Ten Lords A Leaping

 Eight years ago today we stood in a court house with a judge to finalize Josiah's adoption.  He had been with us already for awhile because that's how these things go.  He came to us at six months, because his original mama needed help.  We were only gonna keep him for the long holiday weekend that May in 2013 but after a few days it became clear he wasn't going anywhere.  We didn't have a plan or a bedroom for a baby boy.....we had 4 kids and 4 bedrooms and he was in a pack-n-play in our room because when he got dropped off that day in May, that's what we could manage.

We managed ok and talked through different options for how to move kids around, make a temporary bedroom in the basement, etc. but we were busy doing life and it just didn't get done.  Josiah wasn't a foster placement, it was a private adoption so we were not bound by any rules.  We were crammed in and we were literally on top of one another and it was working out....sort of.

We had a trip planned to go to Roger's parents in December the week before Christmas for his parents/ anniversary celebration.  We would return in time for adoption finalization on December 22 and then everyone in his family would join us for Christmas here that year.  We power cleaned the house and the rugs before we left for South Dakota that year.....and secretly there was a very generous plot in the making.....

Our friends and family had been scheming and planning and preparing to crash into our place the minute we left town and do an overhaul....a Kredit Christmas Blessing....and it was a well-kept secret.  My best friend Jen and my mom were in the drivers seat of it but we learned later that it involved dozens of volunteers and generous people who donated labor and money and supplies to make it happen over about 3 days.  Claire was about 12 at the time and she even knew about it that sneaky little sneak...and didn't say a word!

We came back tired in the dark after a busy family weekend and our surprise was waiting for us....not only did they clean our house and deep-six closets, but they organized them and matched up mittens and gloves, they rearranged furniture and hung pictures on walls and re-decorated.  (none of these are my gifts or strengths....)  Oh.  and they knocked out a wall in our front room, cut a hole in the wall of the hallway and MADE A BEDROOM for Josiah.  Yes.  Yes. they did.  

They decorated it, too.

Pictures of the labor and delivery room, the moment of his birth hung on the walls, because God is extravagantly generous...and some of my gift-givers were there with his mama at his birth and took pictures.  I remember dropping to my knees and yelling/crying/wailing because this room (where I am sitting as I write) was his room.....the first room he ever had....and it was all his.  This incredible surprise, and this beautiful gift, and these amazing people gave him something that I could not give him.....a place in the world to call his own.  I could open the door, open my heart, open my arms....but I could not create the place that could be his.  They did that.

He actually moved out of his room for a season so that extra kredit could have it, and Joe slept downstairs in Isaac's room while he was at college....because he's a pretty cool, generous kid.  When Isaac moved back last week for the holiday break he wanted his room back and Josiah was more than willing to move back up into his room again.  He wants to redo it.....new paint....he's thinking a basketball theme now that he's 9.  Auntie Jen, who was the driving force 8 years ago will help him pick out the new paint color and decor because its still not my gift or strength and the kids all know its just best to ask her instead....