Travels

My travels have led me to a few different places.

Just to name a few New Orleans for a mission trip.  Cancun, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas for a few vacations in my life.  There are a few more destinations, but there is one that holds a special place in my heart.

It’s the farthest state I’ve been to.  I’ve only been there once, for a total of 14 days. I traveled by plane, and stayed in several Comfort Suites while there.

It wasn’t a vacation. It was the place I traveled to hold my third daughter for the first time and forever.  Or so I hoped at the time.  This travel brought me to a world of uncertainty, fear, excitement, and a whole lot of gratitude.

Although I’d been a mother two times before, this time it was very different.  Starting even from the beginning. Almost two years prior my “paper pregnancy” began instead of the regular 9 month, in my womb pregnancy.  I didn’t feel her move for the first time, or examine any ultrasounds, I didn’t even know if she would be a boy or girl or the color of her eyes, hair, or skin.  Some things between these two types of pregnancies are similar, yet many are not. I’ve experienced both but that’s for another time.

When I reached the hospital that morning it  hit me.  This time around was unique, wonderful, scary, and fabulous all once.  I am grateful my husband was the one with me.  Mothering this go around entailed this little being not having any of my DNA, plus it had been 15 years since I mothered a newborn, and there was a chance that I may not even get the opportunity to watch her grow up.  These are only a few of things that were involved in this life changing moment in my life. As I look back, more than  six years later, I feel so much gratitude.  It could have turned out so differently.

A few of the things I feel gratitude are:

The birthmother. To choose life verses abortion and for choosing us.

Staff at motels, restaurants, and hospitals.

Doctors and Nurses that cared for our child and made us feel so very much like her parents before we signed all those dotted lines.

Our Adoption worker, for bringing us to this place and this birthmother.

Family and Friends that prayed and supported us, and welcomed and love our daughter.

Brother in laws and co-workers that offer things to make our trip less expensive.

Flights that went smoothly with newborns and new parents.

The opportunity to witness my husband fall in love with his first child.

To God for choosing me to be her Mommy.  Forever.

To read about our full story you can check it out here.

Life changing moments can happen in an instant, or they can take alot longer.  Whatever the length of time, I know that God’s grace will always pull me through and shine upon me.

 

Grace is a gift, Julie

 

P.S. If you know someone that is waiting to adopt, has adopted, or are considering adoption for their child, reach out. Reach out and ask them what they need and then listen. Sometimes it is just someone to listen, buy them a cup of coffee, take them to a movie so they can forget how they are still waiting, or to have a few moments to make such a wonderful major decision to choose to have their child raised by another. Don’t judge, just extend grace and care.