...our lives were changed tremendously.
A month prior, on November 1st, I took this picture on my iPhone.
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| I felt inclined to take this picture in my classroom as I was cleaning paint palettes. I thought it was pretty. |
Interesting huh?
What I find so intriguing about it is around this time, my daughters were coming into this world. I was cleaning after a painting project, and had no idea how much that day would change my life.
About three weeks after I took that pic, I received these pictures.
The first photos I would ever see of my daughters. I remember at this point, knowing they would be mine, I could smell them in my sleep. I would wake up in a panic because I believed they were already in my home and I needed to hold them.
I know this was God. I think He could hardly contain Himself as well and wanted to sneak in more and more of the experience since He knows I needed, and wanted this so badly. Our "gotcha day" couldn't come fast enough.
The day before I was able to meet my girls and take them home I had NOTHING, until the generous people I work with gave me a pre-shower shower. I was floored at the amount of things we had to start with.
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| This is after we consolidated the bags down just to fit it all on the cart. Believe me, there was SO much! |
I'm not going to go into how the exchange actually occurred because it's all documented in my first entry of this blog but I will say, and continue to say that I am still forever grateful for the woman who put these precious little girls before herself and gave them to a home that would not only be forever, but full of love and gratitude. There is no doubt in my mind she was used by God to fulfill the desires we had in our hearts to be parents.
After a couple of sleepless nights (not that I cared, I was running on adrenaline still!) I returned to this on my classroom door
Not exactly the verbiage I would have used, but they're middle schoolers and I loved it.
Fast forward to a little less than a year later and we NOW have a court date to finalize everything!
It was an incredible day. It was a sigh of relief and a chapter closed in the sense there was not question where these little girls would spend their lives. I failed to take more pictures because of everything going on (It was the National Adoption Day Celebration in that particular county and there were a lot of people and media there) but managed to take a few before we entered the court room and ones I have stolen from my family.
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| After the adoption with the judge who wasn't shy about gushing over the girls with compliments and kisses. |
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| Mila with my snazzy momma! |
So the legal part is over and not only do the girls have mama and papa bear ready to to keep them safe and in a good home, but now we have the backing of Texas (which we all know is like, the best state in the world - don't deny.)
What a great reason to actually blog for the first time in a month! Here's what else you missed:
You saw pics of their party but here are the girls on their actual birthday! We took them for their first Happy Meals at McDonald's and although they prefer veggies and cheese we thought it was a rite of passage and they seem to really enjoy it.
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| Grease, gluten and preservatives OH MY. I'm sure I'm being judged. |
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| Yes, that's right, orange Hi-C in a bottle. I'm sure some of you are cringing. I'm okay with that. We feed our girls a well balanced diet but we are DEFINITELY NOT food nazis. |
Half way through our meal an elderly couple who had been oohing and ahhing over how cute the girls were came over to wish them happy birthday and gave them each a dollar for ice cream. I'm not sure if they were aware this would be their first real ice cream experience but it was and we thought their gesture was a sweet as the ice cream the girls ate.
They absolutely loved it by the way and immediately recognize it in our bowls when we're having some. Of course, we're eating a lot less of the stuff ourselves now as they take over the bowl :) That's one way for us to cut back I guess.
It's been a whirlwind couple of months. From their first birthday party, my four day work trip to the coast, Joey's four day trip away in the middle of the adoption, to the court date, Thanksgiving, a baby shower for my new niece whom I'll be leaving again for the day next week to meet and then Christmas break!
I have loved every minute of it and being a mommy is the best! I can't believe how this has flown by..it feels like this was just yesterday....
Scribbled By
