We had adopted Elyse's three brothers and one sister years before we knew she was going to exist. Actually, two months before she was born we gave up our foster care and adoption license... then her mother called us. She had just given birth to a baby girl.
At this point, we had to sit down as a couple, and as a family, to decide what our next steps should be. Even with the craziness of our everyday life, each kid in our family emphatically said, "YES," to taking her. It was my husband, the gentle, wise, grounded one that said, "NO." We couldn't possibly handle an eighth child, especially a newborn baby.
At this point, we had to sit down as a couple, and as a family, to decide what our next steps should be. Even with the craziness of our everyday life, each kid in our family emphatically said, "YES," to taking her. It was my husband, the gentle, wise, grounded one that said, "NO." We couldn't possibly handle an eighth child, especially a newborn baby.
After working with the Job and Family Services in her birth county for two straight days, they called and said they had chosen us as her parents. At this point, I had to make the phone call to my husband that had me thinking he was going to divorce me for sure. I said, "YES," and they were bringing her to our home in a few hours, with the paperwork to sign.
That evening was spent with family coming to snuggle on the sweetest newborn baby girl. Even while she tremored slightly from detoxing the drugs in her system, I knew she was right where she was supposed to be. The caseworker was overwhelmed by the support we were receiving even while she was there. Tension was high between us as we navigated the crazy, and I wondered just what Adam truly thought. When everything subsided and she was snuggled in his arms, it was he that picked out her name: Elyse, after my mom's middle name, Jillian, after his mom, and her Daddy was forever wrapped around her fingers.
That evening was spent with family coming to snuggle on the sweetest newborn baby girl. Even while she tremored slightly from detoxing the drugs in her system, I knew she was right where she was supposed to be. The caseworker was overwhelmed by the support we were receiving even while she was there. Tension was high between us as we navigated the crazy, and I wondered just what Adam truly thought. When everything subsided and she was snuggled in his arms, it was he that picked out her name: Elyse, after my mom's middle name, Jillian, after his mom, and her Daddy was forever wrapped around her fingers.
Times sure have been WILD with these 8 kids!
|
One time, right after saying yes to taking Ellie, Elyse's big sister, "on board our train," I was leaving for Africa the next week while Adam was left with 6 boys and a newborn baby girl for two whole weeks! He's a champ, guys.
Our Reggie, pictured in the bright green shirt to match his personality, has kept us on our toes his entire life from being able to ride a Razor scooter down big ramps at a skate park at two years of age, to pulling the fire alarm at preschool "because it makes the fire trucks come." At 7 years old, he could stand on the ground a do a backflip! There is never a dull moment in our home with any of these guys. But we wouldn't trade this exhausting life and overstuffed house for anything. As low as the trenches have gone is as deep as our hearts have loved. Sometimes it's hard to see the depths of the loss these little ones had to walk through to become ours. Never in our wildest dreams could we have planned this amazingly hard and most beautiful story for our family. |
|
There you have it, a small snippet of a big, messy, and beautiful story of one of our adoptions. The very beginning of Children's Lantern came just after our three boys we adopted, Elyse's oldest siblings that are here with us. Out of the training and eye-opening stories of the depth of the pain and trauma so many kids experience, it became impossible to sit idly by and not do something.
Elyse represents so many of the children we come in contact with every single day. There are more of these precious ones in your small communities than you think.They are the silent ones that we want to have a voice for. It is our mission that each one is given HOPE in whatever way possible. This is why we fundraise. Please see it for what it actually IS: a donation to help a child in your community just like Elyse. With that donation you have the chance to WIN.