Christmas!

You know, the one thought that never crossed our mind was...

"Will this be our only Christmas with Snarkles?"

I don't know how to explain our mindset in this whole thing, but the reason I called this blog a Distinctive Love...is because I do, still, sometimes, feel like we have these few things that set us apart from all the other stories you read. It's why I try to find time to write here- maybe I do a good job describing it, maybe I don't...but, I guess the ultimate goal is to show what foster care is/can be. There are so many other stories out there and sure, good or bad they might be accurate accounts, but there's also this story and if you haven't related to any of the other ones, maybe, just maybe, you'll relate to ours.

Our holiday season began with the first biological parent visit since the end of July, but that didn't change a thing. We made sure we took Snarkles to see Santa Claus and put up a Christmas tree just so that she could hang her "baby's first" ornament. We don't taint these activities with thoughts of worry or unknowns for her future. Instead, we perform them like we would for any child whose first Christmas it is. For any child in our care whose second or third or tenth Christmas it is. We simply breath in these moments and enjoy them.

We look back at pictures and marvel at her growth (and our innocence). We look forward, to celebrating her first birthday. Sometimes, we talk so far into the future that I do scare myself. Yes, there are those rare times that I actually STOP words from coming out of my mouth because they don't sound quite right given our circumstances- but, fear not, I always remind myself...this girl is in God's hands.

I am so committed to my future with Snarkles that when I'm with her, I can't even write this blog. When I'm with her, it doesn't seem like we're a story...we're just family.