Party of Five!

Yes, that's right - we are currently, Keim Party of Five! This post is way overdue but things have been kind of crazy!

This was where I said, "I'm going to sit here all day tomorrow and read my book!" Bwahaha...nope!

We had planned our vacation to the same spot we went two years ago, a cabin near Elijay, GA, with the thought that we might be fostering at that time and it's a whole lot easier to do an overnight trip within the state than to cross state lines. This was the most organized we've ever been for a trip and we had planned to get there and not get back in the car for the next four days. We got there Friday (July 7th) afternoon at 3:30, unpacked everything, checked out the camp fire area, and were sitting by the creek relaxing when my phone beeped. It said I had a new voicemail, but there's no cell service there and I couldn't get the message to show up. I tried to ignore it and then Shawn said, "Let's drive down the mountain until we have service and you can check it." I said, "Ok, then it will be close enough to 5:00 on Friday afternoon and then I won't worry about someone calling us over the weekend." We got about halfway down the mountain and I could read the voicemail - sure enough! Two year old twin girls! We called our social worker and she gave us the very few details she had. We said "yes!" We drove back up to the cabin, grabbed our toiletry bags and headed back south.

I texted a friend and asked if she had a pack and play we could borrow - tonight! We arrived at the DFCS office, they handed us the placement letter, told us they needed to be in court on Monday, Shawn strapped in their car seats, and we took them. The DFCS workers had put them each in an outfit and gave them a blanket, a stuffed animal and gave us a package of diapers. We headed straight to Target where our friends met us and gave us the pack and play and a bag filled with diapers, sippy cups, pajamas, and swim suits. Thank goodness for awesome friends who work fast! We bought some basics like shoes and a few outfits at Target and headed home. We fixed a quick dinner, they had hardly talked and they didn't eat much, gave them a bath and put them to bed.

I did relax a little with Avery while the twins napped.

We had been waiting for this moment, but never did we image we'd get twins! The girls slept great that first night, but I'm pretty sure Shawn and I slept for about 5 minutes - I kept listening for them to cry and, of course, my mind just wouldn't shut off. We had been waiting for this call, but no amount of preparing can prepare you for the weight of emotion - thinking of a mom missing her kids, and caring for children who have been removed from their mom and are now our responsibility.

We tried to salvage the vacation we had planned and headed back up to the cabin in the morning - in 2 cars this time. The girls did fine, but the cabin is not kid-proofed so it was impossible to just relax and let them play. That night there was lots of crying at bedtime. One screaming, one crying, "I want my mommy," Avery crying because she felt so bad for them, and I was teary eyed from being physically and emotionally exhausted and not knowing what to do to comfort everyone. Poor Shawn! We made it through the night and headed back home in the morning - vacation can wait. 

We had court the next day and we met the kids' lawyer, the other foster family (the girls have 2 brothers), and their mom. That was a little awkward but it was evident that all of the kids love her and have a strong bond with her. Having the kids at court was brutal as they saw their mom and were taken away from her about 6 times throughout the proceedings. This was the initial hearing and another court date was set for 2 weeks where DFCS would have to present their evidence.

Avery turned 8, 9 days after becoming a big sister. She's had a bit of an adjustment period, just like we all have but she's settled into her role like a champ!

The girls have a great lawyer and she was able to get their appearance waived for the next court date. We went to court again on the 24th and learned that the girls will likely be with us for 6-9 months. Up until this point it was considered an emergency placement and we didn't know how long they would be with us. We have another court date for August 24th and will likely learn a little bit more about the plan then.

A fun afternoon on the lake with sweet friends!

The girls have had a lot of experiences in their first month with us. We don't know if any of the things they are doing with us are "firsts" but they are firsts for us as a family. The first two weeks were kind of like the "honeymoon" period and parenting them has been more challenging since then. It's hard to jump in and parent kids at almost two and a half when you don't know a lot about their past. As challenging as our days are, the twins are thriving with consistency, a schedule, and lots of attention.

Avery even got to drive the boat and she thought she was pretty hot stuff!

We can't show their faces on social media or share the details of their story, just know they are adorable! There's so much more to write but I'll save that for another time. We are so appreciative of the love and support of our friends and family!!

On the day we learned they would be with us for a while, I dressed them in their Love Makes a Family shirts. It may only be for a short while, but today we are family.