I have not made a post for nearly three years. It is not a coincidence that is about the time we got into foster care. I told hubby one night while we were laying in bed, that I felt like we needed a little girl in the family. A bookend baby, maybe. Zoë was 12 and the oldest in the home. Tyler was still working on his engineering degree which he earned this past December. We were just living the dream in our big country home with three little boys and a pre-teen. It sounds busy and full to most but I knew we had room. Clay agreed we should certify our home for foster children, since you know, they usually go home. This way, I could continue to pursue my calling of serving Jesus by loving on lonely kiddos and he wasn't signing up for any long-term commitment. 😉 Several months in, we got our first "real" call. We had had a couple "stand by" types but no-one had showed up on our doorstep yet.
"Her name is Emerald. She is sixteen months old and if it's ok, she will be there in about an hour." The social worker
asked informed. How do you say no to that? The night before I prayed for a little girl, asking God, if my intuition was right, would you please rescue her and send her to me... God answered, and our little gem arrived on our doorstep, scared, dirty, sad, and with not much but the misfitted clothes on her back. I won't go into the details of what brought her to us, because that is her story to tell, one day, if she chooses. I will say this, she was breathtakingly beautiful, full of spice, and a pint sized princess.
Just like with any foster care placement, we didn't know what the future held. The goal is almost always reunification, but in some cases, it's not possible. Emerald was so incredibly busy. She woke up 5-7 times a night. She hated her car seat more than any child I had seen. She did not sit still for anything, but more than anything, she loved water. We usually put her in the bath at least twice a day. The older two kids soaked it up. They loved feeding her, bathing her, dressing her, playing with her and they wanted to keep her forever from that first night. The younger two had a little tougher time. They were losing their spot as the babies. Mom's time was being consumed, as well as energy and patience. This pint sized person didn't do much but cause trouble in their eyes. But as time went, love happened. They still got frustrated from time to time but they began to mold into incredible big brothers.
Seventeen months after we received her, we became her legal parents, her forever family, her mommy and daddy, her tribe. She has now been with us for two years and three months and the change we have seen in her has been miraculous. She has grown a head taller and she is about 14 pounds bigger. She runs, she climbs, she eats, she talks, she hugs, she laughs, she only wakes once in the night and she is an absolute riot with a larger than life personality. She is still incredibly busy, we still wonder some days what hit us, and she still requires a lot of time and attention. Trauma is no joke. And to add to the trauma piece, this child was born a strong-willed fighter! But having a front seat to her healing has been amazing. We are changed.
She is our Emmy Jane, our ball of fire, our bookend baby, and her daddy is completely wrapped around her finger (by the way).
Once again, our family grew through adoption, and we are so extremely blessed. I am humbled every day that these children that grew in another woman's womb call me Mama. I am excited to see what else God does in our lives, because He never disappoints. I don't ever want to give the impression that adoption and foster care are easy. It's not a Hallmark movie we live. I will say, however, what God has brought us to, He brings us through. We face challenges, but we don't face them alone. And at the end of the day, we count our blessings, one by one.
