Happy Halloween

Good News

Sorry for the delay in my post. We didn't find out what happened yesterday until just this morning. They said that the meeting went really long. I prayed that at the meeting, everyone would see the "true colors" of the Birthmom and the Grandparents. It seems that is exactly what happened. The Birthmom got mad at what was being said in the meeting and she stormed out of the room a couple of times. The Grandparents have NOT been approved yet to take the baby. Their home has been approved but they haven't.



DCFS is going to recommend to the judge that the Grandparents have individual counceling, couples counceling, and parenting classes. The Grandma was not happy about that. She doesn't want parenting classes. The Grandparents also have like 9 fractions against them on record with DCFS. The Judge would have to dismiss all of them. (I think) They are recommending that all of that happens before they can get the baby. So that means the Judge would give them a couple of months to do that....or he can dismiss all of it and give them the baby.



All of that to say...we get her until November 7th. Matt is going to go to court to see what happens. Thank you for praying! Pray that the Judge does not give them custody on that day. Then....there will be more waiting. Also pray that the court will give us permission to take the baby to Washington for Christmas. God is good!
( I hope that this all makes sense.)

Ivy's 2nd "Gotcha" Day

Today was Ivy's 2nd "Gotcha" Day. That is the day we "Gotcha"...the day we went to court and Ivy officially became an Elliott. Friends stopped by with ice cream and balloons and Aunt Hollie came for dinner. The day started with a card from Grandma and Grandpa Elliott. She had a great day! God is so good in giving us such a treasure of a daughter.

Please pray for the meeting tomorrow between the DCFS social workers and Sissy's grandparents. Pray that she gets to stay in our home and they can see the Grandparents for who they really are. The Birthmom has already called , saying she will be at tomorrow's visit, so we will be making a trip to the valley for that. Thanks!

Date Night with Matt

Our wonderful friends, Chris and Kaci Metzger offered to watch the girls while Matt and I had a date night. It was so thoughtful of them and it was so great to get out alone with Matt. Our whole date cost $15 for the night because I had gift cards for every place we went. We went to the Americana in Glendale to The Cheesecake Factory and then window shopped. Thank You Chris and Kaci!!!! We love and appreciate you!

Getting Weak and Weary

I had a visit with the birthmom today. As I walked in the door, the DCFS social worker met me . She said that the Grandparent's home was approved and the DCFS wanted to take Sissy out of our home yesterday (we didn't know that that could happen.) This social worker told them not to do it because she has some concerns about the Grandparents. They are going to have a board metting with the grandparents this coming Tuesday to ask them questions and determine what to do (it is very possible that they could decide to take her on Tuesday.)



I also found out that the Grandma is now going to drive the Birthmom to all of her visits to see the baby. The birthmom said that she has a good relationship with her parents now. (My social worker thinks that they might have no intention of adopting Sissy but wants her out of our home and is going to help their daughter to "appear" to be back on track so that she can have her and they just be grandparents again. Poor Sissy.



Bottom line is that I am tired and weary. They are wearing me out and I feel like I am hitting bottom. It is so good to trust in the Lord knowing that He has everything in control and I don't have to try and run the show like this grandma is. Honestly, I am just getting tired of doing everything by the book, running Sissy everywhere she needs to go, having social workers in and out of my house, loving on her, making sure that I am taking care of Ivy, checking my heart to make sure that I am honoring the Lord....it is enough to wear a girl out.



The Lord brought to my mind Galatians 6:9 " And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Bottom line...I WILL NOT ALLOW SATAN TO BE VICTORIOUS IN MY HOME! He might think that he will ruin Matt and I and our family. HE IS NOT HAVING IT WHETHER IT IS MATT, I AND IVY OR IF SISSY IS WITH US TO. The End! ( I am feeling better already.)

Fost Adopt Update

We just found out that our new court date is November 7th. (That is 2 weeks from this Friday. Fast!) They are going to see if the grandparents are certified and they are also going to open up their old files to see if they are suitable to have her with their past allegations. We are praying that the Judge says that they are not a suitable couple to adopt her. ( They never looked into any of this before because the grandparents had said before that they didn't want to adopt her so there was no need.)

The lawyer told Matt that Sissy shouldn't be taken from us before November 4th. Then who knows after that. It sounds like it is going to all come down to the Judge. Please continue to pray.

Fat Mommy Returns

Ok...I have told this story to a couple of people and they keep telling me that I have to write this on my blog. Fat Mommy has returned. With everything going on in our lives I have let the gym and Weight Watchers go by the wasteside. Here is a perfect example....



Last week when we went to court, Aunt Hollie came over to babysit (Thank You Aunt Hollie!) She brought Ivy a donut ( my favorite donut to be exact.) When we got home the girls were sleeping. When Hollie left, I went in the kitchen and noticed that there was over half of Ivy's donut sitting there. I thought to myself that surely she didn't want the rest...really that's not what I thought but I did think that she would not remember the donut tomorrow for breakfast so I ate it.



I went to wake Ivy up from her nap. I said, "Ivy you can get up now." She jumps out of bed yelling,"Donut Donut. Ivy eat her donut!" I panicked and told her that I ate it. She started crying really hard. ( I felt terrible!) So I quickly added, "You know that fudge bar that Daddy has been saving in the freezer? (The ones that are so big that she never gets to eat one.) " Do you want to eat that all by yourself?" Of course she said yes through her tears. So...Matt was out a Fudgie Bar after his dinner all because Fat Mommy had no self control.



...I know...I am ashamed of myself...

Blog Hopping

Ok...I always tease Wendy about finding new blogs and now I am guilty! I cannot stand watching cartoons with Ivy ( there are only a couple times in the day when I let her watch them) so I have gotten on the computer. Lately, I have found the best blogs on home and hospitality. Tonight I found such an encouraging blog on being a mom, homemaker and especially a mom raising godly girls. Please check it out. It is listed under the blogs I like (The Wise Woman Builds Her Home). You got to get excited about blogs that make you eager to clean your house, be a better mom, and live as a godly example to your family. I have found so many Christian ones out there. Gosh, I want to be the kind of woman who can write blogs like this. Enjoy!

Results from Court Today

Well...we are back from court. We didn't even go in and see the judge because they settled everything that they needed to before we got in there. The bottom line is that the aunt wasn't even looked at because they haven't even proven that the birth dad is the father so they wouldn't give Sissy to her AND she did not get a favorable report when they investigated her. HOWEVER......

The maternal grandparents (the ones we are in contact with) decided to adopt Sissy. They are doing it because they are afraid that the birthdad is going to come and take the baby or any of his relatives. They said that they can't live with that and to make sure that doesn't happen, they are going to adopt her. Basically, if they don't get certified to take her now...they lose their chance. Then if any body in his family comes forward and he is proven the father, then she would be taken away. The birthfather talked to them on the phone and said that if he finds out that Sissy is with anyone other than family, he is going to come and get her. (He is a drug dealer and violent.) I guess he physically threatened to hurt Matt and I (to her). They are so afraid that anyone in his family will get the baby, that they said they can't take the chance.

Matt and I talked to them afterwards where I asked them straight out what they were going to do. She got teary eyed and said," Kelli, I know that you and Matt are the best home for this baby. But I believe that we are the 2nd best home for the baby and I can't have her go to the other side." I started to cry a little bit and she kept saying that she was so sorry. I asked her more questions and Matt said that I was really gracious with her, which is good because I was really trying to be. I wanted our Christian testimony to shine through. We told them that we understood why they were doing it. I think that they are weary knowing that they have a long life ahead of them....18 years.

Here is where Matt and I have a tiny spark of hope.....They have to be certified (their home) and they also have a "mark" against them in court that needs to be erased. It has something to do with an altercation they had with thier daughter when she was a teen. I think that if the Judge doesn't wipe their record clean, they can't have her. BUT they are all (every one working on the case) acting like they are not going to have a problem being certified....but God can do a miracle!

On Friday, they are going to set a date for next month when the homestudy needs to be done. Then they will go to court. If it is approved, they will move Sissy to their house.

Matt and I are continuing to trust the Lord that He has His hand in all of this. Of course, I don't understand it all but I think that He wants it that way so that we keep our dependence on Him.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. i woke up today thinking, we are the only ones walking in there with the Lord on our side. It was sad to see the Grandparents living in fear, with out hope in their Savior. Although I get scared, I know that He has a plan for our family. Matt and I will not let Satan destroy our family and testimony in this! We are still holding out hope for a miracle and please continue to pray for such but whatever the outcome, our Savior will see us through!

Ephesians 3:20 " Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us."

Court Tomorrow

Please remember to pray for Matt and I as we go to court tomorrow for Sissy.

Psalm 62:5,8
"For God alone,O my soul,wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. Trust in Him at all times, O people: pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

Who Knows What's Going On?

I had the DCFS worker come to the house today. As usual, she didn't know too much. She did tell me that the birthmother has been talking to lawyers all along telling them that she would like the baby to go to the birthfather's family. She thinks that would be a good idea without even knowing them. I think she doesn't have a good relationship with her parents so she doesn't want them to have a relationship with her daughter.



I asked her to find out if the aunt wants to adopt her and she said that she would try to find out. (She has talked to the investgator before and never thought to ask that question.) To me, that answer would tell alot.



I just found out that the investigator does not have a good report about the aunt, BUT I also found out that now one set of the grandparents are interested in her. I don't know if it is the ones that Matt and I know (I think they would change their minds if they were afraid they were going to lose her to the other side of the family) or the birthfather's grandparents. I will let you know if I hear what the investigator says.



Please continue to lift this up in prayer. Less than a week to go until we go to court!

New Information

Sorry that I haven't updated in a while but there really hasn't been any news to tell. I just had a visit from my social worker. She gave me some more information....not really the news I was hoping for.

The aunt has been certified to take another child (Sissy) and she does want her. They are unclear if she wants to adopt her or not. But it looks like they might recommend that the aunt gets her.

They still have not done a DNA test on the birthfather like he wants. My social worker was trying to push for it. Saying that it would be a shame to move the baby and later find out that this baby isn't even related to the aunt. Everyone says that he is the father ( I think that he proubly is too) but the birthmom was an alleged prostitute so...why aren't they making sure?

The investigator was supposed to come out and see our house and has not done that yet. I think that he thinks that she is going to go to the aunt so what is the point? The hard part is that we can make phone calls but we can't make them do anything.

I asked my social worker when they would take the baby if the court decides with the aunt. She said it would proubly happen that day.

That is where I need to rest in the Lord. He knows what will happen. I still have hope in the Lord that He can do anything....and if He decides to take her, He will bring Matt , Ivy and I through. Please continue to pray for October 15th. Thanks

Ivy!

This is a picture of me cleaning crayon off the wall, floor and crown molding. I wasn't too happy. I thought that Ivy had learned her lesson after this but the next day she was coloring all over her breakfast plate. Guess who is going without her crayons for a while!....I was so mad that I decided to put an extra picture of us on so that you really do know how much I love the little buger!

P.S. Sissy isn't doing much better. We took her to the park today where she went pee pee all over Wendy! Ugh! Can I take my girls anywhere? I did have a good laugh at that one!