First glimpses

A year ago (March 27, 2009) we received this first glimpse of our children.  

The email that came with their pictures said, "I know this is a big group but just in case.  They are little and the report is very positive." 

And then there was a fury of emails and phone calls and lengthy conversations about why we were still talking about the idea of adopting four children.  And after only two days of mulling it over, we said this to our caseworker:  "We have the distinct impression that God might be up to something crazy here.  And we've decided that where he leads, we will follow.  We will trust him for all the details."    

What he was up to was forming our family.  I think we heard him whisper it from the moment we saw these first pictures, and we knew it while we waited for approval, and we knew it when we first laid eyes on them, and it's still as clear as day that these four beauties are as much our sons and daughters as if we had met them in the first minute of their life on this earth.  

They have grown so much in a year's time, which makes us a little sad.  But it's a beautiful thing, because no matter how any of us grows or changes from here on out, we're a family.  No matter what.