Hi all, I just looked at when our blogs are posted and it seems like we have been keeping on a quarterly schedule. I guess it's time to say what we have -- or more accurately -- haven't been up to.
Since the update Jenna posted in October, nothing has really changed. It boils down to paying off debt, which we have a lot of. Paying down a combined $100,000 in student loans and $60,000 in credit cards takes time. I am proud to say we have significantly cut down our credit card debt in the last 18 months. We are set to have them paid off in 2022. There is only so much debt that can be repaid in one month.
Jenna continues to put in hard work in her classroom, online, and with selling books. She, like me, hasn't had a day off since Christmas. Working seven days a week every week is grueling, but it's oddly comforting to know you're literally doing all you can do to stay in the black.
Although things haven't gone according to our plan, we still very much are wanting to adopt.
Jenna and I made this decision to adopt in 2018. We still really want to go through with it... probably even more so now than at the time. I could see that the holiday was a rough time for Jenna. If you would have asked her in 2018 about where in the adoption we would be at the end of 2019, she would have said "at the end," not "still at the beginning." That part has been hard for both of us.
The frustrating part was getting wrapped into the process. We had so many people tell us how we would be great parents. We went to trainings with out past adoption agency to immerse ourselves in the adoption world.
What is great about the adoption world is there are so many fantastic advocates for these children in need of a home. These folks are very positive and have a lot of love to give.
One problem for people like us is that we read the stories of adoptions gone well. One thing Jenna commonly read was don't let things like finances stop you from pursuing adoption. If you want to make it happen, make it happen.
If only it was that easy.
I am sure there are many people who would love to do adoption, but don't have a successful story to share either.
The honest truth is infant adoption is out of reach for many interested couples out there, couples like us. I am not trying to discourage those interested in adoptions in
not going through with it. But you have to understand your own situation and think about what if things don't go in your favor.
While your credit score and bank account should have no reflection in your ability to parent, it is the No. 1 determination on whether you are capable of adopting.
That we wish we knew going into it.
Will we have to wait until 2022 to adopt? Perhaps. I'd like to think there is a magical way to speed the process along. But I suppose things will happen when they happen. It's why I continue to get up at 5:45 am to teach after working until midnight.
We continue to appreciate the kind words everyone shares with us. I wish we had better news to share with everyone. Jenna and I haven't given up on it. Her and I still talk quite frequently about how to make this process work. It's just happening on a timeline we have no control over.
