People. I am so excited to finally post this. This is news a lifetime in the making.
Here we go. Buckle your seatbelts!
In August of 2010, my parents shared with my older brother (Kyle), younger sister (Jenny), husband (Jeff), and me that they had prayerfully begun the process to adopt. Oh, the excitement. Another brother or sister! With that, a shared smile pulled at Dad’s eyes and tugged on the corner of Mom’s mouth. Yes! Definitely one. And definitely more. Two. Maybe three.
Dear God in Heaven.
By January 2011, Mom and Dad had encountered enough red tape to mend a thousand ripped pages and had applied for dozens of children. Sets of two, sets of three. Red, yellow, black, and white. With every dead lead, cold winter air set deeper into our chilled bones. We got “close” on a few groups. What does “close” mean, anyway? We were close enough to call them by name, imagine them in their rooms. Close enough to be genuinely excited and nervous. But never close enough to stretch out our arms and see them at the edge of our fingertips. No, maybe we were never that close at all. We stuck close, though. Our marrow remained warm. We depended on the Lord and trusted that He would complete our family as only He knew how.
“Close” finally came. One day in the spring, the phone rang, and Jeff and I found ourselves settling to the floor on our bellies, staring at the phone lying between us on the carpet. My mom’s voice shook with the joy and severity of the moment.
We read their file. They’re extraordinary. We want them to be ours.
Our eyes met in elation! fear! joy! then fell back to the phone. So many questions. What are their names?
Rosario. Melissa.
Beautiful! Two girls! How o—
And Arturo. Samantha.
Wha—
And Anthony.
elation! fear! joy! Five. Our five, as we came to call them in the coming days. Our beautiful, long-awaited five.
We met in the height of the summer, exchanged visits. Laughed. Cried. Slept. Stayed up too late. And then, when August came, so did they. In the end (not that we’re anywhere close to the end, in reality!), only four moved into the house. The oldest decided she needed to stay where she was. We love her, we support her, and we miss her. Thank God for cell phones.
So, almost exactly a year after the initiating discussion, we all joined together for a family supper. Where once was an adult family of five now sat a growing, changing, evolving group of—nine? ten? twelve? thirteen? It depends. Wait. Listen to that. Hear that word drop into reality. It depends. Family depends.
Our four-year-old blur (who has grown into a radiant five year old tornado) depends. Our little princess (who is quite the adventurer) depends. Our sports fanatic (the football-loving brother Jeff hoped for) depends. Our tenacious, mature, beautiful sixteen-year-old (with a smile that can move mountains) depends. Our long-distance sister (a strong and irreplaceable young woman) depends. My parents—generous, sacrificial—depend. My big brother and his new wife, my little sister and her might-as-well-be-family boyfriend, and Jeff and I—we depend. We are Christ-leaners. We depend on daily grace. We depend on family. And we have learned that family extends far past the walls of our Texas home.
It’s been a beautiful road of boy scouts, knee surgeries, birthday parties for everyone, and Christmases to last a lifetime. It’s been a painful road of uncertainty, exhaustion, and throbbing growth. It’s been a journey towards dependence.
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This Friday morning, February 24, we go to the courthouse to become a lawful family. Best Day Ever. Praise be to God. Photos will most likely follow.
Our family is thrilled to share this set of moments with you! If you'd like, please feel welcome to share your love with us through comments on this blog. If you'd prefer to contact my parents directly, thank you!--However, as the next couple days are going to be a bit crazy, I would ask that you wait until the weekend is over to share your mutual celebration with them. All our love to you and yours.
xoxo Bec
