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After two years, letters to the governor, court appearances, court orders, literally hundreds of unanswered emails and phone calls, three fingerprint checks, untold number of repeated background checks, my 16 year old son and I became a family on July 12, 2010. With four hours notice to be in court 64 miles away.
It's over! I can take a hot shower (raise my water temperature to the point where you actually need to add cold water to get the temperature comfortable) and my son and I can go a quarter of a mile from our home and go across state borders without prior written permission.
Without our dedicated CASA workers and a wonderful GAL, my son would have aged out of the NJ Foster Care system without a home or family.
Thanks to all who have listened or given advice. I know this isn't the end of our journey but the beginning. My son is the biggest joy of my life and I am so lucky to have him. Life is good!
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Thanks to all for the good wishes.
Well, so far we've had a party and invited pretty much everyone in the county! (Surely those of you in NJ and eastern PA must have seen the skywriting ;) ) We gave out root beer mugs with his new name and adoption date etched on them.
We also ordered "HEREHEIS" wrappers for Hershey's bars - my favorite part was the "net weight" on the front of it ... 130lbs. 3 oz.
He got a kick out of all of it, and I enjoyed the "baby" announcement part ...
It's a Boy!
First Middle Last Name
Born: September 23, 1993
Length: 70 inches
Weight: 130lbs. 3oz.
Home Forever: July 12, 2010
Proud Parent: Me
We also put this on the candy wrappers.
Gave small gifts to the CASA, GAL, Adoption specialist and so on. Mostly, my son celebrated with his first sleep over, first bike ride across state lines, first solo bus ride and other such firsts.
Wow, I can't believe it's real ...
rishnj
How do you plan to celebrate?
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Hunterdon
Thanks to all for the good wishes.
Well, so far we've had a party and invited pretty much everyone in the county! (Surely those of you in NJ and eastern PA must have seen the skywriting ;) ) We gave out root beer mugs with his new name and adoption date etched on them.
We also ordered "HEREHEIS" wrappers for Hershey's bars - my favorite part was the "net weight" on the front of it ... 130lbs. 3 oz.
He got a kick out of all of it, and I enjoyed the "baby" announcement part ...
It's a Boy!
First Middle Last Name
Born: September 23, 1993
Length: 70 inches
Weight: 130lbs. 3oz.
Home Forever: July 12, 2010
Proud Parent: Me
We also put this on the candy wrappers.
Gave small gifts to the CASA, GAL, Adoption specialist and so on. Mostly, my son celebrated with his first sleep over, first bike ride across state lines, first solo bus ride and other such firsts.
Wow, I can't believe it's real ...
So wonderful! congrats to both of you!I am confused about something, though - Our workers have had NO issues with us taking our foster son over state lines to visit family on a regular basis if it's for less than 3 days at a time. They just ask that I tell them where we'll be and the contact info. I've also never heard anything along the lines of not being allowed to have him take a bus ride alone (when he's old enough, which he's not) or have a sleepover. Is it really that different from county to county?
thankfulone
I am confused about something, though - Our workers have had NO issues with us taking our foster son over state lines to visit family on a regular basis if it's for less than 3 days at a time. They just ask that I tell them where we'll be and the contact info. I've also never heard anything along the lines of not being allowed to have him take a bus ride alone (when he's old enough, which he's not) or have a sleepover. Is it really that different from county to county?