I Remember.....

                                                       Lucy's 1st Gotcha Day Last Year

We try not to treat the girls' Gotcha Days as big as their birthday but we do try to make it a special day. Today, we got Lucy her present (Doc McStuffins) when she woke up, had pancakes, she picked going to the  Cool Springs mall to play, and then one of her favorite girls, Karli is coming to swim with the whole family.  Here are some things that I remember.  Things that I don't want to forget.

I remember....I prayed so hard that Lucy would be adopted before her first birthday, something that was unheard of in the foster care system.  God answered my prayer and she was adopted 9 days before her first birthday.

I remember.... Wendy and Hollie came to court with us and the Judge told them where they could stand to video.  They both started crying before we even started so the bailiff had to bring them both kleenex.

I remember.....We all took pictures with Lucy in the waiting room and our lawyer came up and scolded us because we couldn't take pictures there because there were minors in the waiting room waiting for court.

I remember..... feeling sad, sitting there watching all of these families waiting to go have their case heard before the judge because of custody and parents losing their children and we were sitting there so happy. ( Matt even knew a girl that was waiting).

I remember....being overwhelmed with God's goodness.  After all of the years of trying to stay faithful to the Lord in this trial, I couldn't wait to be done with that awful system they call Foster Care, yet I would do it again to have my Lucy.

I remember.....Looking at her and thinking how beautiful she was.  In awe that she was my daughter.

I remember.... being so happy for Ivy.  She had prayed for a sibling for a couple of years and it was such a special time to talk about how wonderful God is to show her His goodness in her life by bringing her a sister.

I remember.... the feeling of total contentment.  Wanting nothing else.

I remember.... feeling how undeserving I was to have Matt as their daddy.  He's the best and loves all of his girls.  (I'm one of them!)

Both of my girls have a verse that I have claimed as theirs.  Lucy's was on her announcement.
Her adoption announcement read Lamentations 3:23 " Great is Your faithfulness"
And I remember.....He continues to be just that...faithful.