Here we go...

Well, we've intended to update everyone much sooner on what happened in court yesterday, but the last 24 hours or so have been very trying and I think much harder that we had anticipated. While we've known since the Supreme Courts ruling what would likely happen we've still been holding out hope. Hoping that something would change, hoping that this wouldn't play out the way we feared, hoping for a miracle. Yesterday seemed to bring the realization that a miracle was not coming, and why we didn't expect it, we did hope for it and feeling that hope slip away has been hard - hope is an incredibly powerful thing.

Walking you through the details of yesterday would take pages and pages but I'll try and give the high points and keep it brief. Going in we had hoped that Judge Sheppard would take our expert witness and her transition plan as well as the expert from the other side and come up with a healthy transition plan for Waverley into the home of one of her natural parents. From the times that we were before Judge Sheppard I have felt that he really did have Waverley's best in mind, however after yesterday, I think I may have misjudged him. At this point it probably wouldn't be fair to go into the details ( I may in another post, later though) but he essentially washed his hands of the whole thing and did very little in keeping Waverley in mind, although he had the authority to do so. It was very disappointing. I don't know that I was fully jaded on or legal system even after the Supreme Court's ruling, but I am now after seeing yesterday play out.

We now have, at least for the next couple of weeks, some clarity on what this transition will look like. For the next couple of weeks we will have daily (court ordered) visitations with Waverley's biological father. The first of these will take place at our home with the visits eventually taking place in his home with the idea that Waverley would be fully transferred into his custody towards the end of this month.

Now, there is a possibility that this plan could change some as there is a separate custody hearing on January 10th where a different district court Judge will determine which of the natural parents would get ultimate custody of Waverley and what that might look like.  I know, I know, you can't make this stuff up. That's about all we can share on this part, but that is another date we would be asking everyone to pray for as it will determine a huge part of Waverley's future.

This is it. The time we've been dreading since we heard back from the Supreme Court. The reality that we will be losing our daughter could not be made any clearer. Having a judge read a court order has the effect of making everything very real. So, on Saturday, January 1st we begin walking this road of transition. I know we've asked so many times for your prayers, but we ask again that you pray for us as we walk this next leg of our journey.  As always, pray the best for Waverley - that God's will be done for her in court on the 10th and that he puts her in the best possible situation for her future. Pray that this transition goes surprisingly well for her and that it isn't traumatic for her. Pray for Molly and I that we are able to be kind and gracious in the face of all of this and that Waverley will have a sense of security and not a sense of fear over the next few weeks. And, for all of you that still want to, you can pray for a miracle. I don't see where there is a possibility for one, but I'm sure anyone that's experienced a miracle felt that way - otherwise it wouldn't really be a miracle. Right?

Thank you all for praying for us throughout this whole journey. Thank you for fighting along side of us in this, for helping to bear our burden. You have no idea the encouragement you all have been through this.

We will continue to keep you posted....