As some of you know, my husband and I are foster parents. I’ve discussed fostering here in various threads. We’ve been fostering since 2012, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. On June 26, 2012 we picked a newborn baby girl up from the hospital, where she had been left after her mother gave birth. After two months of around the clock feedings, our little failure-to-thrive miracle was finally holding her own, when we got a call from DCS. They had located her siblings (note the plural), and would we consider fostering them? We were only licensed for two children at the time, but, as we had the space, DCS happily expanded our license, and we met the siblings; a one year old boy and a five year old girl. Of course, I loved them immediately, so, two weeks later, they moved in. They have been with us ever since. And, while we have loved them as though they were our own this entire time, there was a time when the case plan was reunification with the children’s biological mother. So, our “actual” connection has not felt permanent. (I would note that the plan has been adoption for two years now, and it has taken forever.) And, if I am impacted by the lack of permanency, I know it must impact the children. But, today our attorney (my dad) was able to get the very last adoption hearing available on the calendar for 2015, a week from Friday, December 18th at 10:45am. I cannot describe the sheer joy I’m feeling right now. Looks like I got all I wanted for Christmas!