LOTS O' KIDZ: March 2011

Baby Shawn......awwww!!!

(you may want to grab a cup of Joe, this might be a long one...I'm feeling wordy....!)

It has taken me a while to compose this post in my head, and therefore, there has been a delay in writing it!

I guess, originally, I felt that I was to explain the WHY? of Shawn.

Why again?

Why soooo many?

Why can't enough be enough?

Why would we?

How can we?

All of these comments I expected...but didn't hear....

We did hear negative comments that were unexpected, in the form of being concerned for us...which really was a polite way of saying this person thought we were in over our heads.

Uhhh...didn't that happen like 4 kids ago???

Amazingly, as more and more people found out about us adding to our family, I realized that explanations were not really necessary.

Those that know us, and love us best...knew that there may be more! They also know and accept that we don't want the norm, we want to follow the path less travelled.

They love our big, crazy, loud family...that can be heard coming from a mile away...and can be spotted by our 12 seater van at any location in our town!

Going off the beaten path before has been nothing but blessing after blessing for us.

We are thrilled to begin this amazing journey once again, and wait with joyful anticipation of what lies ahead as we prepare to meet our fourth son! But how it happened is nothing short of miraculous.

Really....a miracle.

(ok..ask me why??)

I'll tell you.

I never asked my husband to adopt Shawn.

Never said a word.

Nope, Nada...

Now you must understand, over the course of the past two years, I asked about plenty of kids that I thought we could parent. Little lost faces that I fell for. Endless begging at times, sometimes tears.

Always met with a big fat.."No---I really do not want to adopt again. IF I ever do, I'll know, but I don't think I will."

So, after I saw Shawn's face on our agency's list, our coordinator sent me his file. American agencies often assign American names to kids they are trying to place--his happened to be "SAM"--(the name of our youngest).

I had no anticipation, only hoping to help find him a family.

Then..I opened the file.

Then, I watched the video.

AND, I fell hard.

So hard I was petrified to even ask Darrin about him, for I knew (or thought I knew) what his answer would be.

So--because the video of him is soooo darn cute, I showed the kids.

And that was the beginning of something amazing.

See, they fell hard, too.

They laughed at his dance moves, were amazed by his Bball skills, and to quote my 8 year old son,

"we just need him...he would fit in with us so perfectly--he's just like us!"

So one night, the kids had my Ipad, and said "Dad, you have to see the video of this little kid--he is so awesome!"

(I was washing dishes with my heart in my throat, as I pretended not to watch my husband watching Shawn)

He watched, and watched again, and asked about him..what was his need? I saw the spark of interest in him. And I answered his questions, but said no more.

So a few days pass, and the kids do not let up.

"Why can't we be his family?"

" I'll share my room with him!--No I will, No-I will!!"

They asked to watch the video over and over and over...

So we went to church, and then lunch on Sunday the 13th--and after lunch Hannah called us all to the family room... She said we needed to have a family meeting. She got out the Ipad.... and this was what was on it.....

Now, there were no tally marks yet..that came later. Hannah started by saying that all the kids felt that this child was meant to be in our family. She gave their reasons...

1)He plays basketball like Joseph

2)He can dance like Charlie

3)He is sweet like Caroline

4) He is smart like Hope

5) He is cuddly like Sam

6)He has a good personality like Hannah

"He has the perfect mixture of all of us!"

As you can imagine, by this point the waterworks have begun for me.....I have never in my life felt like God was more present with our little family. All of us, spread on the couch and floor...discussing the life of one of His children. It was so incredibly spiritual, it is hard to put into words.

Then the kids each said why they would want him. They all said sweet things, but when we got to Joseph....his big eyes filled up and he wouldn't talk. Finally he said...

"because he doesn't have anyone, and he needs us..." through choked up sobs...

then Caroline started crying,

then Hope..and when Hope started it was if a tiny snippet of her beginnings bubbled up. She sobbed and sobbed. I know she identified with Shawn...she WAS Shawn three short years ago. She couldn't explain it...she just cried.

So the voting began...we all made our marks, (they even voted for the dogs!)

except Daddy.

He (being the logical one in our group) needed to think about it...but said it was the most serious he felt about a child since Sam...

then I prayed...and prayed....and prayed some more...

and then 3 short days later....it was Darrin who called the meeting.

He called us together to tell us that we were going to get Shawn!! We jumped up and down, and cried, and celebrated!!!

And on St. Patrick's Day (which has special significance for me!) we sent in out Letter of Intent to adopt him.

And on my Daddy's birthday (who passed away when I was 19) we received our Pre-approval to be his family.

And now...we wait and celebrate the 7th child in our family.

The child whose siblings faught so hard for.

The child who is so loved by so many already.

The child who is wanted and will be cherished.

So if anyone had any question in their minds of why we would do this again.....put your hearts and minds at rest....

you have your answer...

Shawn is our son, and without him our family is not complete....the answer is not why, it's why wouldn't we??

"And whoever welcomes a little child such as this, in My name, welcomes Me"

Ok--since I am beyond exhausted I am saving my big post till tomorrow...BUT I am going to share something better.... (besides these ridiculously cute pics!!)...