We had a small group with us at the court house. My brother-in-law and my niece Meghan and nephew Jake (my sister was devastated that she had a work commitment she couldn't re-schedule), my favorite Aunt Wendy(my favorite Uncle Hank was unexpectedly called away on business), and my dad. My step-mom has been in the hospital since Saturday and while she was on the mend, she couldn't talk the doctors into letting her out in time, but boy, did she try. The judge was absolutely wonderful and he really made everyone feel so welcome and included. He talked to me for a few minutes, and then had me sign the paperwork. Before he signed the decree he asked my niece and nephew to sign it with him because they are great cousins to Gracie and he knows they will help her to be a great person. They were so proud! Then we took pictures and the whole thing was over in 20 minutes. After we left his chambers, I looked at my Aunt Wendy and the tears just fell. It was nice to share that moment with my aunt since she had also been through the adoption process almost 30 years ago with her children. We share a lot of bonds but this one is special. I really feel so lucky to have her in my life. I was surprised by what relief I felt. It wasn't like I thought the judge wouldn't approve our case, I guess it was just the culmination of a three year journey to make Grace my daughter. There are no more hoops to jump through. There are no more visits, no more back ground checks, no more excruciating wait for when I would hear something about a referral. We can now go on with the business of being a family.
After the court hearing Aunt Wendy left to get on with her day and the rest of us headed in to see mt step-mom. She was so disappointed to miss the finalization and really wanted to be there so we did the next best thing. We brought Grace in and showed her the pictures. All the kids were thrilled to see Grandma Judi and the best news is that she should be released tomorrow, in time for Thanksgiving.
After visiting Grandma Judi my dad took us to a nice lunch. Grace was a little worn out by then so we had a couple time outs at the restaurant but all in all it was a great meal. At one point, she took my hand, pulled me close to her, rested her head on my arm, snuggled in and said My Mumma and then gave me that million dollar smile of hers. it made my very full heart burst. Yes, we have tantrums and screaming and issues just like any family, but it's all worth it to get to this day. I am blessed, I am privileged to be the mother to this remarkable girl who makes everything I do in my life worthwhile. I could not ask for more.
On this day, I feel especially grateful to her family in Ethiopia who made such a heart wrenching, self-less decision to allow her needs to take precedence over their own. They are with me every day of my life but more so today. I hope that when they receive the updates I send that they see that they made the right choice and that I love her as much as they do.
So here are a few pictures of our day.
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| Gracie eating her first tootsie pop. A gift from the judge. She was in Heaven! |
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| Mommy signing the papers |
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| Mommy, Gracie and the Judge |
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| Graice and Baseball Honey at lunch |
