Today is a BIG day for us!!! Today our baby girl officially becomes a Butler. Today brings to an end the mounds of adoption paperwork. Today is huge!
At 2pm Andy and I will sit in the presence of a notary and have a phone conference with the lawyer and judge in Florida. The adoption finalization hearing will legally make baby girl our child forever and soon we will have her birth certificate with OUR last name on it!
She has no idea what this day means. (Heck, it didn’t even hit me till I received a text from a friend this morning saying she was praying for me today.)
She has no idea the loss, pain, struggle, stress, fear, hope, love and faith that brought us to this point.
She has no idea the thousands of people who have joined with us in support and prayer.
She has no idea of the gifts, baby supplies, food, and money we were given to welcome her into our family.
She has no idea of the THOUSANDS of ounces of breastmilk that has been generously donated to her to provide her with the best possible form of nutrition – something I wanted to be able to give her but couldn’t.
She has no idea of how this process has forever transformed how I look at life. In the midst of such tragedy in today’s society, I see much more good.
She has no idea the sacrifices her Grandmothers are making to come and care for her each week while Andy and I work. And how much they love every minute of it even though they are exhausted.
She has no idea of the hundreds and hundreds of thank you cards I have written (some I have yet to write) for the many gifts we have received – many of which showed up on our doorstep from friends we have not heard from in years.
She has no idea the thousands of prayers I have prayed for her even before I knew of her.
She has no idea the thousands of tears I have shed just wanting to hold her in my arms, waiting for this day to come, some days thinking it never would.
She has no idea how hard it was to get here.
She has no idea how much we care about her biological family. And how much they love her.
She has no idea how this story has touched many lives.
She has no idea how much we love her and how much joy she brings to our life.
She sleeps and has no idea how special today is for her. Today brings an end to the legal adoption process. Today she is ours forever.
A journey that was birthed into my heart as a child, brought to light when we married and became a reality when we found we could not have biological children, ends today. Even though we will forever be on the adoption journey as we are joined together with her birth family and watch as the transformation of that relationship unfolds, this one part of it is complete.
The first chapter of Something Beautiful ends today.
Thanks to all of you who were able to show us God's love through your words, thoughts and actions. I will live the rest of my life trying to show that same love to others. I cannot be more grateful to God for EVERYTHING He has done from beginning to end. All credit goes to Him – for He alone made all of this happen.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. - Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)