A 3-Day Mommy

Covenant Kids called yesterday to see if we were willing to care for a 2-month old boy weighing only 6 lbs. and a 3-month old girl for 3 days. Their foster Mom had emergency surgery and needed a few days rest.

I was in the middle of a legal mediation, so, Alex actually took the call. He said 'sure'... even after he had just witnessed the retaining wall supporting our backyard crumble under the water pressure from all of our recent rain.

Honestly, I think these 2 jewels have kept our minds off of the fact that the insurance company isn't going to pay a cent. We haven't had time to contemplate the toll this is going to take on our savings account... will we even have a savings account after we rebuild the wall?

When I peek at this tiny, premature baby boy with a heart defect, I am reminded of the shallowness of my worry about a silly retaining wall and a savings account. And my worry turns to thanksgiving...

What will next week bring for our family? This is the craziness of foster care - one day our family looks one way and the next it looks completely different. Little Mommy (our youngest daughter) puts it this way... "yesterday we had 2 girls and 2 boys and today we have 3 girls and 3 boys." It is all about the ratios, you see. We wouldn't want there to ever be more boys than girls! I love that child!

May you be blessed today with sturdy retaining walls and faces of children surrounding you!

The soul of a child is the loveliest flower
That grows in the garden of God,
Its climb is from weakness to knowledge and power,
To the sky from the clay and the clod.

To beauty and sweetness it grows under care,
Neglected, 'tis ragged and wild.
'Tis a plant that is tender, but wondrously rare,
The sweet, wistful soul of a child.

Be tender, O Gardener, and give it its share
Of moisture, of warmth, and of light,
And let it not lack for painstaking care
To protect it from frost and from blight.

A glad day will come when its bloom shall unfold
It will seem that an angel has smiled,
Reflecting a beauty and sweetness untold
In the sensitive soul of a child.
Author Unknown

Farewell Beautiful Baby Girl

She left the same way she came.... precious chocolate-brown eyes staring up at us from a carseat and smiling a beautiful, dimple-filled smile that brings even the grouchiest of souls to laughter.

The difference - my sweet husband is the one delivering her to her new destination. Oh, and she's much chunkier than when she arrived.

We've done our job... the love, attention and yes, food, are enough for her for now. Yet our tears flowed freely despite all rationality.

And now again we wait....

Buying Stock in Kleenex

Two weeks ago we got the call... if you have read my previous entries, you know the one I'm referencing. Our precious baby girl has a family. Two completely opposite responses surfaced almost immediately...

First response - Praise God! Two brothers! Two beautiful brothers and a father who is somewhat involved, although he has terminated his rights to the boys.

Second response - No, it simply cannot be! We had it all planned out, we'd already decided on her name, her bedroom, her first car, where she would go to college... OK, so not quite that far. But we LOVE her. God, what are you thinking??

Funny, we've drifted back and forth between these two responses until as recently as last night. Our family and friends have talked it all through with us until we are all tired of speculation. We just accept. We take this gift for what it has been, pure joy!

We have had the unbelievable blessing of watching a child unfold; of witnessing the transformation of a little one reaching out to a family who desperately loves her. How could we ever ask for more?

Is this our 'plan', our ideal situation? Absolutely not. But do we finally rest in peace after wrestling with God? Absolutely.

Adios, mi hija bonita. Te amo mucho. Puede el asidero de Dios usted en la palma de la mano.