Home Study #2 and #3

We had our second and third home study visit yesterday.  This is probably the ONLY part of this whole process that we have ANY control over so we are busting our tails to make it go quickly.  The first meeting was here at our home.  After that, we had to go to Peachtree City to meet Bekah (our home study social worker).  This portion of the study involved a hour and a half interview with Paul (alone) and then a hour and a half interview with myself, also alone.  We had already completed approximately 45 pages of questions (45 pages for me and 45 pages for Paul) covering topics from "how was your childhood" to "how do you two fight in your marriage." We thought we had answered every possible question BUT....

                                                             Katie, Bekah and Paul


Paul decided he would go first since he had a conference call coming up.  I made myself comfy out in the lobby of the Community Center where I played on the computer and listened to one of David Platt's amazing sermons on adoption.  It seemed like they were in there for hours! Finally, about two hours later, Paul came out and let me know that it was my turn to go in.  So, in I went! It's never comfortable when you walk into a room and see one lonely 6 foot table with two chairs.  I took my place opposite Bekah and the grilling began! Wow, I'm making this sound terrible, huh! It really wasn't that bad, I just had to get past the awkwardness of feeling like I was in a therapist's office.  My dream of having answered every possible question was short lived.  She moved right through this extensive questions and I answered them the best I knew how.  


Some of the questions were very deep and even sometimes emotional.  At one point, I was overcome with emotion and a little embarrassed that I was crying BUT Bekah comforted me by saying, "don't worry Paul fell apart at one point as well!" I love having an emotional husband :) The funny part about it all is as soon as she would ask a deep question, she would ask something like, "have you ever spent the night away from home because of a fight," or "what does Paul do to add stress to your life." 


I think we have been successfully grilled when it comes to our relationships with our parents, our siblings, each other, life as a child, life as a young married couple, etc.  We were forced to think back to things that honestly I have a hard time remembering.  Some things just aren't worth thinking back to and rehashing a thousand times.  In the end, we passed :) Now all we have to do is finish reading a book, completing out 10 hour online training, our online adoption seminar and turn in the rest of our paperwork and then we will be through our home study.  EEEEeeeekkkk!!!! After that, it's on to Immigration! So exciting :)