Back To Work!

So tomorrow I head back to work.

This was my last week home full time with the kids and it was a great week. The days actually went a little slower than usual, which allowed me to enjoy most moments.

I had a fairly quick job search in the last couple of months. I've had 8 months now to figure out what I want to do. While it is attractive to sometimes think about starting some completely new phase and doing something totally different, I've realized over the last year that social service work is where I belong. It runs through my blood and is central to my identity, world view, and the values I hold so closely. I once overheard a supervisor tell someone I worked with that "Carrie just has a social worker's brain", in response to a question about why I handled something differently than someone else would have. It was meant as a compliment, so tomorrow I return to the world that I am good at.

I do get the chance to do something a bit different within social service work, though, and I am very excited about that. I am going to be the Intercountry Adoption Social Worker for Oregon's office of Bethany Christian Services. I really think I am going to love it. Not only will I get to be part of helping families prepare to adopt from about 11 different countries, but I will also get to learn the inner workings of the adoption world from a large agency's view. Another part of my job will be state foster-adopt adoptions, which you can imagine I care passionately about as well.

The other great news is that we found a wonderful graduate student to be home with J.T. and E.R. during the day (only 2 days a week for now), and she will be able to get M.C. and G.J. off the bus in the afternoons so they can just come home instead of having to go to after-school care somewhere. She seems excited and I am so hoping that it works out well for all of us!

The only weird part for me is that we are part of an amazing extended adoptive family through our agency Adoption Advocates International. It feels very strange to imagine working for another agency, when I honestly consider the staff and adoptive families of AAI as part of our family. But AAI doesn't have an Oregon office, and this is my chance to do something I've always thought I would enjoy. So for this next phase of my life I will be joining Bethany's family as well. I do want all of you AAI friends out there to know that this doesn't change any of my feelings toward you or AAI. Please don't view me as a traitor!! I will always be AAI in my heart :)

So tomorrow I head up to the Seattle office to start my training. I have so much to learn. I'm nervous, but also really excited. Chris and the kids are going up with me, except they get to hang out with my siblings and their families while I'm at work...

We're still trying to get packed up and get laundry done, and we need to leave by 5:30am!