We just came back from the 2008 Pringle Family Vacation to Galveston (AKA the Big Pringle Spoon '08!). As we have been getting settled back in to getting up early for work and our long commute (how quickly we get out of that habit while on vacation!) I was thinking it has been about two weeks since we have had any updates to share. Being the person that I am (patience, what's that?) I thought I would just send a quick email to my worker at CPS to check on the status of our file. So, I did. :)
I am thankful we have a worker who is understanding enough to know that I really am not trying to badger her in anyway. She let us know that our home study has been received and her supervisor is currently reviewing our file for approval. This would of course normally be really great news... except.... we are S-T-I-L-L missing the City of Arlington Background check (for both of us)!!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I do love my great city of Arlington, TX, but we are NOT known for our quick and efficient processing times (Sunday Driver comes to mind...). But even I can't explain the nearly three months it has taken to get our background check results in. So our worker re-submitted the request this last Thursday. She says there isn't anything we can do to follow up on it at this time...but I am keeping my options open to go down to the court house just in case! :)
So the news for now is that we should be approved once the City of Arlington background checks come back in. I don't know what kind of flexibility they really have to approve us before those background checks come in (I mean, we told them we were good people already, what more do they want!?! :) ) so for now we wait (patiently - no more like anxiously) for the background checks to come back in to complete our file. Hopefully that will be much sooner than later!
We will of course be sure to keep you all posted as we know anything else.
Much love as usual!
The Pringle Jr's
Photo Credit: Jeanna Cater
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Almost There!
We have been anxiously awaiting the results of our home study for the last two weeks. As we have been waiting, the lady completing our home study has been emailing us additional questions - usually four - six at a time every two days or so. So we have been answering the questions to the best of our ability (things like what is PCOS and what fertility treatments have you taken? What plans do you have to pay for the needs of your foster child before the reimbursment is set up? Plus some other more personal questions that I will leave unsaid! :) )
This Q&A via email becoming a regular thing, we were half expecting to be answering questions up to the end of time! However, today the lady conducting our home study sent us the following email:
"I am happy to inform you that I have recommended your family for licensing. It was a pleasure meeting with you both and I appreciate all your help in getting my report together. God Bless you and the children who will be placed in your home."
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We FINALLY made it to the final stage! I pretty much just started balling like a little baby for a good solid 10 minutes at least! :) Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly happy and excited, though my puffy eyes would imply something different. I am also incredibly relieved that this process is almost over. Of course Patrick is too, but a nice smile and a "good" are the extent of his emotional explosions! That's ok, I have enough emotion for the both of us and then some! :)
So we will wait for the next couple of weeks to hear from our local unit if we are indeed approved for our licenses to foster and to adopt. We were told August 9th would be the latest we should hear anything, but that was with the idea that the home study would be done by July 9th. Since it wasn't, I don't know if the date stays the same or if it gets pushed back a week. At this time we are going to shoot for August 17th as our goal date just to be on the safe side. In the mean time, we will cautiously celebrate this small victory (her recommendation does not automatically mean we are approved, but it is very likely that we will be)!
We will keep everyone informed as soon as we have any more news!
This Q&A via email becoming a regular thing, we were half expecting to be answering questions up to the end of time! However, today the lady conducting our home study sent us the following email:
"I am happy to inform you that I have recommended your family for licensing. It was a pleasure meeting with you both and I appreciate all your help in getting my report together. God Bless you and the children who will be placed in your home."
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We FINALLY made it to the final stage! I pretty much just started balling like a little baby for a good solid 10 minutes at least! :) Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly happy and excited, though my puffy eyes would imply something different. I am also incredibly relieved that this process is almost over. Of course Patrick is too, but a nice smile and a "good" are the extent of his emotional explosions! That's ok, I have enough emotion for the both of us and then some! :)
So we will wait for the next couple of weeks to hear from our local unit if we are indeed approved for our licenses to foster and to adopt. We were told August 9th would be the latest we should hear anything, but that was with the idea that the home study would be done by July 9th. Since it wasn't, I don't know if the date stays the same or if it gets pushed back a week. At this time we are going to shoot for August 17th as our goal date just to be on the safe side. In the mean time, we will cautiously celebrate this small victory (her recommendation does not automatically mean we are approved, but it is very likely that we will be)!
We will keep everyone informed as soon as we have any more news!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The finish line is in sight!
This evening we had our second home visit with Adrienne. We were a little unsure about what to expect of course. So we made sure everything was still clean (and yes I rushed home today to make sure I scrubbed the toilets and countertops one last time!) and planned for another question and answer session. We hoped she would take a look at the rest of the house tonight so we could show off the nursery (and our hard work!).
So Adrienne showed up at precisely 6:00 this evening and left at precisely 6:42! She came in and told us that we had been so thorough in our paperwork that she really didn't have too many other questions for us. What a relief! She started off by saying that she felt we are "going to be great parents!". Another relief! :) She asked a few additional questions like things like do we have any day care plans (thanks Mom for going on the hunt this week!) and do we meet each others needs (yes, Patrick does share in the housework!) and do we know the chain of command should there be any problems that we need to report to CPS. Then she took a quick tour of the house to make sure she could check off on her list that we do indeed have running water and we keep our food refrigerated and we have soap and toilet paper (her words, not ours)! :) She was very complimentary of the paintings my mom had done in the nursery - "she could really do this for a living!" Then she said she would keep in touch to make sure we knew she hadn't forgotten about us. She said she would have her report done in the "next couple of weeks." We said goodnight and that was it!
So the next step is for Adrienne to turn in her report to our local unit. They review our entire file, including her report, and make a decision about approving our license. They notify us and then at some point (if we are approved of course) they call us about our first placement! Yeah! The end (or the beginning really!) is in sight! Of course we will keep the updates coming!
What an incredible journey this has been so far for us! We continue to be so thankful for our family and friends and the support you have shown us the last several years. We are looking forward to sharing more with each of you as we prepare to take this next step.
Much love!
So Adrienne showed up at precisely 6:00 this evening and left at precisely 6:42! She came in and told us that we had been so thorough in our paperwork that she really didn't have too many other questions for us. What a relief! She started off by saying that she felt we are "going to be great parents!". Another relief! :) She asked a few additional questions like things like do we have any day care plans (thanks Mom for going on the hunt this week!) and do we meet each others needs (yes, Patrick does share in the housework!) and do we know the chain of command should there be any problems that we need to report to CPS. Then she took a quick tour of the house to make sure she could check off on her list that we do indeed have running water and we keep our food refrigerated and we have soap and toilet paper (her words, not ours)! :) She was very complimentary of the paintings my mom had done in the nursery - "she could really do this for a living!" Then she said she would keep in touch to make sure we knew she hadn't forgotten about us. She said she would have her report done in the "next couple of weeks." We said goodnight and that was it!
So the next step is for Adrienne to turn in her report to our local unit. They review our entire file, including her report, and make a decision about approving our license. They notify us and then at some point (if we are approved of course) they call us about our first placement! Yeah! The end (or the beginning really!) is in sight! Of course we will keep the updates coming!
What an incredible journey this has been so far for us! We continue to be so thankful for our family and friends and the support you have shown us the last several years. We are looking forward to sharing more with each of you as we prepare to take this next step.
Much love!
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