We are finally a family, full and complete. Today we consummated the adoption we'd been looking forward to for some time. Christopher and I first talked about adoption when I was pregnant with Eva, six and a half years ago. As difficult as my pregnancies were, we knew that we could not do it again, it would've killed me. When she was 18 months old we first took the classes to become foster parents, in the hopes of eventually adopting. On the day we finished the classes, in the summer of 2008, I found a lump in my breast. The diagnosis knocked us cold and put a kink in all our plans for a while. As I healed we again thought perhaps it was time our family grow. Christopher approached me with inspiration that LDS Family Services and the adoptoin of a newborn was the path we should pursue. And we did. After almost one year of paperwork, homestudy and waiting, 2 days before Christmas 2010, we were chosen to parent a sweet little baby boy due in April. After only a few short weeks, however, the birth parents changed their minds and decided to parent themselves. We were crushed but we kept going. We felt soon after that the purpose for which we had gone to LDS Family Services was fulfilled. Back to the drawing board and lots of prayer. This time we were led to ACH Child and Family Services and again to foster/adoption. More paperwork, more homestudy, more waiting. This time, though, we got to do respite which is essentially babysitting for foster families who need a weekend off. We loved it. We'd done it a few times when we were called and asked to take a sibling group of 3 for 2 nights, starting March 1st 2012. We'd only ever had 2 kids before and the oldest had been 3 years old. These were 6, 4 and 1. We said yes, but before we did so we prayed. We prayed because we felt that for some reason this one was different. We knew before we ever met them that this would be different.
We prayed more. They stayed with us for 2 nights and the minute they left I contacted everyone I knew at my agency and CPS to ask about the status of these kids. Why? Because we loved them already. We prayed more. About 2 weeks later they called us. The children needed a new foster family, they had to leave their current family by the next day. Of course we said yes and they came to live with us March 13th. We bought a van. We'd only planned on 2 more, but with three we were now 8 and needed a van. I wish I could explain all that happened in the next year but I can't. Lots of waiting, lots of prayers, lots of love and tears, lots of joy and fear. But the coolest part was TODAY! Almost exactly 1 year later we welcome to our family
Cruz Alexander Edwards (2005)
Anya Maricelle Edwards (2007)
Georgio Ceaser Edwards (2010)
I am so happy for you guys! And so glad your family is finally complete! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteYay, yay and yay! We've been having so many conversations in our house about this for weeks! My kids each have claim to one of their newest cousins. You know how they don't like to share. Forrest is most excited to have Georgie to himself, and Emily knows Anya and Eva are going to be her best friends. Allison loves soccer and playing with nice boys, so she's happy to get to know Cruz better this summer. We are truly so happy to see all of this come to a finish! I think the whole family has loved these little ones since we first knew they were in your home, and your heart.
ReplyDeletecongratulations my dear friend! I am so very happy for your not so little family! You my friend deserve the very best and they deserve to have the best mom and dad ever! What an exciting scary adventure! We should have a diet coke and a phone call! Love and miss you!
ReplyDeleteWe can't wait to meet these new members of our family. We are so very happy that your paths crossed and you are all together as it was meant to be. We are so excited and getting to know one another in just a few short months! Love you.
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