More paper work please!

Another question I get a lot is: How long is the adoption process?

My two main answers:
1) A couple determines a lot by how quickly they finish their paper work and if they are ready to pay for the next step.
2) Once a couple is "home study ready" and paperwork is finished, the waiting time is determined by how quickly an expecting mother chooses you.

We got word our Formal Application was processed and approved!

After turning in our formal application, I knew we'd be waiting on our adoption classes, but wasn't sure if there was something we could do or prepare for while we waited. I also was wondering if we had to be finished with our classes to start our home study... so I emailed our caseworker to ask.

She said we would have to at least start our classes to get started with the home study, but there were some self study/assessment forms that we could get started on. This is 12 pages of questions that Kirk and I have to do separately, without discussing answers, till we were finished, without changing our answers. This will be part of our interview for the home study later. Truthfully, this is the part Kirk hasn't been looking forward to, only because they ask many personal questions. Not that he has anything to hide. To help people further understand the questioning process; some of the questions are:

• Family oriented- how we were raised, what strengths and weakness we believe our parents had and instilled in us, how we will parent etc. 
• Marriage based- how we settle conflicts, communication, our physical relationship, etc
• Heath related- general heath, diagnoses, etc
• Home/Community/Safety related- if we are around a pool, have fire arms, who provides our sewer water, have any history of abuse (substance, physical, child, sexual)... 
• Adoption related- how we came to want to adopt, how family feels about us adopting...

That's just a sampling.  We understand that they don't know us from Adam, so how would they be able to quickly understand us, who we are, and then go tell another family that we are a good couple, ready to adopt?

I'm glad I went ahead and asked what we could get started on, or we could have been waiting around and further prolonged the adoption time.