Thirty-five....

Thirty-five....

Over thirty five years ago, a friend told us of a baby to be born and knew we were so desirous of adopting...would we be interested ??? We nearly shouted with joy....YES YES YES!!! We had been foster parents to babies until then as well as parents to two birth children and we wanted more!!! But had decided because of so many miscarriages that having more was too emotionally and physically demanding...we would adopt...

And then came this question...we immediately started going through the application process which was short because of the foster care advantage...we had basically done it all...it was a private adoption through the state...

Then "the wait "...picking out names ...gathering baby clothes again...and waiting....

The day that she was born, I was working at the Christian School where our oldest attended and the call came...she was Born...I was so excited...my husband and I were on the plane the next day...our lawyer, who had adopted his two girls was on the same plane as well...we talked excitedly about adoption...we stayed with the lawyer and wife who had arranged everything (they had adopted their children). We went to the hospital, sat in the car while they went into the hospital to pick up our "newest " family member and then There she was... In our arms for the first time....love continuing just as it had for our others...you love them before they are born and then it just grows and grows...

Unlike our first two, she had a full head of hair, so quiet, looking around at us as well...wonderous...miracles....and as my mother said, easier to birth...and we were off to the airport to fly home...our lawyer was on the return flight as well...and six months later, he stood with us for the adoption proceedings...

Those are the only times I really think about our adoptions...the rest of life she is ours in all the same ways as if I had birthed her...she was meant to be a part of our family...and God knew that from the beginning...her name, picked before we saw her meant "beloved" in mind went with a dark haired girl and she was and is...beloved, loved by God and us...her middle name after my grandmother who had the same birthday as well as my husband's mother's name...so she will well connected...but more than that, at age four, she asked Jesus into her heart to join Gods family as well...

Ephesians 1:3-10 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

 In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. 

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 

Happy Birthday, Amy...you are so beloved...by so many...I thank God for You so much...

Thank YOU, God, for gracing our family with this amazing woman...