Soooo, we met our new kids today! YAY!!! Since my last update we made the prayerful decision to proceed with the sibling group of 3 children. We've been able to talk with the foster mom on the phone a few times, and had our first visit with her, the children, and both caseworkers today. It went really well. We had great conversation with the other adults, and were able to interact with the kids some too. The best part was seeing all six of our children playing with one another! We had plans to go to a park, but the weather dictated otherwise, so we ended up at McDonalds Playplace. Not the best place for this type of meeting, but really our only option, and it turned out okay. We met them in a town half way between where they live and where we live. Our towns are about two hours apart from each other. Sorry about the non specific sentences, but identifying information is not being released at this time via this blog - my foster/adopt friends understand this!
The oldest girl is 7, the middle girl is 6, and the boy is 5. For now I will be referring to them as their ages...here is their story...
The bio mom is a drug addict and used during all of her pregnancies which is the primary reason for their removal into protective custody. The maternal grandparents received legal guardianship of 7 at birth, and at that time they were attending church with the current foster parents, who often babysat for 7. When 6 came along, she was a preemie and had to be woke every 2 hours and fed to be kept alive. The maternal grandparents did not feel as though that was something they could undertake, so the current foster parents stepped up to fill in the gap and cared for her "13 out of every 14 days". When 5 was born, he tested positive for cocaine and was immediately taken into custody. Again, the current foster parents decided to fill this need. They obtained their background checks and 5 was placed in their home at 2 weeks old by protective services. At that time, the girls were also placed with them, due to the maternal grandparents decision to allow the bio mom to continue living with them and being around the children although she had not quit using drugs. So, these kids have been with the same foster parents for just over 5 years, and have had a relationship with them their entire lives. That kind of attachment and emotional stability is unheard of for almost all foster children, so these guys are really blessed! The current foster parents are in their 60's and feel that the best thing for the children is to be adopted by a young family, which is why they are willing to let them go. Please be in prayer for them though, as it will be a very difficult transition. The foster mom started crying several times today during our discussion about visitations. I can't imagine! These have been her babies for a long time. The best part about this situation is that the foster parents want to stay involved as grandparents. They have made it more than clear that they wish to be grandparents to our current 3 as well, which is a huge blessing and answer to prayer for us. God is so good to us! He has not only given us 6 beautiful children, but a Nana and Papa as well! We are so excited about that! Our new grandparents are believers in Christ and live a lifestyle that is very similar to ours as far as moral standards go in accordance with tv/music/clothing, etc..., so this is truly a God ordained match for us!
We will be continuing to visit with the kids on the weekends for right now, as they are in school on weekdays, and live too far for just a quick evening visit. We will be progressing slowly, as it will take time for everyone to adjust to the new family dynamics, but hope to have them living with us by early summer. Please pray for my sweet husband as he stays up late every night diligently preparing our home for 3 more children (lots of painting and rearranging going on!). Please also pray for our children (all 6!) that they will form strong bonds with one another and adjust quickly to sibling dynamics. B, N and L will be sharing their parents and home, and 7, 6, and 5 will be moving into a new environment and will be getting parents. Those are big changes for little people. Please be praying that the Peace of God, which transcends all understand will guard them. They are all so precious and we want this transition to bring good not harm. Please pray that we will know how to facilitate these changes in our lives and home. And maybe pray I grow a couple of extra arms! ;-) Thank you!
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