REFLECTING ON "GOTCHA DAY"

Lots of folks who have adopted call the official adoption court date “Gotcha Day”.  Our family’s Gotcha Day for Evan, Nick, and AnnaBelle was yesterday.  JANUARY 4, 2012.  From now on, we will always have a celebration on January 4.  My vote is that we make it a tradition to celebrate Gotcha Day somewhere in the Caribbean. 

If you are wondering if we were nervous before our court hearing yesterday, the answer is YES.  Our court time was 1:30 pm, so we had all morning to anticipate and rehearse and re-rehearse the petitions and obligations we were to have memorized for the judge.  We practiced them in the bathroom.  We practiced them while putting on makeup (me, not Rod).  We practiced them in the taxi.  We practiced them in the courthouse lobby.  Poor Roma kept saying “Relax.  Please relax”.  Seriously, Roma??? We are about to march our almost 50 year old selves into a Ukrainian courtroom and ask a judge if we could please be the parents of 3 more kids and you want us to relax?  Rod paced.  A lot.  I just kept saying “I think I am about to throw up…. Please give me a drink of water…. No, don’t give me a drink of water.  I’ll have to go to the bathroom during court…. Please give me a drink of water.  I’m about to throw up.”  And, once again, I am not making any of this up.  Finally, we were all called into the court room.  Honestly, it was a relief to just be in there and realize that it was really happening and soon we would have our answer.  And it’s a darn good thing I didn’t drink too much of that water, because the hearing lasted nearly 3 hours.  All of the judge’s questions to us had to be translated, of course.  I have never been questioned so much in my life.  We were both questioned on basic information about ourselves and our community and our church and our home.  Then she questioned Rod about everything from his job to why he chose to adopt from Ukraine to how he planned on teaching the kids English.  He was questioned for a very long time.  She questioned me for what seemed like forever on such things as our marriage, the possibility of divorce (Um, no), if I planned on treating all my children the same, why I wanted to be their mother, and if I am healthy enough to adopt them.  I am telling you, the only thing she did not ask me was the number of scarves I brought on this very very long trip.  I could have answered that.  Then the kids were brought in one by one.  They were nervous, too.  Each answered their questions so politely.  I was so proud.  And each answered “yes” when asked if they wanted to be adopted by us and be in our family forever.  My heart swelled and I was so humbled.  Cutest moment of court was when the judge asked Nicholas if he was confident he would be able to learn English.  He answered “I already know it.” (He has about 200 English words).  The kids were taken away and the judge and jurors recessed for their decision.  Rod wanted to pace, but Roma said we had to stand in our places until the judge returned.  When she came back in, she gave her speech and the court’s decision.  In Ukrainian.  Rod and I both were straining to hear Roma as he quietly interpreted for us in English.  We were so busy trying to figure out what was going on, that bursting into tears was not even an option.  It was really really surreal.  Once we received and understood the verdict, we thanked Jesus, hugged and kissed, and then fist bumped.  It’s how we roll.  We only had 3 or 4 minutes with the kids afterwards for hugs and kisses and saying their new names over and over.  I was officially their Mom, and I HATED leaving them in the orphanage yesterday.  It’s not that I’ve ever liked leaving them there, but now I am leaving MY children there.  They have 10 more days until they live with us.  I didn’t like leaving them at the orphanage today, either.  But I deal with it by reminding myself that they are no longer orphans.  And then I go back to the hotel and lie down and rest, because I have no idea when I will do that again after these 10 days are up!

SO…… Rod and I have SIX kids.  For some reason, I get the biggest kick out of saying that.  I can’t wait for that “casual conversation” moment with someone when I am asked “How many kids do you have?” And I can casually say SIX.  I’ll say it real non-chalantly, like those really organized- and together- Moms do.  Maybe I’ll follow it up with a comment about needing to go run my usual 15 miles before I get dinner on the table for the kids and our dinner guests.  Is that wrong????

We are grateful for this God-sized journey ahead of us.  We are grateful that God is bigger and more Sovereign and more powerful than the grim statistics we were given when we got here.  We are grateful for the tons of you that have sent us messages of encouragement.  We are grateful for your praying and for the power of prayer.  We are grateful for our 3 oldest sons and their selflessness in this entire thing.  Their spiritual maturity in our family decision has been the sweetest blessing to Rod and me.  We are grateful for friends and family who have come alongside us and volunteered to do so many behind-the scenes things for us while we are gone.  And we are grateful that our 3 newest children are so unbelievably courageous to jump in with both feet.  They are way more courageous in this than we are.