Adoption Day...the story

I am going to try my best to do the story justice...it's going to be long with lots of details but please bear with me. I am also going to do my best to try and explain the emotions that are running through us at the moment.

We left the house at 6:45 a.m. to drive about 2 hours to the county courthouse. We were super excited and just rejoicing that our adoption day had finally arrived. We got to the courthouse and met up with our attorney, my parents and my brother. Our foster worker came a little later. We sat down with our attorney and started looking at all the paperwork and made sure that Sean and I had signed everything. He discussed with us the questions that he would be asking during our time of testimony. He then asked us when was the last time that we had spoken with the boys attorney. (It's state law that every foster child be assigned an attorney ad litem when they are put in the foster system.) We looked at each other and said, "never". In the 9 months that the boys have lived with us, she has never called us. He didn't act terribly surprised but then again, he's an attorney...he covers his emotions well! He said he needed to go talk to the judge and let him know that we were ready and he'd come back and talk to us again. At this point, Sean and I got the feeling that there was a problem.

After a few minutes, our attorney came back. He said that when he explained that the boys attorney had not yet visited with us, the judge said he couldn't sign the official adoption decree until that had happened. So...what does that mean? It means that we weren't going to have a finalized adoption at the end of the day. It means that we will have to come back to this town for another meeting, wait on another person to do their job, wait on the judge to sign the papers and wait for everything to come in the mail. The level of frustration that hit Sean and I at that moment was huge.

So, we went into the courtroom and the judge swore us in. We gave our testimony and discussed the situation. The judge explained why he couldn't sign the papers and then said that he granted our adoption pending hearing from the attorney ad litem.(boy's attorney) We shook hands, took pictures and walked out.

When we were in the lobby again, we all hugged, took pictures and shared in the moment. Our attorney immediately got on the phone and tried calling the boy's attorney. Her secretary informs him that she is out on maternity leave and won't be back in her office UNTIL MAY1st! That's when all color drained from Sean and I. It took everything we had not to fall apart at that moment. After a few more minutes of talking and getting details explained, we load up the cars and started the drive home. It was a long drive home...

The tears flowed freely once we knew that we were alone in our car. We were both so mad, angry, frustrated, disappointed and scared. After a little while my mom called...girls always cry harder with their own mom! After lots of tears and talking, my parents reminded Sean and I that we truly had our adoption ceremony and that all we're waiting for is a piece of paper. She said that if we had intended to celebrate the day, then that's what we're going to do....and celebrate we did! My sweet parents paid for us to go as a family to that special pizza place with games and a big mouse named "Chuck". They even surprised us with a birthday cake! We played and ate and had a great time. After pizza, we loaded up again and went to the mall and made new teddy bears at Build-a-Bear. It was so sweet. By the time we got home, we were exhausted!

I have been reflecting all day about what I am/have been learning. The first thing is that God is a big God and He has all things in His hands. I went to Psalm 62: 5-8 and was reminded that He is so much bigger than our situation right now...

5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

After reading that I was immediately reminded of the passage that the Lord gave us before the boys moved in. It was Psalm 91:1-7...

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

His word is so good! We are choosing to remember that it's about the people that we were with yesterday and the ceremony that we participated in and not the piece of paper. God is so much bigger than a piece of paper. Regardless of what anyone or anything says, Zachary and Daniel are our sons. We are so blessed.

Being sworn in by the judge... The Nicholson's with Judge Jackson Playing at that special pizza place! Zachary hugging his new bear.... Daniel's new bear...