For Hope and Faith,
For about 16 hours, I knew true happiness. It is amazing how in an instant, everything can change. I know that whatever happens, I am eternally blessed. God is good, all the time. Know that you have been wanted and waited for, cherished and loved. I found out this morning that because it took so long to complete our home study, another family has been chosen for you. In my heart, you will always be mine. I will always wonder what might have been, and I want most of all for you to be happy, heathy, and loved. Another adoptive mom told me that maybe this placement won't work out, but I don't want you to experience a disrupted placement. Of course, since we are so close to final approval, it would be amazing if they would consider us, too. If they had seen you with me last night, I'm certain there would be no doubt that you belong with me. I pray that God will bless you and that you will be in the best placement for you, whether or not that is with us. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, my babies you'll be."
Love forever...
Mama
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
"Hello, I'm Your Mama..."
For Hope and Faith,
"Hello. I'm your Mama." That was what I wanted to say when I met you both for the first time. I stood back and watched you from afar, even though you were so close. Eventually, Hope came to me and held up her arms for me to pick her up, and then Faith did the same. I was holding both of you in my arms for the first time...together. I played with you--we did "Ring Around the Rosie" and all fell down, we played chase, we played ride the horsey, and held you--trying as much as possible to hold you both and putting you down immediately every time you said you wanted down. I tried to walk away and give you space because you had no idea who I was--yet--and somehow, you would always gravitate back toward me. I helped you wash your hands and faces and hunt for eggs. I would say (and have said) that it was "love at first sight," but the truth is that I loved you two over four months before I ever saw you. It was tough to learn that I missed Hope's birthday a few weeks ago and touching to know now that it is the day after our anniversary. I was hopeful when I learned that Faith's birthday is next Friday and that there is always a chance that you could both be home by then. I asked you both what you wanted for your birthdays because we were talking about birthdays (the topic was brought up by others), and you both said that you wanted a cupcake. Faith said, "...with ice cream in it." I plan to have a huge party to celebrate all the birthdays we have missed, and you will get cupcakes with ice cream in them and SO much more. It warmes my heart that you two liked me and kept gravitating to me. And when Hope gave me two unexpected kisses--one apparently just because and the other to say, "Goodbye," my heart completely melted. Today was one of the best days of my life, and as hard as it was to let you go, I hold onto the hope and faith that you two will be in my arms again soon.
God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!
I'll be seeing you soon.
Love,
Mama
"Hello. I'm your Mama." That was what I wanted to say when I met you both for the first time. I stood back and watched you from afar, even though you were so close. Eventually, Hope came to me and held up her arms for me to pick her up, and then Faith did the same. I was holding both of you in my arms for the first time...together. I played with you--we did "Ring Around the Rosie" and all fell down, we played chase, we played ride the horsey, and held you--trying as much as possible to hold you both and putting you down immediately every time you said you wanted down. I tried to walk away and give you space because you had no idea who I was--yet--and somehow, you would always gravitate back toward me. I helped you wash your hands and faces and hunt for eggs. I would say (and have said) that it was "love at first sight," but the truth is that I loved you two over four months before I ever saw you. It was tough to learn that I missed Hope's birthday a few weeks ago and touching to know now that it is the day after our anniversary. I was hopeful when I learned that Faith's birthday is next Friday and that there is always a chance that you could both be home by then. I asked you both what you wanted for your birthdays because we were talking about birthdays (the topic was brought up by others), and you both said that you wanted a cupcake. Faith said, "...with ice cream in it." I plan to have a huge party to celebrate all the birthdays we have missed, and you will get cupcakes with ice cream in them and SO much more. It warmes my heart that you two liked me and kept gravitating to me. And when Hope gave me two unexpected kisses--one apparently just because and the other to say, "Goodbye," my heart completely melted. Today was one of the best days of my life, and as hard as it was to let you go, I hold onto the hope and faith that you two will be in my arms again soon.
God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!
I'll be seeing you soon.
Love,
Mama
Monday, April 7, 2014
One More Day and Then Some . . .
For Hope and Faith,
I haven't written you in a while. Honestly, I have been trying to preoccupy my mind with anything but thoughts of you because my heart aches for you. Sometimes when we love someone so much, it hurts us so much to even think about them when we know we can't see them. I guess this is how people felt when my mom, your MawMaw was sick. The truth is that I have been so excited about your arrival that there is simply no way to escape thoughts of you. It would be like being pregnant and not thinking about the baby, which is probably why near the end of a pregnancy, moms-to-be tend to try anything to help labor start. Like me, they just hardly can't wait to meet their babies. Know that even though I haven't been writing, you are on my mind all of the time. Your older brother, D., talks about you every day--he is so excited to meet you and for you to both come home. He thought he saw the two of you at a DHR meeting and was so excited that he called me out of the room to tell me. It seems as if every single person who has been praying for you and us asks if we have heard anything. I almost don't want to leave the house until I have you with me. All they know is that we have fallen in love with and are hoping to adopt two little girls, but I know that their care and concern shows how much they love us and you already. When our worker called to tell us last week that she had our home study ready, but that we just needed to wait for her supervisor to come back in the office and that she would be out until April 14th, I decided not to do anything until that date. Of course, it was short lived, but temporarily, I was just going to will myself into a state of suspended animation. One of the things that I wasn't going to do was go to either the Foster and Adoptive Parents' Egg Hunt or the Church Egg Hunt. I felt that you two should be there, too, and so I wasn't going without you. Then, I got a call that you are may be at the FAPA egg hunt . . . tomorrow! You were supposed to be at several events, so whether you are or not, I will be there. In one more day, I may get the chance to meet you both. I am incredibly nervous that you won't like me, despite the fact that every child who knows we want to adopt, your siblings included, has assured me that you will love me. I hope you do, and I am a realist and know that you may not. Soon, we may find out. And, not much longer after that, we may have you home.
Love forever and always,
Mama
I haven't written you in a while. Honestly, I have been trying to preoccupy my mind with anything but thoughts of you because my heart aches for you. Sometimes when we love someone so much, it hurts us so much to even think about them when we know we can't see them. I guess this is how people felt when my mom, your MawMaw was sick. The truth is that I have been so excited about your arrival that there is simply no way to escape thoughts of you. It would be like being pregnant and not thinking about the baby, which is probably why near the end of a pregnancy, moms-to-be tend to try anything to help labor start. Like me, they just hardly can't wait to meet their babies. Know that even though I haven't been writing, you are on my mind all of the time. Your older brother, D., talks about you every day--he is so excited to meet you and for you to both come home. He thought he saw the two of you at a DHR meeting and was so excited that he called me out of the room to tell me. It seems as if every single person who has been praying for you and us asks if we have heard anything. I almost don't want to leave the house until I have you with me. All they know is that we have fallen in love with and are hoping to adopt two little girls, but I know that their care and concern shows how much they love us and you already. When our worker called to tell us last week that she had our home study ready, but that we just needed to wait for her supervisor to come back in the office and that she would be out until April 14th, I decided not to do anything until that date. Of course, it was short lived, but temporarily, I was just going to will myself into a state of suspended animation. One of the things that I wasn't going to do was go to either the Foster and Adoptive Parents' Egg Hunt or the Church Egg Hunt. I felt that you two should be there, too, and so I wasn't going without you. Then, I got a call that you are may be at the FAPA egg hunt . . . tomorrow! You were supposed to be at several events, so whether you are or not, I will be there. In one more day, I may get the chance to meet you both. I am incredibly nervous that you won't like me, despite the fact that every child who knows we want to adopt, your siblings included, has assured me that you will love me. I hope you do, and I am a realist and know that you may not. Soon, we may find out. And, not much longer after that, we may have you home.
Love forever and always,
Mama
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
The Night Before . . .
For Hope and Faith,
Tonight, as I lay in bed, I find myself unable to sleep. I feel like a child the night before a trip to Disney World, full of excitement and anticipation. In about 2.5 months, you should know what that feels like, too. I look forward to experiencing that and so many other things with the both of you. Tomorrow should be our final home visit. The new social worker will come to our home and do a safety check and make sure that we will be a good family for the two of you and any other children who God sends our way. I have felt all along that you would both be in our arms and home by or before our anniversary, which is Saturday. You may or may not be, but we know that it shouldn't be long now.
We have heard many say, and we've seen for ourselves, that adoption can sometimes be impossible for families due to the costs involved. Couples who adopt from foster care don't have the same financial obstacles that others face. We are still planning to do an adoption and orphan care fundraiser, though. We will use money from this to do help local children in foster care and to help couples from other countries adopt locally. It would be simply amazing if we could raise $1000 for this ministry. We also plan to wear these T-shirts as a family when we go on our Disney trip. Hopefully, this will also bring awareness to our cause.
We will be sharing the information on these shirts very soon. View the shirt here ( https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=800455369984667&l=2e2fb46d47 )
I look forward to meeting you both very soon,
Mama
Tonight, as I lay in bed, I find myself unable to sleep. I feel like a child the night before a trip to Disney World, full of excitement and anticipation. In about 2.5 months, you should know what that feels like, too. I look forward to experiencing that and so many other things with the both of you. Tomorrow should be our final home visit. The new social worker will come to our home and do a safety check and make sure that we will be a good family for the two of you and any other children who God sends our way. I have felt all along that you would both be in our arms and home by or before our anniversary, which is Saturday. You may or may not be, but we know that it shouldn't be long now.
We have heard many say, and we've seen for ourselves, that adoption can sometimes be impossible for families due to the costs involved. Couples who adopt from foster care don't have the same financial obstacles that others face. We are still planning to do an adoption and orphan care fundraiser, though. We will use money from this to do help local children in foster care and to help couples from other countries adopt locally. It would be simply amazing if we could raise $1000 for this ministry. We also plan to wear these T-shirts as a family when we go on our Disney trip. Hopefully, this will also bring awareness to our cause.
We will be sharing the information on these shirts very soon. View the shirt here ( https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=800455369984667&l=2e2fb46d47 )
I look forward to meeting you both very soon,
Mama
Friday, March 7, 2014
kNOw More Orphans
For Hope and Faith,
I can't remember if I've told you this before, so bare with me as I probably tell you again. (Get used to that, as your Daddy's biggest pet peeve about me is that I repeat myself.)
I am directly descended from two orphans (that I know of). My grandmother, your great-grand, was an orphan by the age of six due to both of her parents dying. Her father died when she was only about 2 and her mother when she was six. She was raised by distant relatives as one of their children but was never legally adopted. My father, your Pop, was raised in foster care like you were, but he left foster care at the age of 16 by getting married. He was orphaned through the poor choices of his parents, and he was also never legally adopted. However, they were both adopted by our Heavenly Father, through a price paid by Jesus on the cross.
Legally adopting you as our children is very important. It is important to us, and we feel that it will be important to you. However, your adoption into God's family is much more important. This is something that your Daddy and I take very seriously. We vow to raise you in a Christian home--to teach you about God's love and His Son, not just through his Word, though this is important, but by our actions. We won't be perfect. Only one person to walk the Earth ever was perfect, but we will continually strive to live Christ-like and to always remember that God is your true Father and that He has entrusted us with your care while we are on this Earth. We also promise to continually grow in our Faith and in our lives as Christians and as parents. To that end, even though we don't get credit for continuing education until our home study is final, we have been attending classes to learn more and grow. This weekend, we are so blessed to be at the kNOw More Orphans conference in Birmingham, and it has truly been a blessing. We are looking forward to getting our church more involved in an Orphan Care Ministry because we know this is part of the work God wants us to do with Marriages and Families. And, I am currently working to arrange for us to attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference ( http://www.cafo.org ) in Chicago May 1-2, 2014. It may be that I go to the meetings while Daddy spends time with the two of you and your brother and then we are all together during conference down time. Regardless, I know that God has big plans for all of our family to share His love and to care for the most vulnerable among us. May the love we have for God in our hearts always be reflected in our actions and in the actions of the children whose care He has entrusted to us.
We hope that one day you pass on your love and God's love, too. May we have many grandchildren, and may at least some of them be born from your hearts.
Love you infinitely,
Mama
I can't remember if I've told you this before, so bare with me as I probably tell you again. (Get used to that, as your Daddy's biggest pet peeve about me is that I repeat myself.)
I am directly descended from two orphans (that I know of). My grandmother, your great-grand, was an orphan by the age of six due to both of her parents dying. Her father died when she was only about 2 and her mother when she was six. She was raised by distant relatives as one of their children but was never legally adopted. My father, your Pop, was raised in foster care like you were, but he left foster care at the age of 16 by getting married. He was orphaned through the poor choices of his parents, and he was also never legally adopted. However, they were both adopted by our Heavenly Father, through a price paid by Jesus on the cross.
Legally adopting you as our children is very important. It is important to us, and we feel that it will be important to you. However, your adoption into God's family is much more important. This is something that your Daddy and I take very seriously. We vow to raise you in a Christian home--to teach you about God's love and His Son, not just through his Word, though this is important, but by our actions. We won't be perfect. Only one person to walk the Earth ever was perfect, but we will continually strive to live Christ-like and to always remember that God is your true Father and that He has entrusted us with your care while we are on this Earth. We also promise to continually grow in our Faith and in our lives as Christians and as parents. To that end, even though we don't get credit for continuing education until our home study is final, we have been attending classes to learn more and grow. This weekend, we are so blessed to be at the kNOw More Orphans conference in Birmingham, and it has truly been a blessing. We are looking forward to getting our church more involved in an Orphan Care Ministry because we know this is part of the work God wants us to do with Marriages and Families. And, I am currently working to arrange for us to attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference ( http://www.cafo.org ) in Chicago May 1-2, 2014. It may be that I go to the meetings while Daddy spends time with the two of you and your brother and then we are all together during conference down time. Regardless, I know that God has big plans for all of our family to share His love and to care for the most vulnerable among us. May the love we have for God in our hearts always be reflected in our actions and in the actions of the children whose care He has entrusted to us.
We hope that one day you pass on your love and God's love, too. May we have many grandchildren, and may at least some of them be born from your hearts.
Love you infinitely,
Mama
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Faith, Hope, Princess Grace . . . And our destiny
For Hope and Faith,
I have so many things to share with you today. Where to begin?
This past weekend an 18-year-old girl who we love very much spent the night with us. We enjoyed our time with her and had felt an instant connection with her from the very first time we met her back in November. She spoke to our GPS (foster and adoptive parents' class) about what it felt like to be in foster care from her perspective. In December, she helped us cook for the Foster Parents' Association Christmas party, and we got to have dinner with her afterwards. In early February, she went with me to a church event, and I got to stay with her while she recovered from being sick. She expressed an interest in staying with us and becoming part of our forever family, and we would be honored for her to do this. We know that the timing may not be right for her right now to become part of our family through adoption, but she will forever be our "Princess" Grace. We will always have a home for her to come home to, and if one day the timing is right for her and she still wants to be a part of our family through legal adoption, we would love to have her. We are going to find out if her brother can be placed in our home and if he wants to become part of our Forever Family. Either way, she will always be part of our heart family and will always be your sister. I think she will be a good role model for the two of you. I always knew we would adopt several children, including some older children.
This leads me to another topic.
So many people have been supportive of our desire to become foster and adoptive parents and SO many are praying for the both of you daily. Very few people are surprised about our calling or plans to become foster and adoptive parents. Those who are usually feel like your father would probably appreciate alone time with me or that we should just travel the world alone and enjoy each other. These people must not have a clue that not only does your father LOVE and adore children and want to be a father again, but that he fell in love with me precisely because of how much I love and give to others--my mothering spirit. I highly doubt that most people know that on our five-day honeymoon, we spent an entire day at an orphanage taking care of babies and children. We both knew that orphan care was important to us even then. My only regret about that is not doing more for them after we returned home. I hope to one day take you and all of your siblings back and take supplies and help them with facilities maintenance and whatever else they need.
Your father and I were destined to adopt, and we feel we were destined to be your parents. It won't be long now. Our next (and hopefully final visit) with our new worker is late next week. Eight days from now, we could know when we will meet you. In the past ten months, we have learned to have Patience, Wisdom, Faith, and Hope. Now, we also have our Grace. A side note, Grace is also your father's nickname for me . . . so, your sister Grace is kind of named after me (and one of my favorite aunts). We look forward to meeting you and holding you in our arms.
Love always and forever,
Mama
Saturday, February 22, 2014
The One That Got Away . . .
For Hope and Faith,
In writing my last post to you and in your father reading it back to me, I was finally able to shed tears for the one that got away. Last Friday is when I first knew I would have to fight harder for you. Monday, I learned that the other sibling baby we were expecting (who was growing in another mommy's body) would never make it to our arms. Now that I've emotionally dealt with all the ups-and-downs from the past week, I am finally able to grieve the loss of that baby for both the first mom and myself. I believe there are other souls out there who will also be part of our family, so you will have more siblings. Only God knows when or who, but it will happen.
I love you both and can hardly wait to hold you in my arms.
Love always and forever (143aaf),
Mama
In writing my last post to you and in your father reading it back to me, I was finally able to shed tears for the one that got away. Last Friday is when I first knew I would have to fight harder for you. Monday, I learned that the other sibling baby we were expecting (who was growing in another mommy's body) would never make it to our arms. Now that I've emotionally dealt with all the ups-and-downs from the past week, I am finally able to grieve the loss of that baby for both the first mom and myself. I believe there are other souls out there who will also be part of our family, so you will have more siblings. Only God knows when or who, but it will happen.
I love you both and can hardly wait to hold you in my arms.
Love always and forever (143aaf),
Mama
Friday, February 21, 2014
Expecting?!?!
For Hope and Faith,
I read a term in an adoption book yesterday that led me to do some research. The way "pre-adoption pregnancy" was described, I instantly identified. First, from the moment I found out about you two, I started feeling as I had before each of my pregnancies--excited, a little nervous, ver much in love with the two people growing in my heart, and expectant. I began going to the baby/toddler sections in stores intentionally. Before, I would notice outfits I liked if I happened to pass through and wonder what the children I would one day adopt might look like or be like. Occasionally, I would buy an outfit that was either such a good price or that I was sure I would want for my child one day. That all seemed so abstract . . . One day. One day could be soon or in the distant future. One day could have been years from now, as it was for me years ago when I would pass by and see something that I could imagine one of my future children wearing. After all, my youngest (biological or not) child now is thirteen, and the last time I was pregnant was eight years ago. I'm sure eight years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would not be pregnant again or that it would take me eight more years to be getting a home study for my first adoption. I imagined eight years ago that I would adopt by the age of thirty-three, yet that came and went.
Back to the question I began to have as I did my research into "pre-adoptive pregnancy" . . .
As I read more about what people (especially mothers) call themselves who are adopting, I became sad. I was sad that some biological mothers feel the need to deny adoptive mothers the use of the term "pre-adoptive pregnancy" or even "expecting." Several of these women felt appalled that an adoptive mother, a woman who usually has no clue when she will see her child or knows only little, if anything, about that child would dare use the term "expecting." They ascertained that this term was reserved for women who biologically carry a baby inside their bodies and know that in 38-42 weeks, they will give birth to a baby. This is the part that made me sad. See, I have had five babies to grow inside of my body. I was betrayed by my body around 10-13 weeks of pregnancy three times. By the definition these women had, I was never "expecting" these children. By their definition, I certainly haven't been expecting either of you. I'm not sad for myself because I know that just as I was expecting the other three babies that I lost, I am expecting the two of you, and if I were to lose you, I'm certain it will affect me similarly. With two of those babies, I heard and saw a strong heartbeat, just as I know you have heartbeats. You are no less real to me than those babies were. And, although others might not agree, I personally think God has planned all along for you to be mine. Even though this hasn't been easy, neither is pregnancy or labor, and we often appreciate even more those we have to fight for. I fought for my other babies--the ones I lost and the ones I had--I fought for them before birth by doing the research myself to find out why my body kept betraying me and then demanding I be put on progesterone to give them a shot at survival. I have also fought for your older brothers after birth through advocating for them and recently fighting to maintain joint custody. And, I've fought for the two of you. I've often wondered over the past almost three months if you could feel all those people praying for you, if you could feel your Daddy and me praying for you, and if you knew how much you are loved and wanted.
I do acknowledge there is a difference in adoption that isn't there in all births in that there has to be a loss for one person in order for another to gain a child. As I have lost three children and have lost part of myself to my ex-husband in order to gain your brothers, I know this does make a difference. You two were not born to a mother who "expected" to lose you, as many children who are or will be adopted are; however, your first mom did experience a loss, a loss that must be grieved not only by her but by me. I do grieve for her. I also grieve for the two of you.
And, many have asked me if I have met you yet or how do I really know I will love you and want you. To them I say that I am "expecting" two girls, baby girls to me, though I am sure you think you are "big girls." My longing for you is no different than my longing for your siblings, even the ones I gave birth to, because it would not have mattered what they looked like, what their special needs were, or what their personality was . . . I was expecting them, and they were mine. I AM expecting you two, and you are mine, regardless. Sure, a social worker can still decide you aren't and can never be legally mine, but I've already started growing you in my heart. Just like the three babies I lost, if you never make it to my arms, you will still be mine, and I will love you forever.
Hoping, Praying, and Keeping Faith that I will see you both soon,
Mama
Friday, February 14, 2014
A-B-C...N!
For Hope and Faith,
"All is well. Breathe. Courage. Nurture." These were the main messages I received from God tonight. I will breathe and have faith in God's plan for us to parent and nurture His children, and I will have courage to stand up against injustice. As MLK, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Today, we called our social worker as she had instructed us to do to set up our third and final home visit for the last week in February. She told us that there were three people ahead of us and that she had to be gone for a week in February and a week in March for work, so she could not see us until March 28th, that was the soonest she could see us. We have felt since the first time we met her that she didn't want us to have you two because it was a worker from another county who told us about you. I'm usually pretty good at "reading" people and felt that she was trying to make a power play of control to show us she was in charge. We do try to always give people the benefit of the doubt, though, and we prayed that God would allow us to look past our emotions and have empathy for this worker. When we met her the second time (6 weeks later) and she still had not looked through our folder, called our references, or sent for our background checks from Colorado, we felt more sure that she was intent on us not becoming your parents. Near the end of that second home visit, which we thought would be our last, she said that we would have one more in 6 weeks, just to make sure that everything was okay and that she would look through our file, call our references, and send for our background check from Colorado, as she still had not done that. She told us to call her in four weeks to schedule an appointment for six weeks from then, the last week in February. When we asked if we could call in a couple of weeks to set up something in three to four weeks, just to make sure we were on track, she said, "I could just deny you right now, but I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. I don't think you're bad people, but I don't really know that." It was then that we figured we better just keep our mouths shut and do things her way so that we didn't lose you. I had read about other workers who decided the potential adoptive parents seemed too interested in a child or did not comply the way they wanted and failed their home study. We complied, waited, and prayed. Then, when we called today and it became evident that she does seem to be trying to keep us from getting you and still probably hasn't read our file, called our references, or gotten the other background check, we knew that we had to do something. We were so scared of losing you. Both meetings she told us that you two would not be available when she finished our home study, that she didn't want us to get hurt. We think it was actually more of a promise. The thing is, she didn't count on our love for you, or that your mother will never give up on her children.
We have now requested to pay for a private home study, as we feel that is the only way we will receive fair treatment in this county. We will find out next week if we have to take this higher. We know you are meant to be ours--on that front, All is well (or will be once we do what we need to) and that there will be hidden blessings from our being forced to stand up against injustice. First, we have to Breathe and have the Courage to do what we know is right in order to get the reward of being able to Nurture you. A-B-C-N.
Who knows, the hidden blessing could be that we teach you to fight for what is right and good. Stand up for what you believe in and those you love. And, always expect the greater reward...God's reward.
Happy Valentine's Day, Sweethearts!
Your advocate and champion,
Mom and Dad
"All is well. Breathe. Courage. Nurture." These were the main messages I received from God tonight. I will breathe and have faith in God's plan for us to parent and nurture His children, and I will have courage to stand up against injustice. As MLK, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Today, we called our social worker as she had instructed us to do to set up our third and final home visit for the last week in February. She told us that there were three people ahead of us and that she had to be gone for a week in February and a week in March for work, so she could not see us until March 28th, that was the soonest she could see us. We have felt since the first time we met her that she didn't want us to have you two because it was a worker from another county who told us about you. I'm usually pretty good at "reading" people and felt that she was trying to make a power play of control to show us she was in charge. We do try to always give people the benefit of the doubt, though, and we prayed that God would allow us to look past our emotions and have empathy for this worker. When we met her the second time (6 weeks later) and she still had not looked through our folder, called our references, or sent for our background checks from Colorado, we felt more sure that she was intent on us not becoming your parents. Near the end of that second home visit, which we thought would be our last, she said that we would have one more in 6 weeks, just to make sure that everything was okay and that she would look through our file, call our references, and send for our background check from Colorado, as she still had not done that. She told us to call her in four weeks to schedule an appointment for six weeks from then, the last week in February. When we asked if we could call in a couple of weeks to set up something in three to four weeks, just to make sure we were on track, she said, "I could just deny you right now, but I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. I don't think you're bad people, but I don't really know that." It was then that we figured we better just keep our mouths shut and do things her way so that we didn't lose you. I had read about other workers who decided the potential adoptive parents seemed too interested in a child or did not comply the way they wanted and failed their home study. We complied, waited, and prayed. Then, when we called today and it became evident that she does seem to be trying to keep us from getting you and still probably hasn't read our file, called our references, or gotten the other background check, we knew that we had to do something. We were so scared of losing you. Both meetings she told us that you two would not be available when she finished our home study, that she didn't want us to get hurt. We think it was actually more of a promise. The thing is, she didn't count on our love for you, or that your mother will never give up on her children.
We have now requested to pay for a private home study, as we feel that is the only way we will receive fair treatment in this county. We will find out next week if we have to take this higher. We know you are meant to be ours--on that front, All is well (or will be once we do what we need to) and that there will be hidden blessings from our being forced to stand up against injustice. First, we have to Breathe and have the Courage to do what we know is right in order to get the reward of being able to Nurture you. A-B-C-N.
Who knows, the hidden blessing could be that we teach you to fight for what is right and good. Stand up for what you believe in and those you love. And, always expect the greater reward...God's reward.
Happy Valentine's Day, Sweethearts!
Your advocate and champion,
Mom and Dad
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Two-and-a-half Weeks
For Hope and Faith,
Two-and-a-half weeks. In reality, that is such a short amount of time. In the context of how long we have already been in this process of a home study, it really isn't that long . . . not really. Part of me is so excited for how little time it really is--knowing that we could meet you both in less than three weeks and that we could have you stay overnight in less than four and have you here for real in only four weeks. Part of me imagined all along that you'd both be here by our anniversary, March 15.
And even though I know you will be here, eventually, part of me can't help but think there will be some other excuse for why you can't be here yet--another home visit, more references to check (as if any of them were bad), something that hasn't been done yet for whatever reason. The truth is that at this point, it is so far out of our hands.
And so we wait, patiently, prayerfully, for you both. Today, I washed and put away some clothes I bought for you two. We had a very dear friend's, like a sister's, children and new little puppy stay with us, and the boys and your brother enjoyed not going to school. It was nice to have more children and little ones (the pup, who stayed in my robe most of the day and sleeps on my arm now) in the house. It was nice to have others be grateful for all we try to do.
I pray you are here with us sooner rather than later. I cannot wait to have you both in my arms and in your beds in your room in your forever home. I'm sure that if you had any idea, you couldn't wait either. I'll call about you again tomorrow. I'm sure they are quite tired of hearing from me, but I'll be persistent because in my heart, you are already mine, and that is what your mother does . . . she never stops praying for and advocating for, nurturing, and fighting for her babies. Never.
Sweet dreams.
Mommy
Two-and-a-half weeks. In reality, that is such a short amount of time. In the context of how long we have already been in this process of a home study, it really isn't that long . . . not really. Part of me is so excited for how little time it really is--knowing that we could meet you both in less than three weeks and that we could have you stay overnight in less than four and have you here for real in only four weeks. Part of me imagined all along that you'd both be here by our anniversary, March 15.
And even though I know you will be here, eventually, part of me can't help but think there will be some other excuse for why you can't be here yet--another home visit, more references to check (as if any of them were bad), something that hasn't been done yet for whatever reason. The truth is that at this point, it is so far out of our hands.
And so we wait, patiently, prayerfully, for you both. Today, I washed and put away some clothes I bought for you two. We had a very dear friend's, like a sister's, children and new little puppy stay with us, and the boys and your brother enjoyed not going to school. It was nice to have more children and little ones (the pup, who stayed in my robe most of the day and sleeps on my arm now) in the house. It was nice to have others be grateful for all we try to do.
I pray you are here with us sooner rather than later. I cannot wait to have you both in my arms and in your beds in your room in your forever home. I'm sure that if you had any idea, you couldn't wait either. I'll call about you again tomorrow. I'm sure they are quite tired of hearing from me, but I'll be persistent because in my heart, you are already mine, and that is what your mother does . . . she never stops praying for and advocating for, nurturing, and fighting for her babies. Never.
Sweet dreams.
Mommy
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Another sibling?
For Hope and Faith--
We got a call the other day and another call yesterday. There is a remote chance that not too long after you join our family, we may have another child or two join our family. One of the children, the one we got a call about, will be a baby. We do not know if the baby will be a little brother or sister, but if the baby comes to join our family, it will probably be in early fall. We are over-the-moon at the thought of having all of you in our home within less than a year. God is so good!
We know that you will love the baby and your other siblings, and we want you to know that this will not take anything away from you. We look so forward to having you both in our home and plan to spend at least a few weeks with just you two before any other siblings come. Of course, you may also have an older brother (he is 10--will be 11--and lives in South Carolina) before we go to Disney World. There is a chance that there could be 7-8 of us going for our family trip! We will all have matching shirts for at least one day, and we are already looking for the stroller we will use. We will be at Disney during my birthday, and this will probably be right before your adoption is final--it will be a celebration of our family growing! We have already started buying you both clothes to wear on the trip, for our family photo that we plan to have taken there, and for just every day! I want to take you both for a princess dinner in Cinderella's Castle (along with your older sister if she goes with us) on one of the days. Daddy and your brothers can hang out then. I cannot wait to share all that Disney World has to offer with you both!
We have so many plans of things to do with you both together, individually, and as a Family this summer. In addition to Disney, we will also go to a family church camp, go stay in Florida and help with the youth mission trip, go to the beach, and take a family trip somewhere--either out west or somewhere else. We will have a party to celebrate when you become ours forever. We will also dedicate you at church to God and take a vow to always support your spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational needs. I've already been looking for special dresses for you to wear for this day.
We are so excited to meet you and for you to join our Family, and we can hardly believe that could happen in less than a month! So many people have been praying for you both. We hope you feel the love.
Love always and forever,
Mommy
We got a call the other day and another call yesterday. There is a remote chance that not too long after you join our family, we may have another child or two join our family. One of the children, the one we got a call about, will be a baby. We do not know if the baby will be a little brother or sister, but if the baby comes to join our family, it will probably be in early fall. We are over-the-moon at the thought of having all of you in our home within less than a year. God is so good!
We know that you will love the baby and your other siblings, and we want you to know that this will not take anything away from you. We look so forward to having you both in our home and plan to spend at least a few weeks with just you two before any other siblings come. Of course, you may also have an older brother (he is 10--will be 11--and lives in South Carolina) before we go to Disney World. There is a chance that there could be 7-8 of us going for our family trip! We will all have matching shirts for at least one day, and we are already looking for the stroller we will use. We will be at Disney during my birthday, and this will probably be right before your adoption is final--it will be a celebration of our family growing! We have already started buying you both clothes to wear on the trip, for our family photo that we plan to have taken there, and for just every day! I want to take you both for a princess dinner in Cinderella's Castle (along with your older sister if she goes with us) on one of the days. Daddy and your brothers can hang out then. I cannot wait to share all that Disney World has to offer with you both!
We have so many plans of things to do with you both together, individually, and as a Family this summer. In addition to Disney, we will also go to a family church camp, go stay in Florida and help with the youth mission trip, go to the beach, and take a family trip somewhere--either out west or somewhere else. We will have a party to celebrate when you become ours forever. We will also dedicate you at church to God and take a vow to always support your spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational needs. I've already been looking for special dresses for you to wear for this day.
We are so excited to meet you and for you to join our Family, and we can hardly believe that could happen in less than a month! So many people have been praying for you both. We hope you feel the love.
Love always and forever,
Mommy
Sunday, February 2, 2014
You Are Always On My Mind . . .
For Hope and Faith,
I have had a hard time writing to you this week because there was so much I wanted to tell you. I want to tell you about your names, your bedroom, and our upcoming family trip to Disney World and of how preparing for you to both be in our home mostly keeps my mind off the fact that you aren't here yet. I say mostly because I do wonder if you are both happy where you are now, if you are sick from all the colds and flu going around or healthy, and if the mom with you now prays over you, sings to you, and loves you unconditionally. This week I wondered if you both got to play in the snow and if you had winter coats. I also wonder if we should keep the things we've bought you until you arrive or if we should send them to you. You will probably both get tired of dressing alike, but you are so close in age that I mostly bought similar outfits in different sizes. Of course, even though you are slightly different ages, you may be he same size. I wonder if you will both know how much you are loved and if you will even want to be here. We will remain patient even after you come, and we will continue to show you both unconditional love. It's just over four weeks now until it will have been six weeks since our last visit with the social worker (just over three weeks since the appointment we had with her). That means we should be calling her late this week or early next week to schedule our final visit with her. During these times between the visits, she is supposed to be finalizing our background checks and talking to our references. We are hoping that we can meet you both in about four to five weeks and that you could be in our home in six weeks. It has seemed like so long, even though I know it isn't. Having my babies in my heart and waiting to see their faces and feel their arms around my neck is like when I had babies in my womb and was waiting to see them. Never, ever, ever think that you aren't loved just as much, wanted just as much, or thought of the same as your brothers or sisters. Also, know that you will have more brothers and sisters, too, as we want to adopt other children as well. We believe that love is multiplied, not divided.
I'm getting excited to see you soon!
Love,
Mama
Sunday, January 26, 2014
White Dove
For Hope and Faith,
Today was your big brother's 13th birthday. We had a good day--spending most of it at church as it was a Sunday and he also had confirmation classes. After morning church, we stopped by the grocery store to quickly get one thing, and a white dove was there. Several people were watching it walk around the parking lot. It was beautiful and quite a curiosity in this area. As soon as we pulled up, he seemed to walk toward our car. He followed Dad toward the store and then came back to the car. Your brother even got out of the car and looked at the beautiful bird. It seemed like a sign to me--one of Hope, Faith, and promises to be fulfilled. I took it as a sign from God that you will both be here and to continue to have Hope and Faith for that promise to be fulfilled. It was a very powerful message to me.
Within the next five weeks, we should have a completed home study. Shortly after that, we should have a chance to finally meet you, followed by an overnight stay of you both here in your room, and then you will come to live with us, and after 90 more days, you will forever legally be members of our family. I say "legally" because we truly have already adopted you both in our hearts.
We also picked you both out an outfit tonight--one to wear to Disney World in June. We are all so excited for you to be here, and your big brother is already protective of you. We love you both!
Love,
Mom, Dad, and BB
Today was your big brother's 13th birthday. We had a good day--spending most of it at church as it was a Sunday and he also had confirmation classes. After morning church, we stopped by the grocery store to quickly get one thing, and a white dove was there. Several people were watching it walk around the parking lot. It was beautiful and quite a curiosity in this area. As soon as we pulled up, he seemed to walk toward our car. He followed Dad toward the store and then came back to the car. Your brother even got out of the car and looked at the beautiful bird. It seemed like a sign to me--one of Hope, Faith, and promises to be fulfilled. I took it as a sign from God that you will both be here and to continue to have Hope and Faith for that promise to be fulfilled. It was a very powerful message to me.
Within the next five weeks, we should have a completed home study. Shortly after that, we should have a chance to finally meet you, followed by an overnight stay of you both here in your room, and then you will come to live with us, and after 90 more days, you will forever legally be members of our family. I say "legally" because we truly have already adopted you both in our hearts.
We also picked you both out an outfit tonight--one to wear to Disney World in June. We are all so excited for you to be here, and your big brother is already protective of you. We love you both!
Love,
Mom, Dad, and BB
Saturday, January 25, 2014
When Are Your Birthdays?
For Hope and Faith,
Hello, my darling girls. We had your big brother's birthday party today. It was really a birthday party for boys, but it got me thinking about your birthdays. I don't know if I can even find out when your birthdays are until we have passed our home study and been officially approved as an adoptive resource for you. That does not stop me from thinking about it. I would love to have an amazing birthday celebration for each of you and am hoping that you will be in our arms and home before your birthdays. I don't know if either of you has had a birthday since we first learned about you. I'm not even really sure if you got the nightgowns or the dolls we sent you for Christmas. I hope you did and hope you like them.
You have cousins all over the place--some close by, some a few hours away, and some a couple of states away. When we find out when your birthday is and if you are with us then, we will invite them all to come and celebrate with you. We may just have to have one big party to celebrate all the birthdays we haven't been together as soon as you are home.
We are also going to Disney World in June (and two different church camps), so we will celebrate our Gotcha Day or Forever Day then. Hopefully we will get you home in the next 4-6 weeks, though our worker said six weeks until our study would be approved last Tuesday--so, we still have five weeks to go. We aren't supposed to call and make an appointment with her for three more weeks. I definitely want to celebrate getting you, all the birthdays we have missed, and our Forever Day once we have you home. We have to have you here for 90 days before we get to make it official and celebrate forever day. The way I see it, we could be celebrating Forever Day at Disney World. I wonder if you have ever been there. You are just now old enough to really appreciate it. We will have to let you both be princesses for the trip. I also want to get family photos made at Disney.
I am so looking forward to meeting you both for the first time and putting my arms around you and just holding you.
Love Always and Forever,
Momma
Hello, my darling girls. We had your big brother's birthday party today. It was really a birthday party for boys, but it got me thinking about your birthdays. I don't know if I can even find out when your birthdays are until we have passed our home study and been officially approved as an adoptive resource for you. That does not stop me from thinking about it. I would love to have an amazing birthday celebration for each of you and am hoping that you will be in our arms and home before your birthdays. I don't know if either of you has had a birthday since we first learned about you. I'm not even really sure if you got the nightgowns or the dolls we sent you for Christmas. I hope you did and hope you like them.
You have cousins all over the place--some close by, some a few hours away, and some a couple of states away. When we find out when your birthday is and if you are with us then, we will invite them all to come and celebrate with you. We may just have to have one big party to celebrate all the birthdays we haven't been together as soon as you are home.
We are also going to Disney World in June (and two different church camps), so we will celebrate our Gotcha Day or Forever Day then. Hopefully we will get you home in the next 4-6 weeks, though our worker said six weeks until our study would be approved last Tuesday--so, we still have five weeks to go. We aren't supposed to call and make an appointment with her for three more weeks. I definitely want to celebrate getting you, all the birthdays we have missed, and our Forever Day once we have you home. We have to have you here for 90 days before we get to make it official and celebrate forever day. The way I see it, we could be celebrating Forever Day at Disney World. I wonder if you have ever been there. You are just now old enough to really appreciate it. We will have to let you both be princesses for the trip. I also want to get family photos made at Disney.
I am so looking forward to meeting you both for the first time and putting my arms around you and just holding you.
Love Always and Forever,
Momma
Labor of Love
I wanted to start this blog with the first letter I ever wrote to the girls, hoping that one day they would read it sequentially. The truth is that I have been so busy lately getting ready for the second home visit in our home study and with their older brother's birthday that I haven't had time to pull it out. As I write this, I remember that I may have emailed it to their social worker 6 weeks ago (or more), so I may be able to copy and paste it. Either way, I can begin here by saying that we have been praying for and hoping to adopt two little girls for about eight weeks now. The first time we learned of them, I tried to not think about them, as we were only about halfway through our adoption GPS classes, and I didn't want to get my hopes up. The next time we heard about them was on our last night of class, and their social worker wanted to get them in a home that would become their forever home by Christmas. Unfortunately, we live in a different county, and our social worker didn't see it exactly that way. Without overcomplicating things, our older biological children (all from previous marriages) had chosen to live with their same gender parent, and though we didn't really want that to happen, we had agreed to it. This made our worker very suspicious about the type of parents we were--if our biological children had chosen to live somewhere else, why would she place "someone else's children" with us. That was devastating news. I might not have been so quick to agree to let my other children live elsewhere if I had realized it would hurt my chances (or at least quadruple the time for placement) of getting my future children. Not to mention, our social worker is insisting that due to the children living with their other parents, she now has to talk to the two people who care the least about us in the world before deciding if we can be parents again. That--that these two people who did not want to remain married to us and to whom we had Biblical basis for our divorces now have control over whether and when we get our other children--is the worst part to me. They would not have such control if we were able to and chose to have a biological child together, and I have wanted to one-day adopt since I was a child. So many people have our and these children's futures in their hands.
Like our first home visit, our second home visit went well. We passed the inspection and did well in the interviews. Our youngest child, our son who now lives at home again, spoke candidly to the social worker, telling him that he wanted siblings here, that we were good--if not a little strict (we make him do his homework and before any games or TV) parents, and that he wanted to live with his father again because he got to do more and has siblings there. An honest almost-13-year-old during his interview, the social worker still told us that due to her caseload and her "need" to get in touch with our former spouses, it would be another six weeks before she finished our home study. She wanted us to call her in four weeks to schedule the next home visit (they usually only require 2), and she warned us that those girls wouldn't still be available then.
But, see...we feel as if we have already adopted those girls and two other children in our hearts. I feel as if I am "expecting" them and that this truly is a labor of love. As a labor doula and woman who has been pregnant five times (with three baby angels), I know what labor is like. The "pregnancy" and "labor" for an adopted child can be a very, very long process, often longer than the pregnancy of any human known and even longer than that of an elephant (that is close to two years, FYI). It is an extremely emotional process, even when you have all the Faith in the world that you are meant to have this child (or children).
The girls we hope to give the middle names "Hope" and "Faith" and our last name to soon (they will keep their first names, though one will be spelled one-letter differently), are a biological sibling pair and are currently two and three years old. We don't know when their birthdays are--I wish I did so I could give them presents, as we did at Christmas. We have never seen them or seen a photograph of them. We do not know their background or if they have any special needs. We just love them unconditionally, as we would a biological child we have never met. We pray for them daily and have our friends pray for them, and we have asked everyone to just pray that they will be in the best home for them as soon as possible. Of course, we think that is our home, and it will be bittersweet if it isn't, but we really want what is best for them.
For now, we have an empty nursery, with two toddler beds, dolls and toys, and clothes to last them a couple of years at least. We have the outfits we plan for them to wear on our first trip together to Disney World this June. We are hoping that when we go, they will already be officially ours, and maybe we can be in the process of getting their then 11-year-old brother and 17-year-old sister . . . Maybe.
Like our first home visit, our second home visit went well. We passed the inspection and did well in the interviews. Our youngest child, our son who now lives at home again, spoke candidly to the social worker, telling him that he wanted siblings here, that we were good--if not a little strict (we make him do his homework and before any games or TV) parents, and that he wanted to live with his father again because he got to do more and has siblings there. An honest almost-13-year-old during his interview, the social worker still told us that due to her caseload and her "need" to get in touch with our former spouses, it would be another six weeks before she finished our home study. She wanted us to call her in four weeks to schedule the next home visit (they usually only require 2), and she warned us that those girls wouldn't still be available then.
But, see...we feel as if we have already adopted those girls and two other children in our hearts. I feel as if I am "expecting" them and that this truly is a labor of love. As a labor doula and woman who has been pregnant five times (with three baby angels), I know what labor is like. The "pregnancy" and "labor" for an adopted child can be a very, very long process, often longer than the pregnancy of any human known and even longer than that of an elephant (that is close to two years, FYI). It is an extremely emotional process, even when you have all the Faith in the world that you are meant to have this child (or children).
The girls we hope to give the middle names "Hope" and "Faith" and our last name to soon (they will keep their first names, though one will be spelled one-letter differently), are a biological sibling pair and are currently two and three years old. We don't know when their birthdays are--I wish I did so I could give them presents, as we did at Christmas. We have never seen them or seen a photograph of them. We do not know their background or if they have any special needs. We just love them unconditionally, as we would a biological child we have never met. We pray for them daily and have our friends pray for them, and we have asked everyone to just pray that they will be in the best home for them as soon as possible. Of course, we think that is our home, and it will be bittersweet if it isn't, but we really want what is best for them.
For now, we have an empty nursery, with two toddler beds, dolls and toys, and clothes to last them a couple of years at least. We have the outfits we plan for them to wear on our first trip together to Disney World this June. We are hoping that when we go, they will already be officially ours, and maybe we can be in the process of getting their then 11-year-old brother and 17-year-old sister . . . Maybe.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Waiting for Hope and Faith
December 4, 2013
Dear Hope and Faith,
We learned about the two of you this past Monday night at our GPS (Group Preparation and Selection) classes. We know that you are both too young to really understand this letter, but we wanted to write it just in case you become a part of our family and want to know more about your adoption story one day. Even if you don’t, you can always come to us. We know that anything can happen, and though we would be honored and amazed to be your parents, we pray daily that you will be placed with the family that is best for you. We hope it is us, but either way, you have already touched our hearts. Our hearts are broken for you as you were not able to stay with your first family, and we hope that you will always feel loved, wanted, nurtured, and cherished. We promise to do our best to help you feel these every single day for the rest of your lives. We also promise that we will pray for your first family when we say our daily prayers, as we know that although you will come to love us very much, your first family will always be important to you.
We have four children right now—two boys and two girls—so you will have at least four older brothers and sisters. We do plan to adopt some older children in the near future, so you will likely be a part of a very large, loving family. Right now, only one of your older brothers or sisters live with us full-time for different reasons. Your oldest sister is a senior in college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and plans to become an equine veterinarian (she will take care of horses). You will get to see her several times a year and on holidays, and she will adore you. Your oldest brother is a junior in high school and has chosen to live with his biological father after living with us for almost fifteen years. He is very smart and knows a lot about rocks and fossils, and you will get to see him several times a year and on holidays. Your other sister is fourteen and is in the ninth grade and lives primarily with your oldest sister and her biological mother; however, she comes to visit at least a couple of times a month and will probably come for several weeks during the summer. She is very sweet, loves animals, and will love you very much. Your other big brother lives here again, after staying with his biological father for a while. He will be an amazing big brother. He might seem too protective of both of you at times, as he will want to protect you from everyone and everything, but he will also teach you some cool things, too. He is really good at sports and is an amazing helper.
Your daddy is J. He retired from the Army last year and served our country for 25 years! He can fix anything. He is the most amazing Daddy and man ever. Just ask Your older sisters. He has been a father of girls for almost 23 years and will always have a tender place in his heart for both of you. J. is also the best husband and friend that I could have ever hoped for. He has loved me unconditionally and will love you unconditionally, as well. Your daddy will want you to have every opportunity and will cherish his little girls, and he will also make sure that you are prepared to take care of yourselves before you go out into the world. He will teach you how to drive, but only after he teaches you to take care of your vehicles. Just don’t talk to him about that for another twelve or thirteen years because he will want you both to just be happy little girls as long as possible. You have to understand that you will always be his little girls.
My name is N. and I look so forward to being your mommy. I have dreamed of you both my entire life. My grandmother, your “Great-Grand,” and my father, your “Pop” were not raised by their first family, either. I grew up knowing this and always wanting to bring other children who couldn’t be raised by their first family into my heart and home. You have been in my heart since I was a little girl, though I did not know exactly who you were. I spent my entire life preparing for you both. I love to cook and sing to my babies. There are songs that I have sang to your brothers and sisters that I will sing to you, books I will read to you, and places that I will take you. I want you to have every opportunity in life, and if you want to be a swimmer, or a ballerina, or a gymnast, or a girl scout, or a piano player, or a cheer leader, or a basketball player, or a scholar, or whatever you want to do, I want you to have the opportunities to do these things. If you want to be President of the United States when you grow up, or a doctor, or a lawyer, or a Social Worker, or an artist, or whatever you want to be, I will love and support you and help you come up with a plan to do just that. I have had a lot of life experiences, and I want you to have a lot of wonderful, amazing life experiences. Regardless of wanting you to have these experiences and opportunities, I want you to always know that I love you both completely and unconditionally. “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my babies you’ll be.”
Right now, we don’t know anything about you other than your age, that you are both girls, and that you need a forever family. That is all we need to know. It is important to us that you know that regardless of your cultural, ethnic, or racial background, you will be accepted as a member of this family, and we still want you to know that if you are not of the same background as us, we will respect your desire to want to know more about and share your roots with the rest of the family. Regardless of what happens, we have adopted you in our hearts and will continue to pray for you forever. Know that if you ever need anything, we are here. Even if we are wrong about the feeling that you are meant to become members of our forever family, we will always be happy to educate, empower, and support you. We hope that the two of you are always close. We know that even though you will become part of our family or another family, you will always have a special connection to each other.
We love you, and we’ll never forget.
Love always and forever,
Mom & Dad
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