Still Waiting to Finalize

Yep, we are STILL waiting for the judge assigned to our case to just LOOK at our papers and set a date for the finalization. Usually couples are able to finalize within a week or two of their 6 month date (6 months after placement of the child). So, here we are almost a month after our 6 month date, and we have NO idea when we'll be able to finalize.

I keep calling the lawyers and asking, "Have you heard anything?" Then they call the judge's clerks and call me back, "Nothing yet." My sister was quick to remind me that the legal system can be slow. That's what makes me so nervous. This could take a long time if the judge feels like it. We've been saying lots of prayers that we'll be able to finalize soon. I can't help but feel like there is a reason why we're experiencing this delay. I keep thinking that some good will come out it. Actually, I know that good will come out of it. It's just hard to know WHAT that could be.

I am looking forward to traveling to Upstate NY next week to attend my 20 year high school reunion. I can't wait to be in NY in the Fall and to see the beautiful trees. It'll also be fun to see old friends from school and also some of my old church friends who are still in the area. Maybe by the time we get back we'll be able to head up to Utah to finalize Forest's adoption.

Wish us luck! Cross your fingers! Say a few prayers for us... all positive vibes are welcome!

Seems Like An Eternity

We are STILL waiting for a court date to finalize Forest's adoption. Usually you can finalize within days of the 6 month mark (for us that was 9/4) but the judge is overbooked, and we are in a holding pattern. We were hoping to be sealed to Forest in the Mesa LDS temple on September 25th, but now that's not going to happen. Even if we did get a date in the next week, our lawyer is going to be out of town.

So...we have cancelled our plans for the 25th, and we've decided to not make any plans until we actually finalize the adoption. The lawyer felt badly and said that in normal circumstances we would've finalized by now, but this judge has been doing things "backwards" - instead of setting a court date and then looking over the paperwork, this judge wants to look over all the paperwork, make a decision, and then set a court date. That puts us in the position of being strung along not knowing when a phone call will come saying we can go to Utah right away and finalize. Makes it pretty hard to plan anything.

Can you tell I'm frustrated? I just have to remind myself that in the eternal scheme of things, it won't matter if we wait a few more weeks to be sealed to Forest, even if it FEELS like it's taking an eternity.

6 Months

Forest turned 6 months' old yesterday! He's such a big boy and continues to be sweet and happy. Everyday he does something new. On Tuesday he started saying, "Da da da da." He's so cute. He'll look at me so intently like he's trying to tell me something important and say "Da da da da!" I've posted pics at the end of this post.

We're still waiting for our finalization court date. I am getting so bugged! It doesn't help that my patience is being tested in other ways right now; Rebekah has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) and has passed it on to Maija and me. Rebekah was just diagnosed today, and when we did a mouth check on everyone for the characteristic sores, sure enough, Maija had them and so did I. So fun! We had to cancel our plans to go on a big family trip down to Nogales on the Mexican border. The good news is that it only lasts for a week. It's going be a fun Labor Day weekend *grin*.

Here's a video and some pictures of Forest taken today:

One More Reason I Like Having Chickens

It's been 2 months now that we've had our chickens, and all in all I really enjoy having them. Mostly because I know that we have a daily supply of fresh eggs. We've also had the opportunity to share our eggs with other people and one family even bought some of our eggs. Just like growing a garden, you learn so much about where food really comes from when you grow it or tend it yourself.

For instance, did you know that most eggs at the grocery store are over a month old before they get to you? When we eat our eggs, they are usually 1 or 2 days old. We can also control the quality of the eggs by controlling the quality of the hens' feed. And our chickens seem to be genuinely happy. This whole experience has made me think about how we feed ourselves as a society. We tend to be so out of touch with what real food is... how many of us know which fruits and vegetables are in or out of season? Just food for thought (pun intended.)

This article about factory hatcheries where the laying hens are born really made me think once again, "I'm so glad we have our own chickens." - "Video Shows Chicks Ground Alive at Hatchery"

P.S. By the way, I'm not a member of PETA. I just think we should be more aware of our food sources.