Happy Birthday T!!!

It all started in the fall of 1996, when I became a teacher at a public, elementary school here in our town. That fall there was a precious, brown eyed, skinny, tiny, little girl in a Kindergarten class taught by a good friend. I knew this girl throughout the year and watched her grow. To my surprise, the next fall she was to be my student in the first grade that year. I loved this little girl. It was T!! Throughout that year, T encountered different moves with her mother and then was to be settled and raised by her maternal grandmother. T finally seemed to have a stable person in her life that often came to the school for conferences, visits, lunches, and just to pop in and check on her. Prior to her living with her grandmother, I told my husband how I loved her. She was just a great little girl. My husband said then, "tell your principal, we'll take her." This was long before we knew how children went through the DFCS system or we even thought of becoming foster parents, but we knew there was something about her that we were drawn to.

Fast forward 10 years. In the spring of 2006, our church hosted a beauty day for girl's at a local group home. There sat T, my precious girl from 10 years earlier was now living in the girl's home. The more I investigated, I learned she had recently expressed an interest in living in a home environment with foster parents. I knew then, God was drawing us all back together. That June, she moved in and has now lived with us for almost 2 years. Since that time, her biological sister has been adopted by some of our best friends. God is awesome, isn't He? I truly feel like she is my daughter and I am so proud of her.

Let me tell you about her. . . . she is beautiful not only on the outside, but the inside as well. Her countenance is usually happy, and if it is not, it is because an injustice has been done to someone else, not herself. She has strong interests in becoming an attorney. . and has the brains to do it. She thinks quick and fast and I think her beauty deceives most people, because we ourselves are blown away by her intelligence. She is wise beyond her years and very mature. She is also a great christian girl and has definite fruit in her life of a walk with Christ.

Today she turned 17, and was surprised by a gift she longed for. . . a cell phone. Her very own, black, Razor, texting, cell phone. She almost cried. What a precious moment for her to experience a true gift given in love by parents to a child that deserves so much more. . . a family. We are thrilled we can give that to her. Happy Birthday beautiful girl, we love you!!
Mom