Miss Angie is swimming almost every single day, sometimes twice a day. She is taking lessons and her progress is amazing. I am so impressed by the instructors at our pool. They are patient and kind and always make sure she understands what they are working on. It is the highlight of my day to watch her lessons after my day at work.
Toby and I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary this week. Our good friends, Jeff and Heather offered to come to Clatskanie to stay with the kids so we could get away for the weekend. There are few people that we would/could leave in charge of our crazy household and Jeff and Heather are on the short list. We were so grateful for our weekend, which we spent in Oregon wine country in the sunshine.
Yesterday we attended a permanency hearing for Angie's DHS case. We have struggled with our relationship with the agency due to poor communication and frustration on our part. At the hearing, we did not share the DHS perspective that Angie's adoption is "on time" when we are 13 months into a process we were told would take 6-8 months. I am extremely proud of Toby for his request for specific dates when the remaining steps would be completed, even though we did not receive concrete answers. It is disheartening to feel powerless in a process that means so much to us. We believe that we are approximately 3 months away from becoming Angie's forever family on paper. Almost time to start planning the gigantic celebration that will follow the finalization of her adoption!
Next week, Toby, Angie, and I will travel to Denver for the International Hemispherectomy Conference. We are excited for Angie to spend time at a day camp with other children who have experienced the same dramatic brain surgery. Toby and I are looking forward to hearing the presenters speak about what we might expect going forward and how we can help Angie reach her full potential. I fully expect the experience to be life-changing for all of us. And again, we have someone special, our daughter Jordan, who is willing to hold down the fort at home.
There is a theme here, as I write. We are surrounded by special friends and family who are willing to come into the trenches with us to support our family. Please know that we see what you do and are grateful for every one of you. Your messages of support and prayers, gifts of time, and even brief "check-ins" to see how we are doing mean more than you know. We are strong because of the team of people by our side and we do not question that for a moment. Words are not enough to thank you.
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