addition to our family, and it's in the form of a human, not a dog or a cat.  Two cats is plenty for us.  Also, I'm not emotionally stable enough to get pregnant again and risk a miscarriage.  I'm also not able to pay $20-30,000 for a new baby, so we are turning to the system I worked with for eight years to add to our family. We are going to become foster parents with the intention of adopting a sweet child that needs a home and three fabulous siblings.

Yes, I'm nervous and sometimes I think I'm crazy that I'm going to change a good thing, but I don't think I'm in control of this journey.  I'll blame it on Heavenly Father!  Can I do that?!!! :)

When I was home from college one summer, my home teacher at my mom's house came and gave a random lesson on adoption.  He said that he felt that I needed it.  I thought it was crazy because I was single and in college, why would he give me that lesson? However, it has stuck with me.  Thanks Brother Thalman wherever you are!

Then, I went into social work and worked for eight years in the foster care system and I keep asking myself why I'm not running away from this decision?  But, there is some sweet child out there that needs a family and needs lots of love and our family can provide that love and support.

So, we've taken the first step and there are many steps that follow from trainings to interviews to selecting someone to live in our home to making sure it is the right match to becoming a family of six.  Although I'm in a hurry, the process isn't fast, so I'm learning patience once more!  Lovely lesson to learn.  Lovely.

We have discussed the situation for a year or so and we've prayed about it and have a good feeling about it.  I'm putting it in the Lord's hands to have him pick the right child that will fit into our family.  I have to have faith that He can do that for me.  That's the part I'm afraid of naturally, but I have faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ and request His help throughout this whole process.

We talked to our kids about it a couple of weeks ago.  Alex is clueless.  Ethan wants another boy and Kedzie has 100 questions.  Like "what if they are brown skinned? What if they speak Spanish? Will it be a boy or a girl? How old with the child be?  Will they be nice? What if they have siblings? Where will they sleep?  If they are my age, with blonde hair and blue eyes then we will be twins!"  She compares the situation to the movie "Despicable Me" with the three girls from the orphanage.  I've tried to tame it down a little bit.  It's interesting to listen to her from a seven year old perspective.  I have to remember to protect both she and I throughout this process.

So, we have no answers to any questions at this point, other than the paperwork is in, one training is complete and another scheduled for the end of August.  We will begin the home study process next and go from there.  I suppose, if everything goes timely, we will be certified foster parents in October.  So, there you go.

That's my story about how the Ravsten's need an addition to their family, and unless the Lord makes it clear that we aren't doing the right thing, we are headed in the direction of adopting a child between the ages of 0 and 5.  Hopefully they'll like animals and horses in particular!

The end, or rather....the beginning of our next adventure!