Adoption Anniversary

February is our journey anniversary but March is our adoption anniversary. Last month I wrote on our match with a sister and brother from Missouri, well that match didn’t work out. Adoption disruptions do happen for many reasons, we won’t get into that today. Six months after our adoption disruption we were matched with another sibling group! This matching was nothing like the other. We have learned no adoption is ever the same. I will break down how this one went.

We were sent an email in April about another sibling group, asked if we wanted to participate in interviews. We said sure why not, can’t hurt. We had a five minute interview with only the caseworker. Which is much different than our other matching conference. We didn’t hear anything for a day until the caseworker called back and said we were ‘matched’ with them. Then we set up a time to meet the siblings. The caseworker made us wait til closer to school being out for the year. So we waited three weeks!! I was dying inside. Finally they gave us a date to meet them.

The entire drive there I was a mess. I kept thinking of all the things that went wrong with the last match. We the siblings and caseworker at a local Taco Bell. I was so excited and my husband was smiling from ear to ear watching them interact with each other. The oldest was so nervous, they ended up spilling their drink all over the place. You could see them get mad and their sibling calmed them down. I could already see how the youngest had to take care of the oldest one for their entire life.

We sat down together and just asked simple questions. Get to know ya kind of things. Favorite everything… After an hour together the caseworker said it was time to go. The siblings had to get back to school. We said our goodbyes with hand shakes, high fives, and fist bumps. We all laughed. We watched them drive away… All I could keep thinking was when or if we will see them again. We were silent on the long drive home. My mind was racing.

We didn’t hear back from the caseworker for a couple days. They wanted to set up another time to meet. I was relieved. Our next meeting time was on a weekend this time. The caseworker and siblings met us at a park near where they lived. We sat at a picnic table together and talked for some time. Then the siblings wanted to go for a walk around the lake. We said sure. The caseworker stayed behind at the table. From here they were telling us stories of fishing and geese. We all just kept laughing. We talked about family activities we would like to do together. When we sat back with the caseworker they discussed with all four of us proceeding to longer visits. We all agreed.

The next time we saw the siblings we met them and caseworker at the foster families home. After some introductions we were off to have the whole day with them just the four of us. They had mentioned wanting to go to a bowling alley they like that also had an arcade too. We did that for a time. From there we went hiking at a local park they had never been too. It was so great to just walk around and talk. When we took them back to the foster family and we had our first selfie together! This will always be my favorite picture. It shows me how far we have come.

Two weeks later we had our next visit. That weekend we celebrated the oldest birthday. Took them to a restaurant they really wanted to try, they heard they had the best burgers. Then after we went putt putting at a place that was all black light. That very weekend we began moving their belongings to our home!! We had only been in this process with them six weeks! We could not believe how fast this matching was moving.

The very next week, the siblings had their first weekend long visit to our home and town. That was a long amazing weekend. They got to have a private tour of the school, went fishing, changed a tire, met some immediate family, and of course enjoyed all my cooking and baking. From here on out they were coming for weekend visits every weekend til they moved in with us. They moved in, in Mid-July. Caseworker pushed all this super fast. They wanted the siblings placed before school had started.

From here we went through all the steps needed for adoption. The siblings had to live with us for 6 months before finalization could take place. They had to have interviews monthly with the caseworker at the school and at home. This part of the process became long going through the motions. Being under the microscope… Our every move being documented. Doctor appointments, counseling, dentist, sports… We had to tell the state everything we were doing.

By the end of this year Coronavirus was starting to hit the news. The beginning of next year it was being talked about more and more. We had finally received our finalization date for March 24. There were so many times we thought it wouldn’t happen because of Coronavirus. Government shutdowns!!! Was this really going to happen or not. We were in constant contact with the caseworker. They told us everyday about how things were going. The judge said they were not going to not have this adoption finalization hearing. We were relieved.

The day had come, March 24, 2020 at 9:42 am the siblings were officially ours forever. Three years later, I wouldn’t change anything. So many days I think I would, but then I remember God has placed these children with us to help guide them through the rest of their life.