One Step Closer

Yesterday was a GLORIOUS day! After almost two months of daily paper chasing, I signed, sealed and delivered our Home Study packet to America World-Texas! Well, mailed it so USPS can deliver it. No, we’re not finished, we still have our dossier to compile but this was HUGE for the Krause Family.

My impatience begged me to overnight it but it was only going to Dallas AND $44 vs. $8 is a big difference! Plus, I didn’t want to give my man a heart attack. He had already granted me the permission to go in Mail & More by myself while he waited in the car with the kiddos. This was exercising major trust so I couldn’t let him down. I skipped all the way to the car both Ryan and I grinning from ear to ear. We took the chitlins for ice cream to celebrate. And, yes, there might have been some praise dancin’ on the way!

After the paperwork arrives in Dallas, Adela (don’t you just love her name!), our social worker, will review and then America World will schedule our home study visit. We are anxious to get our home study completed so we can apply for grants and financial assistance. It will also make us eligible to file our I600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, with US Citizens and Immigration Services. This part stresses me out as the Dept. of Homeland Security will forever have my fingerprints…don’t lie, would you too!

Last night, Ryan and I looked over our dossier checklist and were thrilled to discover we’ve just got a few items to go! People, this has me floating on air today! Hopefully, we’ll be able to go for passports next week. Other than filing with USCIS and receiving our completed home study, we’ve pretty much got everything else! I will refrain from celebrating until the completed dossier is DTE-Dossier to Ethiopia. But, for real, I am so super excited that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Check back in a few weeks though, will I be singing the same tune? Only time will tell!

So other than adoption stuff, what are the crazy Krauses up to? Well, spring is in the air and for these McArthur-Krauses that means BASEBALL!! I have been waiting impatiently since October and the time has finally come! You will be so sad to know that we don’t have cable which means no spring training games for this gal. I have been staring, and yelling, at the “coming soon” message on the MLB channel on my Roku for weeks. It’s about to drive me insane. However, both of my kids are playing this year so practices and games are starting to fill up our weeks! I will definitely be posting pics of their cute baseball tushies! Interesting fact: first time I “noticed” Ryan Krause, he was in his baseball uniform…yup, I was a goner.

Friday and Saturday, I had the honor of leading worship at HHBC women’s retreat with my girl Kelli and, wait for it…my BROTHER!! It was our very first time to sing together, something I have waited years to do. When we finished Friday night, I found my dad standing in the back of the worship chapel. He crashed the “all girls” event to hear his children sing to Jesus together. Now that I’m typing this, I don’t know why I was surprised, nothing could have kept him away. Made my heart melt a little. I will tell you this, my brother can sang…now that it’s in my bones, I will be jonesing for an encore. Hey! Maybe my dad will join us next time, how fun would that be!!?

I’ve heard so many of you tell me you haven’t been able to keep up since the first few posts. With that being said, I hope you understand that this forces me to BEG…Please, please don’t quit stopping by, keep us somewhere on your radar. We need your prayers and support more now and tomorrow than ever. I am so grateful for each of you and knowing that you are traveling this journey with us makes all the difference! So, if you haven’t yet, follow through “Networked Blogs” at the bottom of the page. Stay on this crazy train with us, it’s sure to be a ride you won’t forget!

xoxo,

Brit

Getting ready to mail all our hard work!

Ice Cream!!!!