Our Story, Part 32 - New Year's Eve Surprise

In the fall of 2003 the boys were all in school and things were just beginning to relax around our house (if that is possible with three small boys). By December 2003, it had been a month since my hysterectomy ~ I was on the mend, feeling great, and enjoying a break from school for a few weeks! (Last night I watched our family home video from Christmas of that year and it was so much fun to see the boys on Christmas morning opening their presents and seeing how young all of us looked. I couldn’t believe it had been six years since that Christmas in 1997 when the boys first came to live with us!) Little did we know that our lives were about to change again!


New Year's Eve 2003
I had only been home from work for a few minutes when I heard the phone ring. I was in the basement and had to run up to the kitchen to find the phone (I was out of breath from running). I looked at the caller ID and recognized the name and number…instantly my heart started racing and I was almost couldn't push the “talk” button because I was shaking so bad. I was barely able to answer because I knew it was Ruth’s number.

I said “hello” and after the obligatory pleasantries I realized it was Valorie’s voice on the other end of the phone. Valorie then said softly, “Do you want a little girl?” It was another one of those moments that just stop time. I was standing in my tiny 9x12 kitchen, leaning against the table and looking out the front window at the snow. I didn't even sit down. I am quite sure my mouth was agape. You would think I was used to this, I mean I only had about this much notice with all three of my boys but STILL…. I was completely taken back with the magnitude of the question!

My mind works faster than my mouth so I was fumbling to get some words out. I finally said “yes” and my follow up question was, “when?” She said “now.” I asked her what Ruth thought about the situation and she said “Ruth is standing right here next to me and asked me to call you.”

Let me just back up a few minutes…. I had just got home from work; I was changing my clothes to get ready to go to my sister-in-law's house for a New Year’s Eve party with our families when the phone rang. I was looking forward to a relaxing night watching movies, eating a lot of good food and sleeping in the next morning... (none of that happened). It is amazing how much ones life can change with a single phone call! I had to laugh to myself because I thought “at least this is more than 15 minutes notice, they live at least 45 minutes away this time!” :)

After I got off the phone I went and found Mykel to relay the incredible news. I just have to say that I have one of the most patient husbands in the world. Obviously we had talked about the possibility of adopting this little girl, we knew the day may come that we could get this phone call, but for the last few months we had bascially avoided the conversation because it hurt too much to even bring it up. I didn’t even consult him when the phone rang and the question was asked. I am so glad he can roll with the punches!


We decided not to tell the boys about the news; we wanted to surprise them too! We told them that I had to run a few errands and I would meet them at their cousin’s house in a few hours…. and I was on my way to pick up our daughter!