Friday, August 01, 2008

It's Official!

It's done! I have officially adopted AJ!

This has been such a whirlwind morning and such an exhausting week. I haven't been this nervous and discombobulated since my wedding 17 years ago!

So much adrenaline and emotion today... It's only 11am here and I'm ready to call it a day!

A local limo company donated a ride to the foster-adopt parent group and I won the drawing at the last meeting! So I was able to surprise AJ this morning with a limo ride to the courthouse! And then we piled a bunch more people in the limo to go to IHOP for breakfast. The limo brought them all back and then brought AJ and I home. How cool is that!

The adoption itself was very emotional. We must have had 15 people there this morning supporting us and sharing in our joy. Our judge has presided over AJ's case since the beginning and she was very emotional. She did a wonderful little ceremony and told AJ she could be anything she wanted to be. I did my swearing of oaths (love, provide, care for... all the rights and responsibilities as a birth parent) and everyone cried. Even the baliff was wiping away little tears!

Lots of pictures afterward and then to IHOP for breakfast. Grandma gave AJ matching rings so she would always know love ties the family together. A friend gave us both new Bibles with our names imprinted on them which I just loved! A family picture frame, a teddy bear and so much friendship and joy!

I haven't planned the rest of the day because I figured we would want to just hang a bit after the excitement of the morning. So I think we'll chill and then maybe go to the movies.

2 comments:

Christina K Brown said...

Congrats and we are doing the same...just chilling!!! It was great to see at court today!

:)

Is she still going to camp this year? She is still eligible and the last I heard we are not full...Zachary is still going.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!! Wish I could have been there.

Jenn