Mots: Party of Six

Holy Moly, and I can't say that enough.

Jon and I were licensed for foster care Monday afternoon and not 24 hours later we were called with our first placement information.  This would have been just peachy had Jon not been out in the middle of nowhere with a group of foresters and spotty cell coverage.  And even when he was in range of a tower, they were having meetings all day, so barely any time to chat. 

Now, if you are the imagining type, I ask you, what does that even look like?  A group of tree-huggers/pancake-eating lumberjacks/whiskey drinkers/Jon all in some remote wooded landscape, but they are still stuck in meetings/working on a project all day.  My mind sees a bunch of people in the green pants of the Texas Forest Service sitting on logs strewn in a semi-circle with laptops and tablets balancing on tree stumps.  Then my mind screeches off into episodes of the Flintstones.

Anyway, let's get back to the Holy Moly news.  We accepted our first placements!!!  A 21 month old girl and a 5 month old boy due to arrive on our doorstep on the 31st of Jan.  Holy Moly. 

Holy Moly.

Right after I got the call about the placements, I texted Jon, then a few friends from our small group and the like to pray for us.  Then I spent the day fielding texts like, "I am just soooo excited for you guys!!!  We are praying!! Have you made a decision??!!"  Jon and I were finally able to talk around 9:30 or 10:00 that night and we decided to go for it. 

I haven't had my smarty phone for too long, so I can remember the days when I tried to keep my monthly texts under 400.  Let me just tell you that it seems like I could have easily sent or received close to 400 texts in the past two days.  And it makes me smile and want to cry.

I sent out a fb message to 6 or 7 nearby friends about our decision to go for it and their responses were the exact perfect kind of support that everyone in life should get.  I should just copy and paste all the 25+ responses, because maybe it would make you misty-eyed reading it too. 

We are really excited to jump in, but I am also completely terrified.  It's probably not even a 50/50 split.  Maybe 40/60?  ish? 

The last time we adopted (and let me be clear now:  We are not adopting these two kids, only fostering, and completely unaware of what their future with their birth families will hold) we were so blissfully ignorant.  In some ways, ignorance is better when inviting two small chillens into your life.  All excitement and no practicality, experience, or support can get you a long way, but the sugar high crash is hard and swift.  

This time we are 100% the opposite.  We have worked with great pediatric occupational therapists and physical therapists.  Half the women in our small group work for Early Childhood Intervention as therapists.  I love our play therapist, hopefully she will never retire.  We have the best, most awesome pediatrician.  I love their entire office staff and what's more, they love my boys.  Our group of friends, church, and small group community is different than last time around, and much healthier.  We have tons of adoptive families in our lives, in one facet or another.  We have family in town now that doesn't even charge to babysit, although that may change when we bring over 200% more kids.  I guess I'm agreeing with those who say it takes a village.  And this time we have that village.  Although our expectations are different, (Me:  It's going to be totally hard.  Jon:  Heck ya!  It's going to suck!) they are built in experience and we have a strong body of Christ behind us. 

But Holy Moly.     

To wrap up, I leave you with a song that my friend Calli sent me today,
we'll never be rested and a warning that this dear 'ol blog is going private.  You've got until the 30th to get me your email address and let me know you want to be on the "approved" list! 

And one more Holy Moly.


Holy Moly.





(holy moly)