Girls

Sometimes I am asked how we picked our girls.  This is really laughable, because I really don't think we picked them.  God sent them to us.  

Our first daughter so beautiful... I remember the first time I met her.  Her eyes so filled with hurt.  Back then we didn't know what God was doing.  I mean honestly I was still looking for that little baby to bring home and bath and change the diapers and go thru the sleepless nights.  We are SO blessed that we didn't loose her.  This sounds crazy to some but we THANK GOD that we didn't "miscarry" with her.  Really while I remember vividly the day that looking into her eyes so filled with pain it was almost 3 years before we realized that this was God's plan.  I really THANK GOD that she held on.  

Our second daughter so precious... I remember her attending Chapel services.  I remember her showing me pictures of her 3 boys.  I remember praying for her and her boys and their entire situation.  BUT we still didn't have ANY idea what God was doing. 
Now the next three girls came all together.  I remember Ric talking about one he had told her to wait, hold on til tomorrow it was a new day.  Sure enough tomorrow it all worked out. These three came to us on 14 Feb 2002.  Cali and FL came as twins, which is funny since they are both twins.  If you hadn't already guessed one was from California and the other from Florida.  They always came up after chapel to give me a hug and say hello. Cali got sick on Saturday and when we went to visit her in the hospital she almost fell out. (I think for me that was the day I knew she was mine) As for the third one, she just seemed to KNOW she was ours.  Finally we were getting the clue that God was using these girls for us to pour out our parental love.

We really thought 5 girls we had a full quiver.  HAHA... After almost a full 3 years we had another who ... decided we were Mom and Dad.  I remember the first time I saw her... she was standing behind a stroller, her son wrapped in blue, in a Chapel with her husband beside her in his car-harts.   Then all the trips we took to France and Czech and Italy and the hospital in Amberg.

Then we were PCS'ing and all of our girls asked how many more kids we were going to get... We said we were done.  You know we humans make plans and God laughs.  This young lady was enduring some pain I can not imagine ... and yet she was still so desperately looking to be loved.  

I must say that we have many people thru the years that we keep in touch with.  And even with those many God has asked us to love these 7 beautiful precious Gifts as our own.  Our children are like ... anyone else's... they don't do things the way we want them to always.  Some walk closely with God others not so much.  But all of them were birthed into our hearts in a way that only God can do.   Many people do not understand our family.  Frankly I don't always.  God doesn't like the box that I like to put Him in. Isaiah 55: 8  "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways," declares the Lord.  In no way has HE more clearly demonstrated this than in our girls.  I doubt if we had had biological children if we would have known that these were our girls.  Known... haha figured out.  

I do not know why God picked these 7 and not others... I just know that HE did.    

You know when your heart breaks for kids for ... To hear the words mom and dad or momma and papi is so sweet.  Really I adore my girls and I am so grateful for God bringing them and their families to us.  Yes we had to obey God... but really we didn't pick God did.  If any of my girls read this you need to know we aren't all that and a bag of chips... but God loves you and wants you to know that.  So He sent us to love you and cheer you on.  And He loves us so he sent you to mend our broken heart.  Jeremiah 29:11 I know the plans I have declares the Lord.  They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give  you a future filled with hope.  
My current dream... a picture with all my girls... a huge bonus would be with their spouse's and children.  You never know ... but God knows my dream.