March 24, 2011 ~ The Surprise of My Life!!

A day that at one time I thought would never happen.  All of my kids ~ together ~ in one place!

Last Thursday I came home from work and saw my daughters van in the driveway.  Nothing unusual.  Then I saw my son & his wife's car.  Still not too unusual, but they usually tell me they are coming.  The grandkids were all playing outside so I went to visit them for a while.  As I was walking to the little ones on the swingset, I was joking with them asking why they were here.  One of the three year olds said "We are surprising you!"  I told her she sure did surprise me.  Then one of the others said that mom and dad were making dinner for me too.

As I was walking into the house, I was thinking that it doesn't get much better than this ~ I get to see all my grandkids and don't even have to cook dinner.  I assumed they would be fixing something quick and easy, but all four of them were working in the kitchen, cooking a really good dinner, making it even better.  There was even dessert!

I took the baby, who was one month old that day.  (My kids made that out to be the reason they came over, so my daughters kids could see the new little one as they have only seen him a few times.)  A few minutes later I was in the living room secretly helping one of my youngest granddaughters rock the baby (she had been told she had to wait till after dinner) when daddy came in and without saying anything took his baby from her.  I said "uh oh ~ we are busted!".  I turned around to head into the kitchen to see how things were going, got about two steps and saw Christopher had walked into the house!!!

I could not believe my eyes!  I thought I was going to have a heart attack my heart was beating so fast!

Christopher travels for work, was working only about an hour away from us last week  When he found out about a month ago that he would be so close, he called the kids to plan a surprise visit.  It was a surprise all right!  I had NO clue anything was going on at all.  I later found out that almost everyone knew, even everyone at work.

It was so amazing to see him in our house, so wonderful to see my children meet each other for the first time. There was LOTS of laughter, talking, comparing, and photo taking.  It is so unbelievable how much he resembles my raised kids, how well they all got along ~ from the very first moment.  There was not one uncomfortable minute, for anyone.  From the minute he walked in the house it was as though he belonged here.

Christopher even brought his school-years scrapbook.  I finally got to see photos of him as a child.  The youngest photo was his preschool photo at 5 years old, all the way through his high school graduation.  Many  keepsakes, handmade treasures from elementary school.

It was the most amazing evening in my entire life!  Four glorious hours that will never be forgotten.

About an hour after Christopher left, I sent him a text saying that I hoped his travels were coming to a safe end.  He replied that he had just arrived, and that he forgot to get his scrapbook.  Just as I was thinking that I would mail it to him, I was reading the rest of his text message.  "I will get it when I come back next month."

My heart stopped.  I couldn't believe that he was already planning on a return trip.  I found myself wondering what I have ever done to deserve this.

To be one of the lucky ones whose child, lost to adoption, wants to be a part of their first families lives.

I am so very blessed, so very happy, so very complete.  

Thursday, March 24, 2011 was a dream come true.