HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOYS!!!!

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Austin & Logan!!

One year ago today, we started making our way towards each other...

A story of God's hand at work:

Probably like most - we started our adoption journey not knowing where it would take us. A few wrong turns, and we finally landed in Guatemala.

During one of the homestudy interviews, I blurted out a question that had been burning in my head for about a week - do you ever get that? It's hard to explain, but my mind, on it's own, kept going back to this one same thought, it was kinda like having someone poking you in the back constantly. I kept dismissing it, but it just wouldn't go away. So, with no forewarning to my husband, in the middle of our interview, I asked "What about siblings?"

The whole time our social worker is explaining the answer to us - that you would have to request 2 children in the beginning, sibling groups are rare, blah, blah, blah my husband is looking at me like "two, when did two enter the picture" and I'm thinking, "two, heck, we can barely afford one adoption." But at least, I had asked the question that had been burning in my head. And I put it behind me.

Well, a month later, our Home Study came through for us to approve. My husband looked at it and then, I did. We reviewed it for mistakes, signed it and sent it in.

On the phone with our SW a week later she said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you that I went ahead and approved you for 2 children based on our conversation, just in case." In fact, I had seen that in our HS, but thought well, two is more than one and at least we're approved for one. I mentioned it to Gary, he said he had noticed it, too and thought the same thing as I. At that point, neither of us had wanted to slow anything down by making changes. So, we had both signed it individually, again without any discussion.

As far as our referral, Gary sort of wanted a little girl, our youngest son, Evan really wanted another boy. And I just wanted a baby. So, we said, agh, let God decide, He can give us the baby that was meant for our family.

Before we were paper ready, our SW went to Guatemala (at the beginning of June) to become familiar with the system (she was new). Within 2 hours of being at the facility, 6 week old twin baby boys were brought in (born 4/29/06) - they had spent the first 4 weeks of their little life in the hospital and they were just now coming in for their "referral picture". Our social worker said she was immediately "washed over" with a sense of our names.

So, she called us, said "You'll never believe it, twin baby boys just came in and you're the ONLY ONES approved for TWO! They're yours if you want them."

So, to everyone who asks, "Did you ask for twins?" No, but God sure had plans to get us our babies with or without our help!

By the way, when we looked back at what we doing 6 weeks ago when the boys were being born? We were sitting in our social workers office asking that burning question, "What about siblings?"
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Later today, Gary, Mason, Evan and I will plant a Dogwood Tree in our backyard in honor of Austin and Logan. It will be known as Austin and Logan's tree and we look forward to watching it bloom every spring around their birthday!

We know that they are celebrating with their Foster Family, too and we cannot wait until we get to scoop them up ourselves in just two short weeks!!

We love you, baby boys!!