26th August - A few of my favourite things

It has been nearly a week since we've all been home, simply being home with no deadlines, meetings, places we have to be or things we need to do. While Julie Andrews has a few of her own favourite things, she's not the only one who's created a list.
Have a perusal of ours, this is just from a few days together as a family sorry it's not quite as sing songy as the original...

feeling the quiet breath in my ear as I carry our youngest downstairs first thing in the morning after she has woken up bright and cheerful

hearing 'woof woof'  in a slightly sinister voice when we see a dog whether it's the Butler Bulldog on my shirt or a picture in a book

reading books, so many books, two book baskets already with another on the way

the big smile after giving affirmation for a job well done

utter determination, seen again today in the striding across the room for the first time (6:15pm on the 25th August not that we were keeping record)

hearing 'daddy' and the pitter patter of feet coming my way

If there is a clasp or anything to clip, it will be clasped or clipped no matter how long the struggle may continue for, only the high chair has not been defeated

unexpected bliss of two napping girls in the middle of the day 

no fear in meeting animals whether that be Nooma day in and day out, or our visit with Oscar and Sushi

midday jaunts to the Co-op, it's only a three minute but fun to get out for at least a bit

realising that we said the other night 'the kids are upstairs sleeping' it's a small statement with huge significance

the interesting contents of our 'tea' created in the wendy house

becoming a big fan of Paw Patrol, my personal favourite is Zuma

bathtime followed by storytime followed by bedtime followed by our collective ahhhhh

I'm sure there will plenty of other things to add to our list but for now this will do. We are so thankful to the Lord each and every day for our girls and living together as a family. 

19th-20th August - The 'handover' is complete!

19th - Completeness is an accomplishment, we've all done it. You've no doubt had a daunting project, a looming deadline or a seemingly unclimbable mountain to ascend. That's a bit of what the adoption journey has felt like for with the last couple of weeks being the penultimate push to the summit. There is one more action to take to reach the pinnacle (a court celebration where they become Robinson's legally) but that is down the road a few months. For now we'll enjoy this view. This evening it is one from our home, while Rebecca and I sit downstairs on our computers for the first time in our house our girls sleep peacefully upstairs.

x2 in our case:)

That is weird to say as we've never said it before, never before have we been downstairs while precious ones sleep upstairs. The introductions have gone well and the last step of the introductions is the handover. This is essentially when the foster carers say goodbye, we all bundle in the car and drive home for good. That all happened this morning, today was not easy as you can imagine. There is much emotion tied up within everyone involved. There has been some crying, wimpering and general frustration. Is this unexpected? Not at all. This is not just a slight change, this is life change, change for good and for the good. The girls (we are withholding names and pics until court celebration) have had an amazing experience at their carers house and we have learned many valuable lessons from them over the last couple of weeks. It's now up to us, whether that be day to day actions like feeding, changing, bathing or long-term things like healthcare and going to school.

20th - Folgers coffee used to have the tagline 'the best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup', I don't agree with that. As much as I might enjoy a cup of joe, the best of waking up today was not coffee in my cup but two little ones coming into our room. The youngest one who was crying when she awoke was brought in by Rebecca and then a minute later the older  crawled into our bed as well. What a way to wake up! This after a great night of rest, that's right they both slept all night in their new beds and new home on the first night ever sleeping here. I know I've said it before but it's the little things that are the most entertaining, whether it be sharing breakfast together, reading books or seeing the excitement on their little faces when we do something fun.

Because so much of what we have around here is new to them it is great finding creative activities and unread books which quickly become favourites in our library. We already have two book baskets going, we're both ex elementary teachers what can we say:) Today was also our first trip out, all the way to the park which is about a 1 minute walk as the crow flies just up the road from our house. We've wondered what will the new normal look and feel like, we're not sure and believe me we aren't there yet, and probably won't be for quite sometime. There is way too much new and exciting to find a definite pattern to each day, every one full of unique adventures and discoveries.

15th-16th August - Home again for the first time

fri. am - Home is where we dwell, it's a place of comfort, it's a place of known. How often do you walk into a building attempting to grasp where is a toilet, or what floor is the office on? In a shopping mall or amusement park it might even take a map to figure it all out, where the exits are and the shops you are most interested in finding.

At home that's not true, it's known, you don't have to familiarise yourself with the surroundings. Today we drive back home, except on this occasion it will be different. There will be a room that is a new colour, it will have newly hung blinds, pics on the wall, two little beds ready for little girls.

For us going back home is a welcome occasion, we've had an amazing time in introductions, getting to see and understand routines, trips to appointments, to the shops, and out for fun to the park and even an aquarium. For Rebecca and I the drive home will be a time to reflect upon this week and certainly to look forward to the coming days, months and years. It dawned on me again yesterday while driving that we weren't babysitting for friends of ours, sure that's fun to do but this is so totally different.

looking at the glass above the doors of the girls room, thanks Aunty Lizzie :)

fri. pm - Excitement to say the least hit us as we got closer to home, that final stretch seemed longer than normal somehow. Not only were we glad to get back to see Lizzie, Nooma, to unpack, catch our breath and we were also going to see the girls's bedroom. We had great reason to believe that it would be amazing, with Lizzie's, Louise's and Carol's talents all on display. Walking in the room was an experience to remember, seeing the decal of 1 Samuel 1:27 above the room, the multi-coloured painted hot air balloons and fluffy white clouds on the wall, along with bespoke fairy lights and bedding. It's a real dream-room for the girls to call their own and begin life here with us.

sat am. - Today has been all about last minute preparation. Whether it be putting a couple things in the loft, finding a home for this toy or that stuffed animal, putting up stair gates and safety locks on drawers. The home has been a hive of activity, all for two little lovely ladies. They are too are excited to be coming 'home' (they don't know it as home yet)

Imagine if you were going to a new home, one that was not known. If this was your third home this year, if you did not know the comforts where you presently live. For children in care they often are coming from difficult home situations where it doesn't feel like home, home is not where the heart is. In fact it is usually quite the opposite, it is a place of struggle, with bad or scary memories and associations. Home may not be seen as a place of comfort, fun and security, now imagine if you were coming into another new home.

sat pm. - Today they came home for the first time (cue tears), seeing their smiling faces when they recoginsed a toy or book was priceless. Hearing the excitement when they found a new toy or book. Again hearing and seeing the excitement as we all trailed upstairs to their room, their beds, their stuffed toys, their room in their home. They don't sleep here for a couple more nights, but soon enough a new home will be a new normal. Can't wait to see what the next couple of days has in store for us all, there will be no doubt be much more new whether that be the garden, park, nap time or bath time, Are we all blessed or what!

9th-12th August - If 3's company then 4's a crowd - More reflections from our introductions

There is more than a subtle difference between going to the park and avoiding the park. It's simple, but now we go the park, we play on the swings, ride down the slide, and generally run about. Another place that is off limits without kids are soft play areas, again they are now destinations not reasons for a detour. What fun the soft play area was, little tikes from wall to wall, no place to plop down with our stuff, myriads of noises from toys and kids alike. After a bit we caught our collective breaths and found a couple of spots at a table. Whether it was the ball pool, crawling gym, toddler toys, riding toys it was all a blast.

When it was time to pause for a drink the girls were just a bit shattered, they and we had played hard for over an hour, it was time for a break. It's weird to think that these places like the park and soft play area are ones that we'll seek out from now on, after many years of actively not finding out where they were.

Today it was another kid friendly space the farm. There were all sorts there; pigs, cows, rabbits and a huge play area. We enjoyed it all while dodging rain drops and attempting to navigate two push chairs, some of the time carrying one but you get the idea. To give a bit of perspective to our time of introductions they have been building slowly. From just a morning together for example up to today when we were there all day including the bed time routine. As you can imagine there is much to learn and a quick learning curve, but all is well, we are figuring out how to be four. 

Life is fun with 4, getting into two car seats, two buggies for a walk, two meals for them and food for us, it's all just a bit complicated. Yesterday we were in and out of the car repeatedly here and there then to and from appointments. It wasn't a day full of 'fun' stuff, but it was a day full of life. One memory that will stick in our minds was when we got in the car and our oldest one exclaimed 'follow that Spongebob daddy' that meant to follow the car ahead which had Spongebob sun shades on the back windows. Now whenever we get in the car that's what we do!

If you've followed along our journey at all you'll know that we have eagerly awaited these days, those first opportunities to build family and memories. That's what this week is all about, building trust, understanding, and memories with each other. 

7th -8th August - Starting Introductions

What would we feel today, what would we experience today? These were questions rolling around our minds as we went to an introduction meeting and then an hour later to meet the girls. This was a day that we've been looking forward to for nearly three years now, to say we lapped it up would be an understatement. How do you begin to explain what's it like walking into a house and there are two little girls eager to meet you, actually they are our daughters and we're mommy and daddy. (Still has to go through court hearing before totally official)

The first words we heard today as we eagerly opened the door were just that; mommy and daddy. I can't say that we expected that, maybe after a couple of days or a couple of hours but not the first words that we'd hear. I've attempted to reflect on those moments and take pictures in my mind so that they are not lost, ever. They are the type of moments that Kodak calls for, or the kind that Instagram or Snapchat tend to catch, but on this occasion it wasn't to be disrupted by the camera or mobile it was for our eyes and ears only. After all this time to be seated in the foster carers front room, interacting with the girls, playing with one while the other toddled around, or holding one while the other did a puzzle, it didn't matter what we did. Actually the younger one fell asleep on my lap, that was bliss just relaxing there together.

At some point we'll capture some pics and video, but for now we're relishing in the experience and taking mental pictures. We have literally just met them today for the first time and already see interesting traits, personality likenesses and have made memories from just an hour and half together. As I said to someone yesterday now that we have reached this point it is actually the beginning, and that means more memories that you can count on their way!

Well more memories were created today, as we walked through the door there they both were one with cheeky grin and the younger one waving and saying hiya. They understood who we were and that we had come to be with them, to play, interact and simply be. We were there for three hours, to be honest it felt like hardly more than a half-hour, it went so quickly. There was a bit of crying here and there, lots of laughter, a bit of reading, painting and playing peekaboo. It felt normal, that was one of our concerns and prayers, that we could be at the foster carers house and it would just be normal.

Often in life we are not looking for normal, it's either a let-down, or maybe even a failure if it's just 'normal'. Many times we think we need the optional extras, or as McDonalds made famous not just a meal but make a Supersize meal. Something without the bells and whistles might be looked down on, but for us right now its great to have it a regular feeling Thursday and Friday. We'll see what the rest of the weekend has in store, probably a visit to a soft play area, along with more time at the home. Then next week more adventures and memories will no doubt be made.

6th August - Tomorrow is just another day you'll never forget

Tomorrow is just another day you'll never forget was a tagline used by Apple when introducing iTunes or some other techy gadget (Actually turned out to be the Beatles available on iTunes). For us it is a strapline we could use for the 7th of August 2014, one of those days that will quickly rise to the top of important dates in our lives. We all have them, the dates that you don't forget, the ones you don't have to look up (or least not all that often), the vital ones that carry buckets of significance.

In Biblical times these days and events are the kind that were remembered by either feasting or building a stone altar. Either way they were set apart, they were celebrated and they were marked, there are still little groupings of stones which stand today built thousands of years ago. There are many examples from present day too, D-Day, the day that Kennedy was assassinated (Nov 22, 1963) 9/11, it doesn't really need more explanation than that. There are also dates that we all whether they be birthdays or wedding anniversaries to name two that immediately spring to mind. Yep the 3rd August 1996 in the Old Goshen Theatre is forever etched in our minds, in fact we just celebrated our 18th by going away for an evening. There are gala times for the 20th Jan and 14th April each year. For us there are a couple more which would probably make that list too.

The 22nd July of 2008 was one of those days, we had officially packed all our belongings in the US and headed off across the ocean to a little village in the south of England to help lead a small rural church. We did not know all that day held, but we knew that it was the beginning of a brand new chapter if not a whole new book altogether. Then along came the 17th Jan of 2010 when we 'took on'

the leadership of West Basingstoke Community Church, what a day surrounded by friends from all over the country and the overwhelming support of the local church. At that point we didn't know what it would feel like to plot the way forward, to have the buck stop here and to be the voice of the people. I'll never forget the feeling on the Monday morning walking down the stairs realising what had happened the previous day, a new authority and responsibility that can't really be explained.

The 15th of September 2011 is another one, not as exciting or life-changing as the others but important nonetheless. That is the day that we made the phone call looking into adoption, we were able to connect with an agency in America who we eventually worked through for over two years. We also were able to speak with the Embassy in this country to find out that we could use an American agency even though we were living here, what amazing news that was. Could we have predicted that close to three years later the culmination of many forms, meetings, trips here and there, emails, phone calls and prayer times would be taking place?

That is tomorrow, it is the pinnacle of the last three years, we set eyes on the girls tomorrow, we spend time with them tomorrow, we personally enter their lives tomorrow. Has it been a long road? You bet, has it been excruciating at times? Absolutely. Would we have rather been another couple who saw their dreams come true without much if any heartache? Maybe but we have a bit of understanding of walking through pain and difficult times, the kind that many other people do as well. We look at the scores of people we have walked with, the numerous ones we've been able to encourage and the times where many have been called to pray on our behalf and we've seen faith enacted before our very eyes. So the 7th of August 2014 is just another day that's true, but it's one that we'll never forget.