A Tribute to the REAL heroes...

I’m so excited that by this time next week we will have Gabriel’s adoption finalized!  These past 5 months have FLOWN by, and while I never want to wish away time, I have to say I will be so happy once everything is official.  I was telling Lucy this morning how she was going to have to miss school one day next week.  Here’s how the conversation went...

Lucy: “Why?”
Me: “Because we have to go to court.  We are going to see the judge who is going to proclaim that Gabriel is officially a part of our family.”
(without a pause) Lucy: “But Gabriel already IS a part of our family!”

I can’t even tell you how much joy filled my heart at that very moment.  My mommy heart just overflowed to hear my daughter say those words...not because I haven’t seen the evidence that Lucy loves her baby brother and views him as her baby brother, but just to actually hear her say the words.  To her, it doesn’t matter that he didn’t grow inside of my belly, because Gabriel is HER brother that is a part of HER family.  I love that it doesn’t matter to her that is skin is darker than her or that he doesn’t look just like her.  In each of our hearts, we know that Gabriel is the baby boy GOD chose to be a part of our family, and no one else could ever fill that role in our family.

It’s interesting to me to hear people’s response to Gabriel’s adoption.  Just this week, I had someone at a restaurant asking me questions about Gabriel. “He’s such a big baby!  Was his daddy a big baby, too?”  Well, no, his daddy was a premie!  OR, “Just look at all of that hair!  Does his daddy or did you have a lot of hair like that when ya’ll were babies?”  Well, no, not at all!  I finally told the lady, “Well, no, his daddy wasn’t a big baby, and no neither of us had quite that much hair, but that’s because we actually adopted him.”  I always hesitate to tell people that Gabriel is adopted.  NOT because I’m ashamed of it--I love the fact that he is adopted!  And I love getting to talk about adoption.  But, I usually hesitate to bring it up because a passing conversation with a stranger gets a general response from them that goes something like this, “Oh my goodness that is just SO wonderful.  What an amazing thing you have done.  What a blessing for that boy that you would do that for him.”  I am SO proud of the fact that Gabriel is adopted...but NOT because that makes me into some kind of hero.  I’m proud of the fact that he is adopted because of how blessed I’ve been to see God’s hand guide our family down HIS perfect path for us.  And while yes, DH and I had to be willing to choose adoption, I don’t feel like I need to be rewarded or praised for that decision, because it’s the amazing path that God chose FOR our family, and we are so humbled by that.  I do pray that Gabriel’s life will be blessed by having us as his parents, but WE are the ones that have truly been so blessed.

Gabriel’s birthmom loved him so much that she made the most selfless decision anyone could make--SHE is the hero!

My dear friend who told me about our adoption agency--SHE is the hero!

Our kids playing together the night Kursten told me about Christian Homes

 All of the people at Christian Homes who gave of their time and talents to make our adoption happen--THEY are the heroes!

Our caseworker, Margaret and us at our last post-placement visit

All of you who purchased a CD...

My solo piano album fundraiser

 or a T-shirt...

our family wearing the fundraiseer shirts DH designed for ours and the Gruben's adoptions

or came to or purchased from the Lucy Loops open house that my precious friend threw for us to fundraise,  or gave sacrificially to help us bring our son home--YOU are the heroes!

Some of my Lucy Loops "Bows with a Twist" from the party Jennifer W had for us

And all of your who prayed right alongside us and encouraged us each step of this journey--YOU are the heroes! 

DH and I do not want to be placed on some lofty platform where we are viewed as saints--we are on the receiving end of the work done by so many others, and we are humbled, grateful, and SO so so very blessed beyond measure! 

So, as we look forward to the consummation of Gabriel’s adoption, please know even if you can’t be there in person (although know that you ARE most certainly invited!  Let me know if you want information on it!) that you will be there with us in our hearts, for God has worked through YOU to make this journey possible for US.  You have helped us become a family--a REAL family--and we are forever grateful to you!