BEST VALENTINES DAY EVER!!

So I really don't know where so start. As you know last August we started the process to do foster care adoption. We have done interviews, classes, home studies, house repairs and more all in hopes of receiving a placement. We have been scouring the internet looking for children who needed a home and never heard anything back....We started to feel like it would be a very long time, until Monday...

 

We were going about our normal day when we saw we had a missed call. Upon further investigation (lol) we found out that it was from a Utah caseworker who wanted to see if we would take two kids; an 8 year old boy and 4 year old girl. We were surprised and nervous all in one. We made the decision a matter of prayer, after all that is how we got into this deal in the first place right?! Our hearts were full and our eyes brimmed with tears when we decided that absolutely YES we would take them!

 

So the adventure began. They asked us to pick them up Tuesday at 11am after court when they would call us. We went straight out to buy the proper booster seats and get their beds completely ready. When Tuesday came we eagerly awaited the phone call to come, but it never came. The court hearing that had been scheduled to put the kids in our care was cancelled. So we kept waiting...Wednesday was the BIG DAY! We were told to pick them up at the office at 4:30 pm. We decided that since they were not legally free (able to be adopted right away) that we would approach the situation as an opportunity to love and serve these kids for how ever long they needed us...We thought this would help us keep from getting too attached. We got Tate and Emerson and walked into the front room. There they were. I wanted to grab them and never let them go. They were so sweet, so perfect, so precious. They were all of the sudden MINE and I didn't want to let them out of my sight. Never in my life have I experienced such instant love. Even when I had Tate and Emerson my love grew and grew as they grew inside me. And by the time they were born I loved them more than words. The love I have with these kiddos was that all in one instant. Incredible.

 

They were quiet at first but it didn't take long until they were talking our ears off! We took them to get dinner and then on the biggest shopping spree I've ever been on! They only had the clothes on their backs at the time. As they picked things out, their eyes lit up and their personalities blossomed. It was amazing to see it unfold. The whole drive home they kept asking where we lived. When we said in a house they couldn't believe we had an actual house and that we had stayed in one place for two years. When they came inside they were like kids on Christmas morning. They wanted to see everything. They had never seen a house like it. Little big man (using nick-names to protect identities) said "wow I've never seen a house like this! I love your house!" I said "this is your house too." Tears filled his tiny eyes and he said, REALLY?! They thanked us for their beds, they had never had their own. To think I was complaining about not having my basement done the day before. They teach me so much. We had family prayer, all six of us. We blessed each child by name. Little Big Man was crying and have us huge hugs and just kept saying thank you. They slept like little darling rocks.

 

Two days in, they call us mom and dad and we love them more than words! So much for taking it a day at a time. But they deserve our full love whether they are here for a day or forever. They think they will be legal risk additive placements which means they expect well be able to adopt them but we won't know for sure until the end of February.....actually probably a lot longer than that...court stuff takes forever. These precious kids have changed me forever.

 

Special quotes:

Little Big Man (he's tiny sane size as his sister)
"I want to be called "(his name) the Ricks"
 

Essa
"I've never had a momma that taught me how to wash my hair and body! I love you!"

 

I'm so blessed.