November Reflections

I'm spending time being nostalgic today. This is my last day with Austin as a two year old. Tomorrow he turns three. Two years ago at this time, we were planning to head to Austin's foster parents home for his first birthday. And we were anticipating bringing him home for good. That was the hardest week of my life. We went for his birthday party, and had to leave him. Then the next day or so we brought him home for an overnight visit and had to give him back. He crawled as fast as his little legs would carry him when we left... Thankfully, just four days after Austin turned 1, we brought him home for good. November 6, 2009, Austin came to live in the Kreitler home and never will leave again - adopted March 31, 2010.

November is a month dedicated to celebrating adoption. I am so thankful that we can promote adoption in this way. My life has forever been changed by my two little blessings from God. Our baby came home on March 27, 2011. Thankfully, on October 24, 2011, he became available for adoption. And now we are just waiting so that he can also have an adoption date changing his last name to match ours and give him the rights, responsibilities and privileges of anyone who may have been born into our household.

Austin is so very excited about this birthday, which makes me so very excited about it. And as always, I thank God that he is here for this birthday. We aren't visiting, and he is ours. I can plan his birthday as our child! These are small things but so big in my world :)

I do get a bit sad to think I'm not sure what time he was born or how big he was. I always will be sad about that. However, we have been so blessed to have had him in our home for two wonderful years. Adoption is something that changes your life in such a huge way. And I am so glad that we have seen such an amazing picture of how God adopted us. We have such a wonderful image to show to our sons - about God's love and our love!

It is also fitting that as our first Sunday back to church as a family is Orphan Sunday this coming Sunday. I'm so thankful we have a church that celebrates adoption. Certainly not everyone is called to adopt. But there are so many things that can be done to help the local or even international agencies.

November and now May will forever remind me how good God has been to us. Those months brought us our precious boys. And I am forever grateful!