OFFICIALLY FROM THE HEARTLAND

Today we spent the chilly November afternoon making Jessa's adoption official here at home in the heartland of the USA. She did become a U.S. citizen in New Jersey when our plane landed from China, and we actually have received her official Citizenship Papers and even a special letter from the President of the United States welcoming her to America. Yet, in order to obtain a state birth certificate and have her declared as our dependent with state's rights as a member of our family, we had to petition the court to file the decree of her foreign adoption from China as if she had been adopted legally and in accordance with the laws here at home. I am not a lawyer, but I played one today! :) It was wonderful to have the honor to represent ourselves in something so special as claiming our daughter as fully and 100% our very own! What an exciting day!

Every state is different, but here at home we were able to successfully navigate the legal system with the gracious help of our adoption agency that did our homestudy and is completing our post-placement visits. With their help, I was able to make a few phone calls one afternoon and ended up completing all the necessary paperwork on my own without paying a lawyer $650.00! Just a HUGE blessing! Our agency was actually willing to email us all the steps we needed to take in order to do everything ourselves including sending us the documents that were needed and so we literally just had to plug in our names, dates, and the province information! We went to get them notorized this afternoon, and I was smiling thinking this is the last piece of paper that we have to get notorized for the adoption! WOO HOO! :)

So, we took all the kids with us and paid the hefty fees at the County Clerk's office and then walked the file upstairs to Hamilton County Superior Court No.1 and asked if there would be any chance at all that a judge would be able to sign our petition today.

I expressed that we would deeply love to have photos with the judge signing our request. God blessed us because right at that moment a hearing was ending and a wonderful judge was kind enough to give us her time for photos! She was amazing. She was the type of person that makes you feel great about our country! The time that she took with our family, and we didn't even have a hearing scheduled. Just a blessing! Andrew and the girls were excited to be in a courtroom. When the judge took the bench, she asked us to present ourselves in front of her.

Andrew said, "Ooooh...I wanted to be a witness!" LOL! :) And the judge had the presence of mind and the kindness of heart to give Andrew lots of attention, and she allowed him to have his moment of being in the witness chair. She said, "Okay, come around here and raise your right hand."

Then, after swearing him in, she proceeded to ask him some great questions. It went something like this...

Honorable Judge: "Andrew, are these both your sisters?"

Andrew: "Yes...that's Hollyn with blonde hair and the one with the purple thingies in her hair is Jessa and we just adopted her from China. She's my new sister."

Honorable Judge: "Okay...well...Andrew, do you know what the most important thing that you need to do with your life is?"

Andrew: "Follow Christ."

Honorable Judge: "Oh, yes, very good Andrew. That is very true. You should try to do that. Now, do you know what the most important thing you need to do for your sisters is?"

Andrew: "Be nice to them."

Honorable Judge: "Mmmhm...and be a good example for them too. Do you know as an older brother they are really looking up to you and they are going to do whatever you are doing? So you really need to try and make very wise and good choices so they can follow in your path."

Andrew: "Okay..."

Honorable Judge: Mom & Dad do you have any questions you would like to have me ask Andrew while he is under oath?

David & Me: Both laughing and beaming because our son is so great! :)

Honorable Judge: "Okay then, Andrew, would you like me to sign this piece of paper so that Jessa can become your sister forever and always?"

Andrew: Nodding with great excitement... "YES!!!!!!"

It was the BEST moment hearing him say, "YES!!" So heartwarming and so appropriate too for our journey to Jessa to end with Andrew expressing his love for her! The judge even let Andrew sit at the bench and hold her gavel! David said, "Soak it in buddy because this is the last time you better ever be in front of a judge!" LOL! :)

Then we got some family photos and I tried to get a photo with Jessa & the Honorable Judge but Jessa wasn't too hip on that - waaay beyond nap-time!

She didn't mind us posing by the state flag though!

What a great day!

Now we just have to wait to receive her official state birth certificate in the mail - they said it could take up to 90 days because of the holidays. I can't wait to get that because then she is not only ours, but she is officially from the Hoosier Heartland!

And there's no better place to grow 'em!