All In

Today is one of those days where I will hug my kids more than average.  It has been a year today that a very special family unexpectedly lost one of their children.  It is one of those days where you find yourself praying all day for them to know they are loved and to have peace that she is with God, but heartbreaking as well as you know how much today will hurt for them and those who love them.  As a husband and parent there is nothing you pray for more not to happen than to lose your spouse or child.

We've always had a special family bond.  I married above my pay grade so to speak, and our three kids we had have been second to none.  Our kids have always been everything and we've always gone all in to ensure they knew they were loved, cared for, provided for.  I still remember telling Bekah one night that I loved her and she kinda gave me this "Yeah I know" response.  I asked her how she knew, and she said "Because you  tell me ALL THE TIME!".  Win :)

When our family chose to pursue adoption, it was an all in proposition.  When we hosted Kayleigh the summer before, and talked to her about us wanting to adopt her and her brother, and she said yes she wanted to be adopted by our family, there was no way we were going to break that promise to come and get them.  From that moment we were all in to get them.  It was difficult as we were up against the clock as she neared aging out of the orphanage system (she flew to her new home in the states 3 weeks before she would have aged out....).

The thing that has probably amazed us the most is that our newly expanded family had the SAME special family bond.  God brought two kids into our family that are SO us that I just have to laugh about it.  We made the decision to open our homes and hearts and just love them as we did our "domestics", and the results have been wonderful.  I was out riding bikes with them a couple nights ago, just a nice easy ride around the neighborhood at sunset.  They both had this happy, peaceful look on their faces that comes from inside.  It was more beautiful that the sunset.

There are so many things we go part of the way on in the world and can get away with it.  When it comes to our kids, especially with orphans who have had nothing and need everything, be prepared to go all in, nothing less will make the cut.  The rewards are beyond words.  Go all in with your kids today.