We finalized the adoption today. It was such an amazing experience. Our judge, The Honorable Eric Ludlow, was so kind. Casey's friend and co-worker Todd Emerson agreed to be our lawyer for the procedures. He was amazing! After we were sworn in, Todd asked us a series of questions, starting with Casey. i.e. full name, age, how long we had been married, (cute Casey was so nervous he totally spaced on what our anniversary is. It was pretty funny.), if we have a good marriage, etc. Casey was so choked up, it was very sweet. Then it was my turn; full name, if I was a minimum of 10 years older then the child we were going to adopt (chivalrously not asking my age), whether she had been in our care since she was born, that we plan to care of her and raise her as if she were our natural child, etc. Then he asked our social worker, Kristy Barlow, of Children's Aid Society, a series of questions; who she works for, what her title is, whether she was licensed, if she had done our home study and found us to be fit parents, if she performed our post placement visits, the child's condition during the post placements, whether Courtney relinquished her rights, etc. Todd then submitted documents into the court records; our petition for adoption, the pre and post adoption evaluations, our background checks, the affidavit of adoption fees, and the finding of fact. The judge then reiterated to both of Casey and I that we understood that we were now 100% responsible for Jenna physically, emotionally, and financially including all rights of inheritance. He then asked me to read into the court records the names of all the fabulous friends and family that were in attendance in the galley. Until this point I had done pretty well at holding it together. But when I turned to see all the faces of love sitting behind us, I gave up the cause for lost. I introduced my mother-in-law Lorrie Madsen, and brother-in-law Matthew Madsen, our dear friends Nick and Liisa Frei, Brett Berry and Stuart Breinholt. The judge then read the Decree of Adoption (at which point, tears really started streaming), and I quote, "The Court, after having heard testimony in the matter of the adoption of Jenna Rose [last name of the birth mother], hereby decrees that Jenna shall be the lawful child of Petitioners Maclyn and Kate Malan Madsen, and that said child's name be legally changed to Jenna Rose Malan Madsen." signed The Honorable Eric A. Ludlow. My whole being was emitting love and awe. It was a moment I will never forget, and I was so grateful to have such loving people surrounding us to share it with us.
