So now we are in the waiting pattern. Since we finally received the official go ahead from Poland, we have been feverishly working to complete our home study. Gathering documents, meeting with our social worker (who is wonderful, I might add!), getting medical exams including blood-work…..not gonna lie….I almost ended up on the floor, but hey…I don’t have HIV or Hep B or Tuberculosis, cleaning the house and completing small projects that have been waiting for some attention has become the norm. It’s really amazing how quickly those little projects get taken care of when one has some motivation!

We met for our first of two social worker meetings on Amy and my’s 14th anniversary; August 4th. It’s kind of weird unpacking your life story for someone in such quick fashion. Before we went I was a little nervous about it, like they’re looking for ways to trip you up, catch you in a mis-step, or a lie. “Well, Mr. Carlson, I thought you said your relationship with your paternal grandmother was excellent? But that’s not what you’ve indicated now. Could you restate that and tell the truth?” One builds up, in their minds, this interview process to be more of an interrogation, like these social workers are against you or something. Nothing could be further from the truth. We spent a couple of hours answering questions, talking through the ins and outs of adopting from Eastern Europe and really enjoyed the company on our anniversary. Sure she asked us about our upbringing, our family relationships, our marriage, how our biological kids feel about all of this (they are as excited as we are!), but we felt she was very much for us and so excited about bringing these kids home. 

I appreciate what social workers do. They have a tough job. I mean think about it: in a two hour interview she’s trying to figure out if we are crazy or not. Do we have the wherewithal to parent these four orphans or will we just add some luggage to the baggage they already carry? I get it. It may be just a little uncomfortable at times for the adoptive or foster parent to go through, but really, isn’t that what we want? If MY kids were the orphans…..if MY kids were being adopted by another family who would be responsible for their upbringing, their worldview, their health, their future, and massively contribute to who they would become, I’d want the social worker to make sure those parents were worth their salt. That they had it together. That they’d love and care for my kids. Not that they were perfect, just that they would love MY kids as their own and do their best. I’d want the social worker to knock out any potential parents who would be a detriment to my kids. What loving parent wouldn’t want that? We don’t know the history of these kids yet. We don’t know how they became orphans. But I know this…..whether their parents have passed, are addicts, abusive, or whatever….in their soul, when they’re honest with themselves, they would want the same for these kids. They would want Susie the Social Worker to make sure the Carlson’s will be a great family for their kids. 

So I was nervous, but Susie (that is actually her name :)) did a great job putting me at ease and feeling so strongly she was on our side….and on the side of our kids. I’m grateful for that. 

A couple of weeks later, she came to check our our home and meet our biological kids, along with Charlie the dog, who may have eaten her shoe. We had a great hour visit. The kids loved showing her around our house and we finishing up some questions, filling in the gaps so she could go home and write the final home study report. All of our documents are in; everything on our end has been submitted for the home study, so now we do what I do best…..we wait.

Actually, we go on vacation!! We’ve been planning this trip to Florida (not Disney!) for many months. We’re looking forward to the relaxation and the beach after such a hectic and God-filled two months! It’s kind of mind blowing to think how much our life has changed since June 23rd when I first saw our children. We can’t wait for them to come home. What I love is…….

We’re Just Getting Started!! I CANNOT wait to see what God does next!!!