Set Backs, Endings and Perspective

ok , this may not be a touchie feelie post...so much has been going on lately that I am working on getting in touch with it all.

First the setback: Money...seriously I wish I could in the lottery (gotta play I guess) ...we found out today that we have to pay our post placement fees to our HS agency before they will release the final...to the tune of 1400.00. Ugh... The blessing is that we have been given a gift of 6000.00 towards adoption fees and this will be able to help offset the 1400.00... a huge PRAISE.
It does pull that money from the other fees we owe...so I guess we step up our fundraising opportunities... (see side bar for OH badge we get 40% of what is sold in our name. CUTE stuff!)

The HS has been done we've just been waiting on the CPS people to send the back ground responses, and then today the news about the fee was presented. I love our agency don't get me wrong...but this is a bit on the annoying side. :(

God has a plan.

Endings: We had a dear friend pass away last Friday after a hard, but short, battle with cancer. He was a young father (age 53 is young in my book!) of 3. We had the chance to visit him days before he passed and he wasn't lucid enough to know it was us. Which is ok... but sad in a way that we weren't able to say good bye for real. His older boys are my Big's ages...and the youngest is a 10 yr old girl. S and she had some time on Sunday to spend time together... that little gal needs some loving and attention. They are an awesome family, well grounded in faith, and she's hurting of course.

This brings me to perspective...

The youngest, J, is 10 yrs old. The age of one of our newest boys... seeing her and thinking of them breaks my heart. Our 2 at home have had to face so much of the same at such a young age that they really don't consciously remember it. These new boys will remember...will know... will have more new experiences when they come across the world to become part of our family.

I will admit that I am a tad bit nervous... will we be able to care for them properly? Will we be able to share in their grief and help them through it properly? The oldest, A, is almost a pre-teen...oiy! God... you sure are a funny guy...

The passing of our friend has helped me also to see some places in life where I had become complacent. Not taking the time to share with people...not appreciating them...not taking the time to get to know people better... Our friend was dear, but I didn't really know his family.

Sunday, S played with the daughter for several hours and I spoke to the oldest son for that same time ...just about mundane life things, and D hung out with the middle boy... they are great people...good kids with amazing faith...why didn't we know them before? Why didn't we get to know them better before?.... Just the way life is I guess???...

So now...we wait for money to come...wait for approvals, mourn our friend, praise his passing to heaven, love on our new friends...and remember that life is short and we must embrace it and live it....