Adopted.

At this moment I MIGHT be the legal mom of seven children.  I am waiting on a signature from a judge and for papers in the mail to come and tell me that she is mine.

That is the weird part of having no finalization hearing.

With Lizzy's adoption the judge asked me at the last hearing, "Do you want a finalization hearing or do you want me to just hurry up and sign the papers so this is done."

I  told her to do whatever made that child mine the fastest.

She said, "You sound like a woman who likes to get things done.  I like that."

So, a few weeks later, I found out that on a sunny day in June I had become a mother to my adopted daughter without even knowing it.  (Until I got the papers in the mail)

I didn't feel like Lizzy would benefit from a hearing because she thought we already were her family.  She was so young that there was no way to explain the situation to her, and the court house was an hour away and I wasn't in the mood to drive out there...again.

Our 3 kids that we just adopted did have a hearing.  Their judge insisted on it.  Their hearing was also an hour away, but in the opposite direction of Lizzy's.  For my five and six year old, the hearing was a good idea.  They got to hear from the "judge" (that their foster mom was always talking to them about) that they would stay with us forever.  Then all the kids got a sucker from the judge.  It was cute.

In our newest baby's case, yet again, she is too young to know what the hearing is or what is happening.  Quite frankly, I dare you to tell her that I'm not her mom.  :)  I just want hers FINISHED.  I feel like it will be as if the "chains of foster care" will finally be cut from around us and we will be free.

And, for all I know this has already happened.

But, I'm still waiting for the paper in the mail to tell me it has.


(the picture of the rainbow is a shot of the rainbow that showed up the day we signed all the legal papers agreeing to adopt our sib group of three -  a sign of God's promise to us, I am sure)