3 Year Anniversary

Three years ago today, we picked up our little girls.  It was by far the craziest, saddest, and most exciting day all at once that we had ever experienced.  Five days previously, Ellie Grace was born and we got the call asking us if we would consider taking her and Jocelyn.  We told them to let us have a day to talk and pray about it.  They told us they were talking to some other families about taking them as well and they would get back to us.  The next day we had decided to say yes if they still needed us, but we awoke to snow and all the state offices were closed.  No news.  Then it was the weekend.  No news.  Then Monday was a holiday and all the state offices were closed.  No news.  So all this time we do not know if they have another family lined up already or if we should be preparing.  We chose to wait.  hahaha  On Tuesday morning, we got the call asking us to come to the hospital where Ellie was still and meet with her doctor and her social worker before we decided for sure.  We picked up an infant car seat just in case and off we went.  We left the big kids at home putting together their old crib and those were literally the only two items we had.  We got to the hospital and met EG, held her, rocked her, fed her, and changed her.  She was absolutely perfect!  After a long consultation with her team, we just walked out of the hospital with her.  It was all so surreal to us.  With this tiny 5 day old baby girl, we went to Target to get necessities, you know, like bottles, formula, diapers, clothes, blankets, pacifiers, Dreft, etc.  We truly looked like the most unprepared parents ever!  We knew we would be picking up Jocelyn from her social worker in a couple of hours so we were able to get a car seat for her, a few toys, a toothbrush, and some clothes as well.  Then we went to meet the social worker and laid eyes on our second child of the day.  When I think back to her that day, it just breaks my heart.  Her big, scared eyes, not understanding what was happening to her world.  I have come to understand that with every adoption comes a story of trauma.  And this day, hers was coming to a head.  She just stood there, with her few belongings in a single Wal Mart bag.  The social worker told her she was going for a ride with these nice people.  More heart break.  How do you begin to explain to a 3 year old what is happening to her world?  Her shoes were much too small and she had no weather-appropriate clothes in her bag (we found out later from our social worker that Jocelyn had to pack her own bag), so back to the store we went for pj's, socks, shoes, and underwear.  Then we met our big kids for supper and then home....completely exhausted and emotionally drained.  A few friends stopped by to say hello and then it was bed time.  Oh the tears.  Our hearts broke again for Jocelyn.  No matter what happens in a child's life, they love their mom.  She wanted her mom.  She had no idea why she had ended up in this strange place with these strange people.  We know now that it was the start of something beautiful for our family but at the time, it was so very hard.  People tell us that the girls are so lucky to have ended up with us.  But really, it is just the opposite.  Earlier this week, someone told me I am one lucky momma.  My heart breathed a sigh of relief.....someone gets it!  (thanks, Alisa!) We love our littles so very much.

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families..."  Psalm 68:5-6

P. S.   There is always a need for foster families.  There are about 500,000 children in the US foster care system and about 140,000 of those are immediately available for adoption.