9 Months, 1 Day

Yesterday marked our 9-month anniversary as a family! It's hard to believe it has only been 9 months. It seems like we've been together for so long, yet it's really all still new! It's hard for me to explain. I just love being a Mami! I have been blessed with the most beautiful and awesome children that were meant just for us!

Looking back, I see how even the things I viewed as obstacles at the time were actually times that God was putting things into order, lining things up, preparing us for a time such as this...I am such a blessed woman! I have a wonderful husband, and great kids. I am so glad how God ordained all these things; my only wish is that I had my sister here to share this with...

...She's the one who I had countless conversations with trying to conceive and dreams of being two sisters pregnant at one time...she's the one who listened to my hours of whining of how I so desired to be a mother...she's the one who taught me and is still teaching me things about parenting...she's the one who had people praying for our children and the adoption process even after her death...that is probably the only thing that really stinks...is that she is not here!

But, what is really neat, is that God knows my heart, and knows the pain of losing a loved one, and as I journeyed through the initial parts of our adoption process, he began to raise up people around me to encourage and support me. People I didn't know...people in various states all over the nation. God has connected me to not just one sister, but a group of awesome ones...they will never replace Shanda, but they'll never know how much I appreciate and care for them and how much their kind words of encouragement have uplifted my soul. They are awesome! (My Yahoo Sistas'!)

More to come about the kids later...