Baby Alex and the Magic Carpet

Tonight I want to share a Happily-Ever-After Story with you about 2 dear friends of mine and the journey they have been on for the past 9 (yes, count them) years....

They married and dreamed of their future and the wee ones that would fill their home with laughter and love.  And oh through the years they indeed had many kids fill their home, and quite often their pool, with laughter and love (amongst many other things!!!).  Even as a recent college graduate they adopted me into their lives, they taught me about friendship, playing guitar, leading worship, working with youth at our church, and they were my fall back couple when I had no plans on Friday night or got home from another horrible blind date. I even moved in with them for a short stint right before I got married. 

But they were unable to have children of their own. 

So after much prayer they decided to adopt.  Shortly after the time Nathaniel was born they got a call that they were chosen as the adoptive family for a little boy.  And we all rejoiced, knowing they would be amazing parents.  They rushed to Arkansas to pick up the baby but after a couple days, the birthmother changed her mind and they returned home empty handed....and heartbroken. 

And they waited.

Earlier this year they received a phone call that they were once again chosen to be adoptive parents.  With careful optimism...they waited. 

They are doing a semi-open adoption so they were able to talk with the birth mother with her case manager present via phone.  One particular phone call, the birth mom asked if they would consider keeping the name that she wanted.  Tony and Linda were praying between 2 names, one of which was Daniel Alexander so they were a bit hesitant to agree to entertain the idea of the 15 year old birth mother.  But being the kindhearted folks that they are, they politely asked what name the birth mom was hoping for and her reply was Alexander Daniel!  (Isn't God good???)

On May 26th baby Alex entered the world to a precious 15 year old girl who has made the sacrifice of giving up her son so that he can be raised in a home with parents who will love and care for him in ways that she cannot.

On June 7th my friends signed papers in a court room in Arkansas making this adoption official. And tonight We got to meet this little answer to prayers!  I could not possibly be more excited for this new family! 

Meet this handsome little man!

The new mom glow- I love it!



He is so tiny compared to my gigantic kids!



Was she ever really this small?

 Ok and another thing...this carpet-o-fur is magic.  It was like there was an invisible fence around it.  Both my kids LOVED it, laid on it, rolled on it and would not leave it.  Marissa began flipping upside down - it was hilarious. I think she was also over-joyed with meeting baby Alex and knowing what an answer to prayer he is!

What a journey it has been.  Not always fun.  Not exactly our plan...but His... and His ways are higher than ours.  Baby Alex is living proof of that.

Please keep his precious birth mom in your prayers. I cannot imagine the range of emotions she must be feeling right now.  She is a pretty amazing girl and has blessed this family and all of their friends tremendously! 

And keep Tony and Linda in your prayers as they embark on this amazing, exhausting, exciting, confusing journey of parenting!

....And they all lived happily-ever-after.....