This week has had some exciting events and news in it and I thought I would share through a blog. Blogging is tough with a nine month old who can crawl and loves computers but I am up early and she is down for an early nap so here is a blog for all of you!
What family means to me!
My family and now Todd's family too is the best thing to me. I love family! I love the quirks that each family unit has, I love the jokes, the care, the love and I love having great families!
Todd and I are both blessed with not only amazing immediate family but extended family too! Some of Todd's cousins and second cousins live close enough that we get to go to birthday parties and Christmas' together and I love being a part of the joy that comes from the big group gatherings. It is always great to catch up and chat and see the kids grow and play! They are secure in who they are because they belong somewhere, they belong in the family!
My family is a little more spread out. My niece being in Montana and my youngest cousins being in New Jersey but the bond is still there. The joy (and noise) when we get together is so deep. We all know that no matter the distance, we are one facebook message, phone call, or text away from the ones who care the most for us!
Adoption can be tough for some as they lack that feeling of belonging. Todd and I knew we wanted to adopt a baby so that the connection could be made early and so Payton would know where she belonged... IN OUR FAMILY!
This week we got the news that our court date has been set, July 24! It seems so crazy that legally this adoption will be coming to an end and that we will have the rest of our lives to love, care and belong together! God has blessed us with so much care and support along the way. I think about the feelings, frustrations, joys and I know that God has been with us every step of the way!
July 24 will be a special day for us as our families will gather to celebrate Payton Karyn entering our family forever! God has blessed us again as this is my parents wedding anniversary, really how does that happen that all the days in the year and we get a court date that will be my parents 37th wedding anniversary, oh right God cares about the big and little things! I could not be more excited for our court date and I am thankful that it will always a special day in our family!
We had decided a while back that we were going to baptize Payton after our final adoption and my best friends mother had offered to make the outfit for us. She is going to use some of the fabric from my wedding dress and my mom's wedding dress! It is such a beautiful symbol of family and I am blown away at how blessed I feel! We are so blessed with amazing friends who are like our second family! Where would we be without our families and friends? Really!!!
We talked to our pastor about some dates and we wanted to make sure to get Payton baptized during one of the church service as the church has been such an amazing support and shown such an outpouring of love to us and to Payton! So on August 4 at 9:30 am at Cape Cod Covenant Church Payton will be baptized and we would love for you to join us that Sunday if you are in the area!
As I think about all that adoption could be I know that God has blessed us as we continue to learn what this adoption will be like. We have an open adoption which means we have regular meetings with the biological family and this weekend we went to the Children's Museum on the Cape and then out to lunch with them. It is another wonderful blessing to have Payton's biological family want to have a loving respectful relationship with her. They are kind people who did what was best for Payton but still totally love her and we are blessed to have a relationship with them. They plan at being at both the court date and baptism and I am grateful for that because when Payton is old enough to understand love she will have no doubt that not only does Todd's family and my family love her but she came from love!
Where does Payton belong? She belongs with us in our families and in God's family FOREVER!
