Our new three.

We had another visit with our new kids this past weekend. Ordinarily by now we would be having them over to our house to visit and even spend the night, but I had two prior work engagements that have made that a little too hard. So, because we feel that remaining consistent is so important, we have been having a visit with them every week close to where they live (an hour away from us).

This week we spent 2 hours with the kids at a McDonalds play place. Every time we are together things get easier. I don't worry "Are they not going to want to come with us today?" or "Will we be able to handle all six of our kids?" It just works. I think if the kids were any younger is wouldn't work. I still laugh about doing everything we said we never would.

Adopting out of birth order - check

Adopted a child with family history of mental illness - check (not our newest three)

Life usually doesn't go how we plan it, we might as well get on board with not being able to control it or fit it into some neat little box.

At this visit we talked with the oldest two about them moving in with us and us becoming their parents. Their foster mom suggested this and obviously it was getting time to do this. When we asked them what they thought about all that they excitedly said "Yes!" they wanted to move in with us and for us to be their parents. When my husband asked the oldest girl "Do you know why we want to be your parents" she immediately said "Because you love us!"

We both almost cried.

The kids are young enough that I am sure they don't fully understand all this and, perhaps, in a way maybe they understand it all too well. Either way, we have done this before. We have taken beautiful little strangers into our home and we have become a family. It isn't easy and it takes time. It has taken us every bit of the time we have had with Lizzy to make her a part of our family and I am banking on it taking a while for us all to feel like a family when our new little ones move in. But, despite the normal issues, I actually am hopeful that things may go better than expected. God has planned this out so perfectly and maybe we are finally the kind of adoptive parents that are "ready" for the healing to begin.

We shall see.