Ok, Maybe now we are almost done with Home Study.... :)

      Wow, when you start this journey you say 3 to 4 months for a home study? nah, we can do it quicker than that.  Then you get into it and realize WOW, there's lots of waiting and papers and redoing papers and waiting and then more papers, oops then there's more papers, okay now back to waiting. You feel like you jump through hoops then that hoop isn't good enough so you have another hoop to jump through, then just when you think you are done with that hoop you realize there's another one to go through, this time higher off the ground and with fire around it... lol. not really but thought the picture was funny in my head.  :)   And you realize, yep, it takes that long no matter how fast you say you'll do your part, because a good portion of the home study is waiting on others.  And it literally takes 4 months no matter how fast you get things done or sent off or any of that.  Thought we were done, but just found out last week we have to redo and gather more papers, again.....
        So, if you are new to the process and reading this, yes, do things quickly, but realize you will wait no matter what, and you may be asked to redo items or gather more items.  And you will have extra papers or have to redo papers.  And it is frustrating and at time you feel like is this ever gonna end, or am I going to do all this in the end to not get anywhere but you have to realize it is not that you are being picked on or it's just you, its everyone, and the more you do to get those things done the brighter the light gets at the end of the 'hoops'.  As another friend whose going through an international adoption as well told me "its the nature of adoption".   Just as I felt like I am at my wits end we get a rough draft of the home study to look over and check and I saw the light again.   Reading the rough draft makes you breathe again and smile and you think, yep, there's the light, these children I am going to meet and love for the rest of my life, that's my light.
       God gives you what you can handle and you don't know the reason behind things sometimes but you know that you have been brought to this process for a reason and maybe one day you'll find out that reason and maybe not but you will persevere and create an everlasting family.  So all your trials and frustrations and emotions and dreams through your life and in this process are to show you are capable of handling these situations. You will learn a lot about your self and your spouse through this and it helps you to plan and think ahead to what type of parents you will be, how you want to raise a child, and who you want to be in life with them.  This is a journey.  A journey for everyone involved- no doubt about it.