FOUND: FOREVER FAMILY!

Our little girl's forever family has been found!

They are sweet, sensitive, laid back, funny, outgoing, spiritual, smart, close-knit....

perfect for our Little Miss.

Perfect for our family.

When we talked on the phone for the very first time I told her future mommy that I hoped

she was OK that Little Miss came with a forever foster family, and grandparents, and a dog!

OK...I was kidding about the dog.

But not kidding about how much our whole family loves Little Miss.

How my dreams for her included a continued close relationship with Little Mister

and a continued relationship with us. A blending of families.

A friendship with this family that will last forever.

We needed to have her continue to be a part of our life.

Of Little Mister's life.

And Kaia's life....forever.

{Oh they have a tight bond....those two Kaia and Little Miss.}

She said that was exactly what she wanted to hear.

I grinned from ear to ear. And cried.

There is so much joy and pain in this journey...

and so many tears.

Tears of happiness and tears of sadness.

Happiness because the more time we spend with this family

we all realize how easy we mesh.

How we were meant to find each other.

To be a part of each other's lives.

To see how in love they already are with Little Miss

brings such sweetness.

I love her forever mommy's sweet texts that say

'she misses her!'

{She will be getting the same texts from me soon.}

Conversations flow easily with this family.

Feelings are shared freely.

Respect is shown all around.

They have a daughter close to Kaia's age

and a son one year younger than Blake.

It's like we were this shadow of her forever family.

Our kids are excited to spend time together.

We have already talked about family dates and a 'magical' family vacation together.

I feel so much peace.

But with the happiness comes sadness too.

It's like my heart is being ripped out of my chest.

That is the only way I can explain it.

When she leaves our home, 

she will take a piece of my heart.

A piece of each of our hearts actually.

Little Miss has become such a ray of sunshine in our home.

She is witty and smart. She is sneaky but silly.

She is kind and loving and gentle and beautiful.

She is a part of me. She will feel like one of my children forever.

I have raised her for almost 2 years.

I have taught her everything I know to be right.

I have tried to teach her to be her best self!

She has grown in confidence and kindness.

I am so proud of the little girl she has become so far!

And I know this new forever family will continue to instill beautiful things

in this girl's heart. I have no doubt.

They are a special family.

I have ugly cried most of today.

The pain is real.

A date is set.

I just keep thinking of birth mothers who choose to place their child for adoption.

This must be just a sliver of what they are feeling.

Or birth mothers who have lost their children through the system

who fought really hard to get them back but it just wasn't enough.

{It's why I spent so much time crying for the babies own birth parents.}

I am recognizing some of that pain as her foster mother because let's be honest,

at this young of age you might as well drop the foster part.

They don't understand that part. They only know you as mommy and daddy.

As sister and brother. As their own family.

And while there is sadness in the anticipated goodbye,

there is also joy and excitement for this family.

And I am calmed in knowing that I can trust this family.

Trust in God's plan for Little Miss and our two families.

We will spend the next two months all getting to know each other even more.

To form bonds with each other.

To let Little Miss watch us trust this family, so she will too.

She is already head over heels giddy with the attention she is receiving.

The bear in the picture above was given to her by her forever family.

She holds onto it tightly.

She remembers who gave it to her.

She says their names so lovingly.

I show her pictures of them and she wants to 'hold them!'

{and then takes my phone and holds it close to her}

I have prayed that she will know in her heart

and recognize in her heart her forever family.

Hoping she will feel peace that I know she can't explain or understand

but I just pray that she will 'feel' it.

While we anticipate with joy and sadness her transition...

I feel the need to put together a trousseau for Little Miss.

It is a sweet feeling I can't shake.

Collecting favorites of hers, buying her new seasonal clothes, shoes, accessories.

Oh yes...it is good for my heart.

And I should probably warn her forever mommy that I will probably

continue to pick up little things here and there for Little Miss.

I have a feeling though she will be ok with that.

And that makes me happy.

We will always share something very special with this forever family....

our love for Little Miss.