paperwork is complete.

we received our completed and approved home studies today which means all that paperwork is complete. all that's left to do is mail everything in. if anyone out there is considering adoption but is intimidated by all the paperwork...don't be. it seems so much worse looking in from the outside, but once you make the decision to adopt it all goes relatively quickly and easily. you know when you are excited about something, you sort of enjoy doing anything that has to do with that something. :) i'm still not exactly sure how long it will take before our dossier ends up in Uganda, but after it does the wait for a referral should only be 5-8 months. can you believe that? 

we've been really good about not buying baby stuff. but i figure it might be good to get a few things here and there so we can spread out the cost. tim was very sweet and surprised me with a crib i'd been wanting. it went on sale and i mentioned it to him, but figured it still would be too much. one day when i was being a bit grumpy he told me to cheer up because he bought me the crib. the wonderful wooden toy pictured above was sent to us by my sister in law, jennifer. i absolutely love it! i've decided to leave it out like a little decorative sculpture to remind us of what's to come. not that i really need a reminder. ;)

o, and i started a new part time job which i absolutely love! i'm working as a freelance graphic designer for Hill Country Memorial. i can make my own hours and come and go as i please as long as i get the hours in and the work done. this is a big step for me. i'm self taught in indesign so i was a bit intimidated by it all. i've found online tutorials to be a big help in improving my skills. 

and lastly, to all the people who've been helping us out along the way with this adoption, whether it be selling our shirts or buying our shirts or just giving us some extra cash we couldn't be more appreciative. at times people's generosity and encouragement have brought tears to my eyes. it truly makes me want to give more to those in need as well.