4 weeks together

  The girls have been with us 4 weeks now and I am exhausted.  Making the jump from 2 kids to 4 has not been easy.  My house is a disaster, laundry is piling up and I barely have time to pee let alone do my hair or make-up.  But seeing these girls smile and laugh reminds me that we are making memories for them.  I was finally able to get my water safety certificate and thank goodness!  It has been in the 100s for most of the time the girls have been with us.  The girls love to swim and we have been going almost everyday.  M loves to jump off the side and wants to show everyone.  Bonus points that it tires them out and helps them sleep.  Sleep has also gotten so much better.  They sleep all night finally.  I am so grateful for that.  They have gotten better about eating fruits and vegetables and trying new things.  Things seems to get a little better day by day.

M jumping off the side.  

  Unfortunately, they will not be staying with us.  After their first court hearing we learned that their parents are appealing the decision for them to be in the system and even if they don't win this appeal they will be working toward reunification.  We were told this timeline would be around 18 months to 2 years.  Travis and I made the painful decision that we could not keep the girls for that long only to say goodbye.  There are some who may not agree with our decision but when we started this process we signed up as an adoptive home and not a foster home.

 

All dressed up for church

   We have learned a lot over the past 4 weeks about the system, about our agency and about ourselves.  We are more prepared to ask the right questions when being called for a placement.  The foster care system is tough but I know we will be blessed if we can keep walking forward.  Being an adoptive family, I don't feel we should have ever been called for placement of these girls so soon in their process and we didn't know enough to say no.  That being said, I would never give back these 4 weeks we have had with them.  I have wanted to pull my hair out more times than ever before in my life but when I sit and rock those girls at night I know it's worth it and they will always have a piece of my heart.

Water and shaving cream.  So much fun!

   Please, please continue to pray for all of us.  They will be leaving within the next 3 weeks.  I am in tears now thinking of those girls having to go into yet another family and trying to bond with another family, learning another set of rules and having the rug pulled out from under them again.  Also, my boys have to say goodbye to the girls they have called sisters.  I know it is better now than in 2 years but it is still very difficult. Thank you all so much who have helped us welcome these girls into our home, for bringing meals and for bringing clothes and toys for them.  I am so happy they will be able to take things with them that they can call their own.