Aaliyah’s 1st birthday…It just seems meant to be

We decided to do Aaliyah’s 1st birthday in Las Vegas with the Bree and the girls because we felt it was the best thing to do. Bree did an amazing job putting together the party for Aaliyah.  Everything in Doc McStuffins–Aaliyah’s favorite show.  It was perfect.

I have to admit I had lots of emotions about her party–as I knew I would.  I won’t lie to you, it was hard watching, almost like a bystander.  Yes, we took photos and videoed those moments, but at the same time as I watched the love unveil in the room, it was almost a glimpse of what things would have been like had Bree not chosen adoption.  Not surprising, Aaliyah would have been well loved either way.  That’s kind of the amazing thing about our story. God showed me, that Aaliyah is blessed enough to be loved double. 

God in His infinite wisdom expanded that love, He knitted us together as family.  We didn’t just adopt Aaliyah, we adopted and were adopted by an entire family.  Family isn’t about blood, but rather by the blood of Jesus, ultimately love.

Everyone’s story is different and unique, but I do believe that God is using our story to show us something very special about this adoption.  In hindsight, I never expected God to bless us this way and I never knew that family could be like this.  For me, this journey has brought me to the conclusion that love always wins and unconditional love for that matter.  Despite our own past wounds or how certain situations have presented themselves, this family knows how to love unconditionally without reservation exactly how God requires us to love.

We are Fam-i-ly….

I must say I had mixed feelings about this trip.  I was praying that Aaliyah would not be in one of her fussy moods–where she only wants Jeff or I to hold her in fear that her birth family would feel hurt or rejected.  I was excited to spend time & meet her two birth sisters we didn’t get to meet last time, but worried at the same time, what if they didn’t like us.   I worried about meeting Bree’s fiance, what if he didn’t like us?  But God is His amazing love, calmed all those fears. 

We arrived here in Las Vegas last Friday night.  Saturday we met up with Bree and family…by the late afternoon I was in her kitchen cooking the family a meal.  It just felt right, perfect, and like we were family.  I held back tears of joy and love that evening as Jeff developed a relationship with Bree’s fiance and the girls played together.  It seemed like everything was meant to happen just as it did.  God didn’t just have Aaliyah, He provided a family for us.  We adopted them as family and they adopted us.  It’s truly beautiful. 

Sunday evening we met at McDonald’s so the girls could play and eat–Aaliyah loves McDonald’s french fries, well fries in general.  My heart melted as I watched Aaliyah and Bree.  It was like they had never been apart.  Aaliyah loved on her the same way she loves on us.  Again, perfect and what I can only describe as the divine plan of God. 

Tonight we had the opportunity to take the girls–Aaliyah’s 3 biological sisters for dinner and ice cream.  All I can say is it felt like it was meant to be.  The oldest of the 3, Shayla said to me this evening that I was like a second mom to her.  I know my eyes watered up with tears, I was trying hard not to cry.  It melted my heart.  The younger two–Unique and Imagine told me tonight they were going to pray for our dog Abbi, who threw up blood this evening (our dog sitter contacted us).  We are concern about her greatly, but in the midst of it all, to hear those little voices of faith tell me it was going to be okay and that they would pray before they went to sleep somehow gave me the will to pray hard and know how great our God truly is.

Tomorrow we spend Aaliyah’s first birthday with them and then leave Friday to visit friends in Denver on the way home.  I have to admit, it is going to be really hard to leave.  These girls feel like “second” children to me, that is like I really am a second mother to them.  Bree feels like my sister and her fiance like our brother.  I know tomorrow will be emotional in more than one way.  I love our home, but I’m sure I can figure out a way to get out here again soon–I will for sure be watching the flight deals.

All I know is that, God knows what he is doing