So it begins

       Every time we use money, we see it. And although some of us rarely use cash anymore, we still see it all the time and rarely notice it. "E pluribus unum". Out of many, one. And it's not just on money. It's there on the seal of the United States, as well as the seals for all levels of the federal government including the U.S. Senate, Supreme Court, and the President of the United States. It's a motto suggested for our new nation by the likes of Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin that fascinates someone with my obsession for American history (and all things nerd-like).
      Our own "E pluribus unum" moment happened on Wednesday as we finished the first of the many forms we'll have to fill out for our adoption. Out of the many forms we'll have to get through, here was number one. It really wasn't all that bad. Just a few pages, some family information and whatnot, but I couldn't escape the thought that this was just the beginning. This was that last snowflake that triggers the paperwork avalanche that will bury us over the next few months.
      Surprisingly, staring down the barrel of this paperwork nightmare doesn't have us rattled at all. I mean, it really should just for the simple fact that one of us can't spell and one of us has the penmanship of a 3 year old, but it doesn't. Our agency emailed us the first round of pre-home study paperwork today. The email had 13 different forms attached! But it actually excited us because we're finally making substantial progress toward getting our child home. There's a lot of work that goes into completing these forms. We'll be running around, trying to gather all of our background checks, financial information, etc., so if you see us with arms full of papers, running down the street, don't worry. It's the beginning of a crazy and stressful time, but we couldn't be more excited about it.
      When the Founding Fathers first used "E pluribus unum" as a motto for our nation, they used the phrase to remind future generations that, out of these many colonies, one nation was formed. Today it reminds us also that, out of many different types of people, one nationality was born. For us, from all of the paperwork, we will find our child. But more importantly, from each of you that's read this blog, donated to our adoption fund, and helped in a million little ways, our family will be complete.
       As always, thank you so much for all that you've done and continue to do for our family.
    


Side note we almost forgot! We now have flyers for our next two fundraisers. If you would like, feel free to print them out and pass them around. Maybe at your place of employment, church, or whatever. Everyone is invited to them. And if you want, they can be printed in black and white and look just as great!