It’s been alittle over 3 years since I’ve posted anything. So much has happened. Heart ache after heart ache then we found joy. Here is a run down.
Our first placement wasn’t meant to be. We were lost but started to pick up the pieces. On a Monday November 17, 2014 tragedy struck our family. My father in law suffered a stroke at the car wash. By the time he was found he was hyperthermic. He was air lifted to the hospital. That was one phone call I ne we wanted to receive. I was away from my desk and went back to my cell phone blowing up. I raced to Tulsa to be with my husband and family. On Wednesday November 19 he was gone. You see in the early morning of the 18 he suffered another stroke. When they broke the new Wednesday that there was no brain activity we were all crushed and maybe in denial. He was an organ donor. In case you don’t know. That is a long process. Ever though they said he was fine he was still there with all the machine beeping. In the early hours of Saturday the 22nd he was taken back for the procedure. Them were the hardest 2 days. Just the waiting and not wanting to leave. The pain I watched my husband go through along with imhus siblings and mother were unbearable. He was a great man and is missed dearly. I had a minor break down during this time when I went to my parents and threw myself on my father and started crying to never leave me. I scared the crap out of him. As my mother, brothers, and old sister in law sat in the living room and listened. Death is something you think about but until it hits home you don’t take it as seriously.
Moving on to 2015. We were still healing from that tragic lose. In late March early April my father to my mother to the hospital. My mother called us to let us know they were sending her to Tulsa for more test. She had some kind of mass. I went straight to cancer. She told us not to worry. Again this call happened why I was at work. Sure enough she was diagnosed with Colon cancer. She went through surgery and ended up with a Colonoscopy bag. We named him Bob after her sisters boyfriend she didn’t like. The strongest woman I ever knew grew to be a week lady. She always thought us to fight. I watched her loose that over the next couple months. She ended up in the hospital several times. The day she told me it was stage 4 and she was terminal was the worst day of my life. I like to cuddle. So I would go cuddle with my momma. I didn’t do it enough. On August 4th 2015 my little brother called to ask me to bring him my rice bag from work. I went back and grabbed it. He called back to tell me Dad was taking my mother to the hospital. I have never driven so far nmhome in my entire life. Part of our road is curvy and I flew through them Hill like nascar in time to see my dad turn on our road to head to the hospital. By the time my father got my mom to the emergency room she was lethargic. Couldn’t even sit up. My and my little brother gathered her hospital bag and headed to the hospital. See he had just turned 21 the day before. As we sat in the hospital emergency waiting room he laughed and laughed at all the crack heads. That was the last laughter I would have for sometime. The scan can back. Her liver was a giant tumor her lungs were a giant tumor. They said 24 to 48 hours. We needed to call the family in. I call my older brother in South Dakota. Told him to come home. I lost in in the hall ofnall the rooms. We were taken to a private room to make calls after that. Them were the worst phone calls of my life. My brother couldn’t get a flight out to make it here in less then 12 hours. So he drove all through the night with one rest to get home. Mind you he had worked 12 hours then drove 12+ Home. We lied to my mom when she would ask where he was. Were were like he’s almost here. She told my husband to promise to take care of me. She told me she love me. I held her hand and sang you are my sunshine to her. I watched my mom hold on for my brother. And she did to tell him bye. We prayed and said good bye. I watched my momma take her last breath . I didn’t want to leave her. One of my best friends from school came. And he cleared his day after he got there to stay with my family and for me. Thank god he was there. As later I was like I signed some papers I don’t know what they were. My nosey friend said it’s ok they were this I looked at then as you were signing. He had signed the same papers for his father. As we left the hospital I went to prep mode. Calling the funeral home and people. I was like a machine. My sister in law and mother in law had already been to my house and cleaned. Those days were a blur. The day of the funeral I was supposed to sing. The song I wanted to sing is a living prayer by Allison Krause. I would get so emotional when singing it. My husband is looked at me and said we will singing it if this is what you want. But if you real down on stage I can’t sing this song. It’s to high for me. So I switched it to the song we sang at his Dads graveside. Before we were set to go in I couldn’t decide if I should do it there or at graveside. I was afraid I wouldn’t hold it together. My uncle Jerry out is hands on my shoulder and said you will do it here. You can do it for your mom. So with that said I did. I only did the chours mainly but I did it. That day my out of town family went home. My house was quiet agin. My husband went fishing with me older brother and friend. My cousin came up I call my best friend . And a few more people showed up. I got drunk and cried in my back yard staring at the stars. I was finally having a break down I needed. My none emotional cousin Travis comforted me and talked to me as I laid there. We seen some shooting stars. Living in the country you always have a great. Ire of the sky. The next day I walked out to my family in my driveway and there were tons of dragonflies flying around. I felt at peace. You see dragonflies are my favorite. They are a sign of rebirth. I now have a tattoo of one on my wrist.
The day of the viewing for my mother my friend I go to NASCAR with was coming out as I was going in. She said want to go to Bristol with us. I said yes and she said I will go buy the tickets now. Around August 19th we received a call about 3 sibling 4, 5,7 that needed a home. Me and my husband talked about it but we’re not sure if the timing was right. We went to Bristol that weekend and thought about it and talked about it. When we got home that Sunday we decided we wanted to meet them and see if they would been a good fit. On Tuesday the 25th we met them in a park. The little girl looked at my husband and said her name and said you came to meet me. He said yes I came to meet you. For the next hour and half we talked and played in the park with all of them. We were so scared of getting our heart broke again. But we decided to open our house and hearts to them. On August 28, 2015 we drove 45 mins to there current foster home to bring them to there forever Home. When were got there M the middle one grabbed his booster seat and loaded it in truck and said let’s go. We explained that we had to load all there stuff. Boy howdy was ready to leave. More then once we caught him trying to buckle himself in. Before we knew it we were headed home as a family of 5. They slept in the living room the first night. The girl tried to sleep on a storage container. We had to move it so she would sleep on the couch. The next day friends and family showed up with beds they donated and made. We got them all set up. Now with the boys in one room and the girl in hers. In October the kids BM relinquish her rights. The BD rights have been relinquished two years prior to then. They were ready to be adopted. We started the paperwork. On April 11, 2016 The day after the oldest turned 8. We officially became a forever family of 5.
I tend to think that my mother and father in law had a helping had in sending us these beautiful kids. My children mean everything to me. T,M,W we the best gift I have ever received. They are a blessing to me and my husband.
I am finally hearing the putter patter of feet in our messy dream home. 3 set of them.
T,M,W mommy loves you.
XOXO
Steph
