Gotcha Day #4

In adoption it is common to refer to Gotcha Day as the day you received your baby. Sometimes it is 48hrs after delivery, sometimes it is 6 months after their birth (like ours).  Every story is different, every story unique, every story perfect for your situation. If you haven't heard our adoption story it is a little more unique.  You can read about it here.  But it's a story I never get tired of looking back on.  How little did I know that on a Wednesday I was going to work, Thursday my husband came home from work saying there was a baby in Logan we could go meet, and casually driving up on Friday after work to meet her and the family she was staying with and by Friday night driving home with a baby in the backseat! 

 

After having 2 other adoptions fall through, our hearts were broken. It was one of the hardest parts of my life, it was hard on our marriage, it was hard all around. I remember praying begging for something good to finally happen. All we wanted was to be a family. We were wanting something good, it wasn't like we were asking for a new car, or a trip to Disneyland, this was something we longed for.  So when our prayers were literally answered that we became parents within 24 hrs, it looks crazy to some but to us it was an answer to prayers!

 

We celebrated our "Gotcha Day" with Liv doing something we hadn't done in the past 4 years!

I mentioned to Casey that we should go up to Logan to take Olivia to the park when we first met her. 

We've always been open with Olivia about her adoption but we are going to be putting our papers in again for another adoption soon, so we have been talking about it more and more. We thought it would be special for her to see place where we met. (actually it was at a home, but we took her to the park by ourselves for a while).

 

We decided to make a day of it, traveling up to Logan we wanted to make a few stops. First we stopped at City Creek and then and went and saw the Salt Lake Temple.  For obvious reasons we love this temple but I happen to think it's one of the most beautiful buildings ever. 

 

Then we stopped at Brigham City, where the new temple there was having it's open house. We didn't have tickets to go in, nor where we dressed appropriately, but we drove around. It again is beautiful and looks pure from just the grounds.  We stopped at a fruit stand and got a box of famous Brigham City peaches.  And ate lunch at this adorable drive-in that sure did give me heart burn but was worth it!

 

Then it was off to Logan to try and find the infamous park. We hadn't been back since but I have this odd sense of direction and can usually find things pretty well. (if only I could put that hidden talent on my resume). We drove around for a few minutes in the small town trying to get our bearings and refresh our memory of that crazy day.  When all of a sudden we both looked to the left and saw the park. We both immediately yelled out "that's it!" It was wonderful being back there.

We sat and enjoyed a little picnic, even though we had been eating the entire day! 

 It was the best day! Refreshing memories and creating new ones.  This is going to be a annual thing from now on.

 

 

Being a mom is the best experience. It ain't easy and no cake walk. But what it has taught me, about myself, about what means in life, about who I am and what I want to teach my child is unbelievable. 

Not being able to carry my own children has been one of the hardest challenges of my life, especially in the culture I live in where it seems everyone around me is pregnant. It still is heartbreaking and I think about it often but having a family where 6 out of the 10 grand kids are adopted, makes it a little easier.  I know I am not alone.  Not being able to get pregnant alone has taught be a lot about myself. How over the years I have become more and more aware of others around me and what challenges they may be facing. It taught me about patience, being judgmental, and kindness to others in the same situation. I always told myself that once I became a mother I never wanted to forget the feeling of how hard it was not being pregnant. I wanted to always remember that and be sensitive to others who may be facing this, even though I was now a mom. 

 

Don't get me wrong motherhood is hard. It isn't baking cupcakes and lunch dates as sometimes it can seem from the outside looking in.  We loved Olivia from the moment we laid eyes on her. Our bond was strong, but it took work, time, and prayers to really feel that strong bond that this was our child.  We knew it was right and we knew this is what our story was. We felt peace knowing Heavenly Father placed Olivia in our lives for us.  But knowing that this is our child is clearly a little different with adoption.  We always say that when you bear your own child you get to witness the birth and experience that, but within our faith, we get to experience our sealing with our child in the temple. It is a sacred experience that others may not get to have. So being sealed to our children is kind of like our birth! 



 

Dear Olivia,

 

Olivia you once again never stop amazing us. 

You are more like us than we like to think sometimes. Depends on what you are doing. 

If it's your sense of humor and kind heart you get that from your daddy. If it's your outgoing and no fear that's your mommy.  You also bring your own traits and qualities that we credit to your special birth mommy.  We thank her everyday for her love for you.  She loves you more than life and continues to love you more and more as she sees you grow up. 

 

We love seeing you grow up and learning knew things. 

You are anxious about getting a new sibling and are darling to all the new babies in the neighborhood.  You are loving school and made a goal to make a new friend everyday. 

Watching you dance and bust a move is one of our favorite things.  Recently you have started putting letters together and reading 3 and 4 letter words. The face you make when you know you have accomplished something is priceless. 

 

You make us proud as parents.  We are happy when you make good choices and learn from bad ones.  Thinking of what you are going to become is mind blowing and unknown but you have the determinination and confidence to do anything.  We love you and are grateful for you everyday for the past 4 years when you we came into your life. 

 

Love Mommy and Daddy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way out of Logan we stopped to visit the burial site of Casey's Grandparents!  Amazing people with an amazing family.