My Ebenezer

Where do I start?

Some of this may bore you to tears but I’m trying to write as much as possible about today so that I will be able to share it later on with the kids.

We told Speedy that we were going to court today to talk to a Judge and that’s why Granny was taking him to school. (MDO) He was fine with it and gave us big hugs before we left.

On the way in, I was definitely more nervous about seeing BM and BF than I was about the hearing itself. I felt confident that termination would be granted, but I was feeling very anxious about seeing them for all the reasons mentioned before and then some. Part of me didn’t think they would show up and the other part of me was a little disappointed when they didn’t.

That’s right. They were a no show. Everyone was told to be there by 9am and our case was called about 10am, so they may have shown up late, but I doubt it. They knew what was going to happen and they really had no defense.

The attorney for CPS started off by listing the grounds for termination and then questioning our CPS case worker who just gave the basic information that services were provided but never taken, etc…. Dates of last visits, conversations from last week blah blah blah and then the other attorneys questioned her. I kinda felt sorry for the attorneys who represented BM and BF as they really had nothing to go on. I could tell they were really only putting forth enough effort to do their job but really, they knew it was an open and shut case. They birthparents had done NOTHING.

After the CPS lawyer, the lawyer for BM, the lawyer for BF and the lawyer for the kids took their turns with the CPS caseworker it was our turn. Now, this was a little surprising to me as we weren’t really expecting to testify or anything like that. SURPRISE! I was asked if BM or BF ever provided food, clothing or financial support to us for taking care of Speedy and Princess. I told them of a few outfits and some toys that they had brought to some of the visits. I was asked if I was present at the visits and got to witness some of the interaction between birthparents and kids. I told them I could not see a bond between Speedy and BM but there did seem to be one between Speedy and BF. I was asked if they were on time for visits and I told them that they were on time for most of them. These were all asked of me by the CPS attorney. The attorney for the children asked me if I thought that birthparents were under the influence during any of the visits. I told them that I could not be sure as I’m not too familiar with drug use but they did seem a little out of it at times and very talkative at others. Then I was asked about their eyes, “can you desribe their eyes?” Sometimes it appeared that their pupils might be larger than normal. Then I was asked if I had been in contact with the paternal grandparents and I explained that relationship. The only thing I was asked by the attorney for either of the parents was whether or not we planned to keep the birth family involved in the children’s lives and I told her that we were with the grandparents but not with the parents unless MAJOR changes were made.

Attorneys for BM and BF gaving “closing arguments” on why conditions for termination had not been met. CPS lawyer responded and slam dunked the case. Judge said he was “accepting” termination on those grounds and would sign the final orders on October 17. Basically, that gives BM and BF 20 days to appeal this decision and if they do not, then termination will be completely finished on October 17.

After October 17, the case files are handed over to an adoption worker within CPS. This is the worker we need to be praying for now, that we’ll get a GREAT worker who works fast. He/she will pretty much determine how quickly we get through everything else. We’ll have to come in and read the entire file and do a few other administrative things and then we’ll sign adoption placement papers. 30 days after signing, we’ll finalize the adoption and party like it’s 1999.

I expected to feel differently. I think I was so geared up to face the birthparents that when they didn’t show it was just anti-climatic. I don’t know. Maybe I expected to suddenly feel more like a family but what I realized is that we’ve been a family for a long time already. We couldn’t love them anymore than we do already. These are the children God chose for us a long time ago. We’ve always known that – now the “system” knows it, too.

Thank you for all of your prayers. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your encouragement. Mostly, Thank God for a gift we don’t deserve, for trusting us with two precious little lives and for teaching us to trust Him more.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.