Adoption News:

We have a Committee date for Levi!!

Next Thursday!!

Who are we going up against?

Ourselves!!

A round of applause for bureaucracy, please!

I guess the Committee just eats it up if you bring the child with you, since it's a current caretaker, or "branch" adoption, so I just went on EBAY and found a darling little suit for our little guy:

His crowd-working skills will be well used that day, I'm sure.
*****
And in J.J.'s case, his mom is now unsure about the decision she's made and has yet to pick out a family to adopt him privately.

She's torn.

We found out that she doesn't have any pics of J.J., so I bought a really pretty album for her. Every week I give her new pics of him. It keeps her posted on what he's doing over here (pics from Oaks Amusement Park, Riverfront Park, Gilbert House, etc) and shows her the interactions he enjoys with the dog, bunny, cat and brothers. We also did a professional photo session just of J.J. for her to have some nice 8x10s and wallets.

I've met her and talked with her.

I can honestly say that she's the first of my birth parents that I feel compassion for. I know. That sounds harsh. But they deserved to lose custody!
It just has always seemed to me that I'm the one trying to un-do their mess, heal the wounds they've been selfish enough to inflict upon their innocent children. The children who I fall in love with so easily in spite of the challenges.

I wonder, "How could you do this to your own baby? Any baby, really, but especially your own child?"

This mom is the only one I've ever attempted any openness with. She has had the kind of life that keeps dealing blow after blow. And then kicks you in the head when you fall down. Much of it was not her fault.

She loves her son.

I love her son.
We'll see what happens on July 8th. If he's to be placed privately, she has to have a family chosen by that date. We'll all go to court and the judge will decide if he'll stay with us or go with them. If the decision is for him to move, it will happen that very day because he'll no longer be in State custody. If he isn't moved that day, it looks good for us keeping him forever. Pray God's will. Once again!

PS -

Please pray for our former foster sons, R & M.

I came to know the extent of R's needs when he was with us that 5 days. Levi wasn't going to be OK if we kept them here. The next family they went to have decided that they can't meet his needs either. The State is now recruiting nationally for a family for R, M, and their 7 year old sister.

May God have his hand upon these kids. May their parents feel the calling of the Holy Spirit and find them.

Love them.