Anabelle's first day with us |
In March 2016, our family met a sweet baby girl who absolutely stole our hearts. Anabelle was 4 months old & was placed in foster care with us while her mama (Lindy) got treatment for her drug addiction. She was precious & amazing...our very first full time foster girly. We loved her deeply. We connected with her grandparents & began to build a relationship with them.
Easter baskets from Nana Ann |
It was good. Annie was a perfect fit in our family. But we knew it would be temporary.
Andrew, Dylan, & Annie on Easter 2016 |
Derrick & Annie, Easter 2016 |
Derrick & Annie at church, spring 2016 |
Dylan reading to Anabelle. Babies are definitely loved at our house! |
Obviously, Anabelle was a favorite in our household!
Baby Selfies! |
I sure loved snuggling this precious girl! |
And then one day the word came...sweet Annie was heading home to her parents.
Dylan & Annie the day she went home the first time |
Our silly Eli! |
Precious Anabelle! |
And then another call came on Thursday of that week. "Renee, do you have openings? We are headed out to Anabelle's house now & will likely be doing a removal. We would need to bring you both kids." We had not seen the kids since they had left us in May, but of course, our immediate answer was YES!
So a few hours later, the social worker comes & unloads our baby girl & her 2 year old brother, Eli. (For those of you keeping count, we had 6 kids - 5 of them 3 & under! But we made it. The first set of kids went back to their foster family on Sunday, so we really only had to survive for a couple of days!)
We truly wondered if Annie & Eli's mama would be able to make the changes she needed to for them to come home. We wondered if Annie & Eli would be in our lives permanently.
Dylan putting his reading skills to work again! |
Dylan is often a favorite with the kids because he can READ! |
Teeth brushing before bed! |
Bath time for Eli & Andrew! |
We try for perfect, precious pictures, but this is real life! And real life is SO GOOD! |
My favorite picture I took of Anabelle, September 2016 |
Eli on the day they moved back to Nana Ann's house |
These 2 goofballs crack me up! |
Annie is still Derrick's little princess. I adore Lindy's stepson (seriously, he is just a doll!). We call Annie's grandma Nana Ann & she often remembers our kids on holidays & birthdays (ALL of them, no matter how many we have!). Lindy & her fiance have asked Derrick to perform their wedding in July.
We will all be there to celebrate with them!
Lunch with some of our favorite people! |
Friends, this is foster care. Or at least this is what it should be. When Lindy drops the kids off for me to watch while she & her fiance go to premarital counseling. When Nana Ann takes Andrew to play with Eli for a while because she knows we have a houseful of other puking children. When my kids beg to sit with Lindy's family at church.
Dylan snuggling Annie at church |
Foster care can be rough. There are so many unknowns. It is full of loss, trauma, & pain.
But it can be full of so much love, too.
We are so thankful that Lindy's family has allowed us to be involved in their lives.
And I am thankful for Lindy's friendship & for her allowing me to share OUR story of OUR girl.
Lindy, Cameron, & Matthew (Seriously, the cheeks on that kid. He's a doll!) |
Lindy, Matthew, & our girl, Annie |