Preparing and Packing

If you haven't yet heard, Hannah is soon to leave us.  She will leave on Sunday evening for her adoption.  As always, it is such a bittersweet time for us.  We will be missing this wonderful girl who's made a home with us for the past 2 1/2 years.  I'm often asked, "How do you prepare your heart for that?!"  Well, we do our best.  It is never easy, but it always helps to know they are going into a loving, caring forever family.  We are sooo happy--this is what we've hoped for her (and all our girls) for sooo long!  Though we've given her all we can, we know she deserves more than we can give her as foster parents.  It's now time for her forever family to take over and we couldn't be more happy for her!  Though we'll miss her dearly, we have no doubt she'll do well in her new family.  I"m sure they'll be as much of a blessing to her as she will be to them!  What a wonderful, sweet, gentle girl they are getting!!  She's been very special to us and now she will be even more special to her forever family.  Having been in this same position as her new parents several times ourselves, we know exactly how they are feeling.  So many family and friends are anxiously awaiting her arrival and now they don't have much longer to wait :)  

Hannah is packing her suitcase.  Some of you may wonder why she's packing soo soon since she isn't leaving until Sunday, but we do have a purpose.  You see, these older children find leaving a bit harder than the younger ones.  They are quite aware of the many changes facing them and often have concerns about those very different changes.  So one day we go buy the suitcase, which also helps prepare them little by little,  and perhaps another day we'll buy some toiletries and such for their trip, then another day we pack some clothes, yet another day we pack some of our favorite toys, and/or special things sent to us via care packages by special people etc, etc.  Each act, although be it small, helps prepare them a little more every day for their big travel day. All this, not to mention the fact that we also talk about their family and America multiple times a day as well :)

We do our best to reassure our girls as each one takes their turn facing their concerns about leaving.  Being Americans ourselves, we are readily able to tell them what America is like.  Eating some Western food in our home a few times a week has helped them learn to like and adjust to the very different food they'll soon be eating full time.  And learning some English before they leave will be invaluable to them and their new families. Though they may not be fluent, knowing some basic English is surely quite helpful for everyone.

We're surely going to miss that sweet smile of yours Hannah! What a beautiful girl you are, both inside and out!!! You may be out of our home, but NEVER out of our hearts!!  We look forward to hopefully seeing you grow into a beautiful young lady over the years.