Wanted to share with everyone the timeline from our first trip to San Francisco up to our second trip where we finalize our paperwork and officially made it to the waiting list. Things moved relatively fast and a lot of that is credited to M who jumped right in and ran with it. Since September we have been in a season of preparation as we wait for the call. We have been working on the Nursery, remodeling a third bedroom and registering for all the awesome new stuff.

This time of preparation has been interesting. We are committed to God's timing and know it will be perfect. Yes, its till hard but with every sunset, there is a sunrise and we are one day closer to meeting our child.

/// Timeline ///

12/09 - Met Across the World Adoptions (ATWA) in California
01/10 - Read Adoption books
01/24 - Decided to adopt from Japan - emailed ATWA to let them know.

Started researching home study agencies

02/12 - Met home study company for orientation
02/15 - Submitted home study application (everything but fingerprints and physician’s report)
02/16 - Mailed application for adoption to Across the World Adoptions
02/23 - M’s interview with social worker
02/24 - Received word from ATWA that they received our application

and we are officially on the road to adoption
02/27 - KBI Fingerprints at Police Department

03/01 - E’s interview with social worker
03/09 - Joint interview with social worker
03/11 - Required baby class
03/16 - Physicals

03/17 - Home study
03/29 - Home study approval - received notarized copies of home study

04/05 - Mailed 1-600A to Department of Homeland Security

05/03 - Fingerprint appointment at Department of Homeland Security
05/04 - Received notice from Homeland Security that they didn’t receive our marriage

license and birth certificates.
05/10 - Started 5 week adoption class at our church
05/11 - Re-sent Marriage license and birth certificates to Homeland Security

05/30 - Starting building our Adoption Photo album.

06/09 - Received our I-171H form from the US Gov and we are approved.
06/14 - Received letter from US Gov that our approved I-600A has been sent

to the US Embassy in Tokyo
06/18 - Put up the crib and started work on the nursery
06/28 - Finished first draft of adoption book and letter to the birth mother

07/10 thru 08/10 - Finished Adoption book and letter to the birth mother.

09/16 - Visited ATWA for final interviews and the ATWA picnic.

One year ago today, M and I set out to San Francisco for what we thought would be a simple vacation to the Bay Area and Napa Valley. Little did we know that this would be the trip that would change the course of our lives together as a family. After struggling with pregnancy for 3 years, we had begun to assume our lives would be us and Greta (our puppy), as adoption wasn’t something that had entered our hearts. That is until we found out that adoption from Japan was available a week prior to our trip. The timing was beautiful as only God can provide. Through our dear friend, Em, we found an adoption agency (the only one in the States) that made adoption in Japan possible. Through the grace of God, the agency happened to be located along the route we were planning on driving. Additionally (as if it couldn’t get more tailored) the offices of ATWA were closed for the holiday season but when we called they said they would be in the office during the exact hours we were traveling through their town. Amazing. Something that once was closed, was now truly open. That trip was truly special as M and I left knowing in our hearts that God had set us on this path and our hearts were so filled with Joy. Pure joy.

Fast forward to today - we are on the waiting list and looking for that special call that will mean we are on our way to Tokyo to meet our child for the first time. Which brings us to this blog. We have met so many wonderful folks through this process via other blogs and felt the need to add to this conversation as well as provide a way to document this journey for our family.

We will be adding to this as we move forward along with the occasional “Retro Entry” which might catalogue something that happened before we started this blog. M and I hope you find encouragement, hope and joy as you follow along.

Merry Christmas.