An Update...with GIFS!

Update since our last post (eon’s ago):

-Thanksgiving: good food

-Ariel’s 1st birthday: Mermaid theme

-Christmas: Quiet and peaceful

-Mint’s 5th birthday: Ninjago theme and not quiet

Conclusion: My house is tired of being decorated

Coming up:

-Valentines day: keeping it low-key

-Patrick’s 30th (!) birthday: he's old now

-Mint’s adoption day: FINALLY

-Morgan’s birthday: I'm almost old

Conclusion: The schedule is not slowing down anytime soon!

Most of you have heard that we finally have an adoption day scheduled for our foster son, Mint! Most of you also know what will be his new legal name, but we’re not going to officially announce it until the big day! We couldn’t be more excited! This day has been a long time coming! Mint’s Department of Human Services case has been open since 2014 and we are thrilled that he is going to officially join our family forever!

It took all of 3 days for me to fall in love with this little boy when he showed up at my door back in 2016 (we joke it took much longer for me to fall in love with his dad) I have been honored to watch him grow from a toddler to a young boy. Despite his background and the challenges that he faces, he is sweet, creative, funny, smart, caring, and adventurous. Birthdays are important, but to an adopted kid and their family, adoption day is WAY, WAY, WAY more important!

He is young, but he is very aware of what has been going on and has been struggling with not having the security of a forever family. As of 2.26.18 he will no longer have to worry about that! Phew!

In the mean time, we are in hardcore party planning mode, and by “we” I mean EVERYONE! The other day Mint and I had to do some “research” on bounce houses, so obviously that meant a trip to Bananas. Next on the agenda? Cake tasting! I’m letting him call the shots on his party, which is why we are having a Spongebob Square Pants bounce house at a Transformer themed party. *facepalm*

As a mom who has experienced labor (and an unexpected c-section) I will admit to you that I have been in “labor” with Mint for over a year and I am exhausted. We all are. We don’t intend to stop fostering, but we are going to be taking a nice, long break. We are going to enjoy NOT filling out paperwork for every bruise and paper cut, we are going to enjoy going on a trip WITHOUT asking DHS for permission first, and we will get to enjoy being officially a forever family!

Thank you for all your support, your love, your prayers. Thank you for treating us like a normal family (because we are) and thank you for loving my kids. God has carried us through this extremely challenging road called “Foster Care” and we are in awe of His faithfulness and His redemption.

Love,

Morgan (and the rest of the fam)