Happy Birthday, Halli Rae!!

Ten years ago....
... in Indiana, a dark haired, dark eyed little girl was born.

Was her mom and dad excited with this new life they held?
Did she squint, wiggle and squirm and have all those new baby sounds?
Was she a good sleeper?
Did she have colic?
Did she nurse well?

These things, as her gramma, I don't know.

I wasn't there.

In fact, I didn't get to know this angel until she was 7 turning 8.

Due to some choices her parents made, and decisions made by those in authority to protect children, she became a participant in our county foster care,  Just a few weeks after we loved her into our family she had her 8th birthday.

I was there for that.

I pondered what her little life of 7 years had withstood.

I watched as she tentatively watched us.

She smiled a lot. She was kind. She knew how to love and receive love.

I prayed then that her 8th year {and beyond} would be kinder to her than her first 7 had been.
I thanked God for allowing us to love her...even just a short while, until her home situation could improve and she could be in a better, safer place.

We were new to foster care at that time, and it's all I knew how to do. Love those that we came in contact with and pray for them.

Prayers get answered. {always}

Her 8th year was kinder to her. Her 9th year she was adopted into our family. Her home situation did improve and she is in a better, safer place.

Tomorrow we celebrate our grand daughter's 10 birthday!
We're having her favorite breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits.
I'll listen to her stories, her giggles and laughter and all the sounds excited 10 year old girls make.

I'll be there for that.

I'll thank God for allowing us to love on her, and I'll pray that her 10th year will be all that God wants it to be....

and I'll be there...

watching, cheering and loving on this beautiful young lady as we continue to celebrate birthdays with her.

Happy Birthday Halli Rae!!

Being a "Foster" Gramma...

It was not a shock to me when our daughter and her husband approached us to tell us they were seriously considering Foster Care.

They have MUCH love. They LOVE their God and He was directing them to get involved with the Foster Care Program in our area.

I won't go into all the specifics that led them to their decision to become foster parents...but I'll tell you this...

the minute they became foster parents....

my husband and I became foster Grandparents...

You see, this decision affected all of our family. We looked at it as a privilege to come alongside our kids and support them in whatever way we could. We didn't know what that looked like...

until she came...

A little blonde haired, blued eyed 2 year old bundle of energy...

And we fell in love....

we fell very hard in love...

Many emotions raced through our minds as we became very much a part of her world and her ours.

She fit in so well.... she loved her newest siblings....she was adapting beautifully.

For the past two months it became natural to set one more place setting at the table, to make 1 more ice cream cone, to find one more baby doll...

She became family.

But, then it happened. Her case worker had found a willing family member to take care of her. They passed all the tests and the day is here for her to move in with her new family. She'll transition well as there are two little girls waiting to play with her....at her age, she won't skip a beat...and I'm grateful for that....

I gave her one last hug today.

My daughter, son in law and their children have their goodbyes tomorrow....

That's tough...really tough...

But, this goes with the Foster Care territory. The days are numbered that you have these little ones in your care...it can change in a moments notice.

Our kids knew this pain was inevitable when they signed up for Foster Care....
We knew as their parents it was inevitable...
And now the day is here...the inevitable is happening...and it hurts.

But, the pain isn't pain that will keep us from loving the next child, or children, whomever they'll be.

We'll wait patiently, knowing our God will bring those children into our lives through our daughter and her husband as long as they are in the Foster Care program.

Make no mistake, God is in control and He knows exactly who needs us...and who we need!

I'm humbled to be able to stand by our kids and support them in this heartbreaking, but heart-giving endeavor. Very humbled to serve as a Foster Care gramma...

It's the life I'm living TODAY...and it'll never look the same again...