Just Beautiful

I drove to Milton today to meet with our kid's case worker to FINALLY see a picture of our kiddos! They are absolutely adorable! Blond hair, and looks like blue eyes. The pictures weren't that great of quality but it didn't take much to notice their beauty! It was an amazing moment to finally see what they look like!
We also found out that we had been given the wrong date of birth for our daughter, and she is actually 5, and will turn 6 at the end of the year! Sounds even better! And get this, our son's birthday is ONE day after D's! So cool!
Brett still hasn't been able to view the pictures, and the case worker wasn't able to print them out for me, but we hope their foster parents will be able to e-mail us some pictures soon, or better yet, we will be able to take pictures ourselves of all of us! Word on the street, is that we MAY get to meet them this weekend! We are reaaaaally hoping that works out, but if not we will continue being patient! Or should I say impatient.
Brett still has to wait in suspense to even see them! It's so hard to know we were matched with our kids, and we can't even see their faces, or touch them. It is such a weird feeling. You just hope they're safe, healthy, and happy while we wait to know they are safe in our home.
The case worker said that they are very excited to meet us, and when they saw our video and the scrapbook I made them, they just lit up! That made me feel so good, because I didn't have to see anything to just light up knowing they are ours. We love them already. We will keep everyone posted about all the stuff going on over the next few weeks. We hope to have them moving in with us after they finish the school year! That would be PERFECT timing for everyone! We can't wait to share them with all of our family and friends, and let them realize how loved they are and have been, before they were ever met!
GOD IS GREAT! Thank you Jesus!

Mother of FOUR...

Today, I woke up, and flipped our yearly scripture calendar to April 5th. It read, "May you be given more and more of God's kindness, peace, and love." I thought, Wow, I don't deserve any of those things, and yet I'm still praying for all of those daily, but especially today. God is so righteous! He continually blesses us, yet we are so undeserving! Ah, The Author of Love, sure is a great teacher!
Then I headed to MOPS which was great as usual, besides my stomach being in knots, feeling anxious, on edge, and just ready for answers! It was kind of like being in labor since December and waiting for the last few minutes until new life. I couldn't stop looking at the clock, not to mention checking my phone for calls and waiting to see when Brett was going to drop off a hungry little "G". Well, time went by and still no word. I called my friend Laura hoping to hear something positive and of course she was, although I was definitely starting to worry...well at 12:35 PM today I received a phone call... As I got nervous and instantly felt like I was going to be sick to my stomach, I answered. It was the case worker. Of course, they can't just come right out and say "You were chosen", no, that would be to easy, and save me from trying not to puke (sry). Instead, they do the build up, gradual, drawn out words, and then, "We thought your family would be the perfect match for these kids" Ahhh, Hallelujah! Praise God! I am now the mother to four blessings! I would go on to tell you how beautiful they are, and how you should go to our FB page and see pictures, but no... we still haven't even seen their innocent beautiful faces! But I know they have blonde hair! Native American heritage with blonde hair? Their case worker was just as taken back as we were when she first met them, but God plans it just the way He wants it! He knows exactly how many little blonde hairs are on their beautiful little heads. We are SO excited! Each day we have something to look forward to. Tomorrow, we may get to see pictures, and maybe this weekend we can meet them?!!? This is just an amazing journey! I can't wait to share what the next few weeks holds for all of us. We can't wait to start our lives as a complete family, and show them how amazing God is!
Brett, "B"-6, "S"-3, "D"-2, "G"-8M and I!

One day down... one to go...

17 hours to go! Today went by reeeeally slow, and I found my mind wandering. I kind of felt like my brain was in Candyland playing on Chocolate Mountain while I was trying to be in good Ol' Pensacola! We stayed busy! Brett was supposed to fly today (but didn't due to bad weather), and I had a play/mom date with Laura and her son with the boys. So, all in all... it was a good day! Just kind of feeling like my stomach is in knots, and I'm just ready to know! Good or Bad, we want it done, so we can either move on as a family of 6 or a family of 4 and planning on the next pregnancy... I'd rather do the first BUT it's in God's hands, and what big powerful hands those are! So this blog is just specifically asking all of you to pray for us as we go into tomorrow! Rejoice with us if it is good news, and if it is news that we didn't want to hear just pray for the healing of our already somewhat attached hearts, and for the journey we will continue to embark on! God's will be done! Thanks everyone for your prayers, and WE CAN'T WAIT!!! S and B, we hope you are the ones!

Counting hours...

I've taken the weekend off from writing on my blog, only to wish I hadn't. Now that is it the week I can think of tons of things I want to share. So, ofcourse, Friday came and went and we didn't hear anything. So, Friday I was saying, "Next week IS the week!" Well, to keep busy we decided to attend the Children's Festival at UWF, and it was a blast and had some really cool things for our youth to do. At this festival was the agency that we are waiting on to hear any news. The Adoption Specialist gave us (Us, and our friends that joined us) a nice warm welcome, and the first words out of her mouth were, "Tuesday, the staffing is Tuesday!" Ahhh... music to my ears, We have a date! Whether it turns out being good news or bad news, we can't wait to know! After waiting for this date for more than 3 weeks we can't believe it is finally here! SO, as I wait tomorrow at MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) I will be an unfocused, mind-racing, scatter brained Mother of a Pre-schooler hoping to add another Pre-schooler, and school aged child on to our beautiful list of two boys! But I couldn't think of a better way to stay busy the last few minutes we are waiting on this call!
Sunday, at Point Baptist Church, we had a great sermon on who the Author of Love is... and knowing I can love because He first loved me, just makes me say, WOW! I can love these children, whom I've never seen, never touched, never even saw a picture of... but we love them...because we have the ability to love because God first loved us.... Thank you Lord, for being able to experience this joyous feeling! It is a love you can't explain in words, and to think You feel this way about everyone! EVERYONE! You love them for who they are... You love the abusers that led these children to possibly be ours, so that they may know You one day! AMAZING!
It makes me want to dance! Hopefully, I will be rejoicing tomorrow knowing that we now have four beautiful native american children, 3 boys and a girl... just sounds perfect, but it won't be perfect unless it is in God's plan, and I understand that. So, if it isn't in God's will, than I will overcome my sadness with the simple thought of God has other plans for us, and these children! I am excited... I just can't wait!
Last night, I was already having trouble sleeping... I can't imagine what tonight will be like! I know Laura can agree with me when I say, You really start to dream about what you think your children will look like, or who they are, and what they're doing and if they are safe?! Mom's do stuff like this! It's hard to keep a level head!
Children are a blessing from God! and with us the fatherless will find compassion, and I hope we get the opportunity to love these children and lead them to knowing our God!
Mark 10:13-16: "People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them."

Waiting...Inspections...and More waiting

I'm not sure how many people know that we are in the process of getting licensed for foster care. No, we aren't fostering children, but we are being considered for some legal risk sibling groups. "Legal risk" or "At-risk" means that the parents rights have not been terminated but the Judge ordered their permanency goals to be "adoption" instead of "reunification".

Today we had our health inspection! It was a quick wham bam satisfactory, see you next year kind of deal. He checked the air filters, the water temp, fridge/freezer temp, checks for leaks, checks the toilets, etc. He let D check the temp of the fridge. D liked that a lot. G was just content watching us back and forth around the house trying to knock out the inspection. The poor inspector got a lot of hello nose nudging from Dakota... she sure gave him a good welcome! Thanks girl! :-\

Tomorrow, we have our home inspection from the foster care licensing department. I'm excited to get all this over with so we can possibly be matched with any prospective "legal risk" placements that need a home like ours. We will not be taking in strictly foster care children. Only children that are expected to be up for adoption soon.

If there are any families considering adoption from foster care, I want to offer you some advice... BE PREPARED TO WAIT! We know it is all in God's timing... but you wait for EVERYTHING... you wait for responses to e-mails, calls, inquiries, staffings, meetings, fingerprinting, clearances, home studies, and if you can think of it, you have to wait for that too! But there is some amazing scripture to help you during these times of waiting.
Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 33:20-22:  "We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you."

Isaiah 30:18: "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"

These are just some of the verses that I turn to during this long waiting period. It reassures me that God's timing is the best and only timing! During this journey it is sometimes very hard to remember that patience isn't only best for all involved but it is best, because it means you are waiting for what God has planned for us.

We have been waiting to hear about a specific sibling group. We thought we would hear about them for sure last week, and then when Friday evening came, we thought, well for sure next week, and now I received an e-mail that makes me believe when Friday rolls around I'll be saying, It has GOT to be next week! haha... Once again... the wait.... leaves us... well... waiting... haha

Hang on with us, and I hope you will rejoice with us when we finally hear good news, or bad news! xoxo

Chosen

Whenever someone finds out that you are going to adopt they automatically shower you with questions. Some negative, and some positive. I probably have been guilty of this myself. Don't get me wrong, asking us questions about our adoption journey isn't bad at all, but it is certain questions that just make me want to hug them and say "Jesus loves us so much"! The biggest question, "WHY?" My responses have been, "We feel called to adopt from foster care", "We can have healthy children of our own, but why bring more children into the world when there are so many children here that need loving, supportive, stable homes" and mostly, "What if we were at God's thrown asking Him to adopt us into His kingdom to have eternal life, and He looked at us, and asked, "Why would I want to adopt you?"
Ephesians 1:5 "He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will"
...and this all in Love!
Aren't we so lucky to have a Father who loves us enough to adopt us...forever!?
God loves us unconditionally, and He loves His orphans, and widows. These children have been bruised, battered, neglected, emotionally scarred! And then God leads some of the chosen families or parents that He wants to adopt these children and lead them to Him, and we are one of those families! Some may not understand, but after sticking with our blog, we hope that you may understand a tad bit better than when you first asked the question, "Why?"
As they say, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called!"

Sitting...waiting...wishing

As most of you know, we started our adoption journey at the end of last year. We decided we wanted to adopt when we were pregnant with G. We researched adoption, and contacted the Cherokee Nation adoption Program about a year ago. We decided we would wait to see how we feel about adoption once the baby arrives, and see how it feels to parent two kids. Let me be the first to say... the first few months of G's life, adoption was in the back of my mind. Especially during times when D would miss the potty and go on the floor, while I was trying to nurse a VERY hungry newborn! But once we got settled into our routine the idea was still there, and we still felt called to adopt. We weren't sure when, but we knew one day we would.
Although, being a stay-at-home mom was great, I still have goals I'd like to accomplish so I decided I was going to go back to college to start Pre-med. After many prayers, and prayer requests, we decided that both of us going to school at the same time just sounded impossible and unfair to our children. So, after much deliberation, and prayer we decided once again my education goals need to take a back seat for awhile. I was ok with this, because I know I couldn't be the best wife or mother I could be while trying to study pre-med with two children under the age of 3. This is when I realized, what better time than now? I'm a stay at home mom who isn't going to finish school until Brett has his career situated, so what better time than now to complete our family through adoption. After many prayers, and discussions we both agreed that this truly is the best time for all of us.
And our journey continues...
I called, what felt like, all over the world trying to figure out which adoption route would be the best for our family. We had it in our hearts to adopt a child(ren) with Native American heritage due to my having cherokee heritage, and being an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Unfortunately, everyone I spoke with locally reassured us that they never see Native children in this area. So, we decided to go through a private home study agency to proficiently search for children out of state. We found our social worker, Margot Logan, with Forever Families Home Study Agency. She is also an adoptive mother of 4 from foster care, and she is truly a gem. She can relate to what we are going through first hand and knows exactly what to say to keep my patience during this emotional journey.
After all this... we are still waiting... patiently...or should I say as patiently as possible. Let me tell ya... it is hard to be patient, but we try to stay busy. Brett being in flight school keeps him extremely busy, and I stay busy with D and G, not to mention some extremely therapeutic Perdido Kid's Park visits with another waiting adoptive parent, and good friend, Laura.
We are hoping this week will bring some life altering changes, and we can't wait to see what God has in store for us and our lives as a family. Everyone should experience adoption in some sort of way... you truly see God working in the process, and He makes it very obvious that this is His doing, and in His time. You can fall in love with pictures, and the thought of certain children completing your family, but God has His plan, and He will lead us to the love He wants us to share with the children He wants us to lead to know Him. Psalm 127:3 says "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him" and with our hearts we will embark on the adoption journey and may God get all the glory.