Monday, February 23, 2015

the one where she comes home

A year and a half ago I heard some news that made me stop writing.  A record scratched, and there was a long silent pause, a flurry of activity while we all tried to fix the record, and then we lifted the arm on the record player while the record wobbled to a stop, and all was quiet.  Recently, out of the blue, the music started playing again.  Now we have a story to tell.  Because the song that started up was a really good one.  Today will be a synopsis, and then I will add a little more over time.  When you are dealing with a child or the grown ups in these situations you are not allowed to talk about it.  And if I couldn't talk about this particular situation I really didn't have much to say about anything.  This will probably release more words than people have a threshold for hearing.  You might roll your eyes and laugh thinking, "why does this lady think we all care about her story?" I will tell you exactly why.  The days and years of my life have taught me that life is hard, and life is beautiful.  And through it all we have a Mighty God.  And He is Good.  While bad things have happened, continue to happen, and will go on happening His goodness is unchanging.  And spoiler alert: out of this goodness He is the original author and creator of two of my favorite words.  I bet they are two of your favorite words as well. Redemption. Restoration. And those two things make for a pretty good story. Here is ours.

Some of my friends and I are on a group text that chimes all day.  One of these friends might come out of a meeting to find she has missed thirty texts.  Some days are quieter, but this is our form of communication.  Whenever my phone starts going off Jake brings me the phone without looking and says, "it's the girls." We say things all day long by text, but we never call or email.  This is our way.  One evening my friend called me.  Which was worrisome. I said, "hey; what's going on?' in a pleasant voice.  She said, "are you home?' in the way people talk to you when they know things that are about to Change Things.

Twenty minutes later this group of friends assembled in my living room.  I could not imagine what was coming since all of this group was in attendance. Had someone died? That impacted me more than them? I couldn't imagine what they knew that was so important to break to me as a unit.  My friend who had called took a breath and said she had gone to a soccer game that day.  And as she walked over to her son's assigned field she saw Waverley on the sidelines.  My heart started that hard, slow beat that makes it hard to hear over. My brain quickly scanned for a reasonable explanation.  She was there with a friend? To watch a family member? This was a big deal but not the kind of deal to make their faces look like this.  I couldn't find the right solution. I knew I was wrong, but I couldn't get there fast enough... My friend took another breath and said that Waverley was there with a family my friend knew well.  And they were Waverley's foster parents.

Physical reactions are odd.  Because I know it can't be true.  But I swear to you my heart slammed a few last erratic beats and then dropped in increments into the pit of my stomach where it laid heavy and hurting and weighing one hundred pounds.  I blinked and then I cried.  And we all cried. For a very long time.  Do you know? Do you know how much has to happen before a child will be removed from her home? Do you know? Do you know that every day after Waverley left our house (but never our family — she was always in my family) that this was what I feared? That there were things going on in that place that would make authorities forcibly pull a child from a house and give her to strangers?

Jake came into the room from putting the children to bed.  I said, "Wavy's in foster care." He hugged me tight as I cried and said, "we have to try to go get her." He assured me, "We will. We will. We will do everything we can.  We will go fight for her." And in that moment the man who loved me and our children claimed Waverley as his own too and became her father.

It was October of 2013. We called our lawyer who referred us on to someone more specialized in what we were needing.  Side note: there is no actual such person.  No one we encountered has handled or known of a situation like ours. A situation where parents fight to keep a child in the child's loving home, but then birth parents fight to have the child and then lose that child to the state because of their gross conduct, and then the adoptive family tries to parent again.  If you were wondering if this is common - the answer is no.

Now here is a topic for another post but an important detail to share at this time.  No one had contacted us about Waverley, and no one was going to.  We had raised her for two and a half years.  Brought her home from the hospital. Changed every one of her diapers, put her to bed every night, and loved her more than anything on this earth.  But we were not blood relatives so they did not approach us at all.  They did however, decide to contact Wave's birth mother and see if she would come back and get involved.  Her birth mother had not parented Waverley at all.  She did not live in the state of Kansas.  She had not kept in contact with the birth father or Waverley at any point.  But she was the state's one and only solution.  Now thank goodness she was a loving and capable person.  She is the actual representation of a birth parent in an adoption situation who is selfless and loving towards a child she knows she is not in a place, for whatever reason, to parent.  This is not a story where I glorify adoptive parents and slam birth parents.  If you take it as such you are mistaken.  That is not our opinion or position.  We are against a specific man and his mother who dragged a child to hell and back so that they could lay claim on a child they were unfit to love or parent in any way. 

Waverley's birth mother came into town to do whatever she needed to do to help Wave.  We were able to obtain Interested Party Status because of our history with Waverley.  This status allowed us to go to any and all court dates and have access to all information in the case.  It also positioned us to be considered to have custody of Waverley in the future depending on what happened in her case.  Whenever a child is taken into custody the parent is given a plan of tasks needed to accomplish for the child to reintegrate back into her parent's home.  The grievousness of the original cause for removal and the success with which the parent completes this plan determines the child's future. In the mean time some plans are worked on for what the state will do with the child should they not be able to reintegrate her back into her home.  From the beginning, it was clear that it was a long shot that Wavy would go back to live with her birth father.  She was in foster care, and despite how horrible that was, and despite all of the horror I knew she must have lived through, I slept better than I had since she had left knowing that she was safe.  I knew she was with someone my friend loved and trusted.  This gave me some measure of peace.  At the same time, poor Waverley.  My poor, sweet, innocent, little baby girl.  All that she had gone through.  All that she would continue to go through.  This broke me in a way I don't know that I will ever recover from.  I was so glad she was safe, but my darkest fears for her had been realized and confirmed.  I burn inside at the negligence of a court system that was desperate to protect the "rights" of a man who did not have to prove to even one person that he could safely care for a little girl.  I burn inside over a justice system that watches vigilantly over the needs of a grown man fully capable of making his own choices and living with their natural consequences but turns a blind eye to the needs of a vulnerable child who has no say in her own life.  For the moment, I knew Waverley's needs were being met, but was desperate before God to know that she would be able to overcome all of the grief and loss she had been dealt.

We were eager to talk to Waverley's birth mother and figure out what she was here to do.  Was she just in town to advocate for her birth daughter? Was she wanting to parent? If so would it change things for her to know that we wanted to parent?  We soon found out that Wave's birth mom did, in fact, want to parent.  When the court had ruled in favor of Waverley's birth father four years before it had nullified the birth mother's relinquishments of rights.  So this young woman had every legal right to parent.  In the eyes of the court blood trumps all.  Even if we protested and made a case for ourselves it was one hundred per cent clear to us: birth mom would parent at the end of the day, and all that we would have accomplished was dragging things out longer for Waverley.  She would be caught in the middle.  It would keep her from getting to her next, and last, forever family.  My hopes of parenting her again were painfully taken from me.  Again.  I kept thinking of the concept that we were made from dust and to dust we shall return.  It felt like I was just a paper shell over a heap of hot dust, blowing around inside of my empty body.  I wondered if this would be the loss that I was not able to come back from.  Even though I had a beautiful family — a loving husband who means the world to me and two of the dearest children the world has ever known, I couldn't be appropriately grateful for them.  Or present to them.  I was dust.  Just waiting to return to more dust.

I had one more conversation with Waverley's birth mom.  Did she know we wanted to parent? She said yes.  Did she know I was desperate to be Waverley's mom again and would love her with my whole heart? She did.  She wanted to parent.  That's all there was to it.  She was sympathetic to me, but her choice was unwavering.  There would be no changing her mind.  So we came along side of her and did any small thing we could to help her get to Wave faster.  It was still slow going.  Wave remained in foster care until the summer of 2014.  Then she came home to her birth mother.  Waverley loves her birth mother in a deep, deep way.  She refers to her lovingly as Mom.  Her birthmom was a mother to her by choice.  She wanted Wave and chose her when she didn't have to. She was committed to parenting her.  

At the exact same time that Waverley permanently joined her birthmother's family, that family began to unravel.  This young woman faced some serious losses that changed the pending plans they had made and the direction their family would take.  The birth mother began to struggle.  What had under previous circumstances been a family she was eager to have now seemed like more than she could manage.  We did not know this was going on.  One day my father in law felt compelled to reach out to the birth mother's mother.  They did not have an ongoing relationship but had met during the course of all that had happened several years before.  Waverley's birth grandmother said her daughter was not doing well and might want to talk to us.  She set up a time for her daughter and my father in law to meet to talk about talking to us.  I made that last sentence ridiculous on purpose.  If something was going on with Wave's family and they might need me I was cutting to the chase and reaching out.  I texted Wavy's birth mom to please call or text me when she could.  She called me and explained what was going on.  We asked her to come over that night after we had all put our kids to bed and talk more. She informed us that she no longer felt like she could adequately parent Waverley.  However, her lawyer had advised her that she couldn't really do anything about it for some reasons I won't get into here.  We loved our lawyer and asked if we could get him to weigh in on the matter.  She said yes.  

I just said we love our lawyer.  As you might imagine, the reason that we feel this way is because he had a solution.  I am not going to go into that part.  I don't think it would hold your interest.  Over the next few weeks we met with lawyers and counselors and professionals in both encouraging and ridiculous appointments.  Jake was in his element.  If you need someone to take care of something, you just call my husband.  He handles problems and overcomes issues like a super hero in a business suit.  We needed to be Waverley's parents again, and if someone was going to make it happen at this specific point in time it was him.  And then one day, just like that, on a day that was just a day, it was decided.  There was an official plan.  And that plan was for Waverley to come home.  To us.  She was Coming Home.

I saw Waverley for the first time since the worst day of my life in October of 2014. Four years had passed since we learned we were losing her.  That encounter produced more words than I have time for here.  So I will just say that I saw her.  Take a second and imagine how wild that was.  How dream-like that felt.  How amazing and how complicated.  How much I missed Matt.  In December she came home for good.  As of last week most things were wrapped up legally.  She has a room in my house.  She goes to school each weekday and comes straight home to me.  She has a booster seat in my car.  She has a place at our table.  I know her again and can tell you things she likes and doesn't like.  She calls Harper her sister and Everett her brother.  She asks Jake to pray for her each night.  She tells me she loves me.

Of all of the things I missed when we lost Waverley, it was the little things that cut the deepest.  One killer in particular was catching sight of my children in the back seat when I looked in the rear view mirror and feeling a sharp pain at not seeing her face.  I will tell you what I never take for granted these days.  Every time I look in that mirror and see three faces I remember to thank God and relief floods over me. Making something new happen inside of me.  The dust settles and a garden starts to grow in place of those ashes.  Interestingly, Wave reveals things from her time away from us the most often in the car.  She will say something that will make us catch our breath or cry hot tears and say, "Oh honey. No one should ever have that happen and we are so so sorry." Usually when we say that she looks at us with still, serious eyes and nods slightly.  She weighs our words and we don't  know how much she trusts what we say to be true yet.  The other day after church Harper was talking about our old red Volvo station wagon.  Waverley has hardly any memories of her life with us from before she left, but she remembers that car.  "That's the car you took me to (birthdad's name)'s house in." These words are accurate and they kill me.  That she remembers this is one of the worst truths in my life. 
"Wavy that's true," I said with the saddest sounding voice. "And I promise you that was the worst thing I have ever had to do.  I would never, never, never have done that if I had had a choice," I explain desperately again.  And what a shitty explanation for a kid.  Aren't parents' whole job protecting their children? How can this be? "I am so so sorry, Sweet Love."  She looks at me with huge, sad, brown eyes.  She smiles slightly. 

"Well.  I'm glad I'm home now."


53 comments:

Kelsey said...

Oh I have been waiting for this post, Molly. And here I am crying all over again for anger and joy and gratitude and relief and sorrow and awe. I will read every word you ever write because you have a hard and good and important story to tell and you tell it honestly and beautifully. Wavy is home! Words too sweet to believe! Love to you.

Mira's mom said...

Wow! Wow! I don't know you, but have been following you story since before you lost Waverly. So many nights have I prayed for you guys. I can't count the times over the past few years God has brought you and Waverly to mind and I have prayed. I actually saw you and Harper and your little boy at Target on 119th back in October or early November..not sure which and my heart literally stopped. I wanted to come up and introduce myself and tell you that I was praying for you guys and thinking about you still. It just felt too weird and I didn't want to bring up painful thoughts. I wish I would have now. Molly, I am happy for you guys! I know there will be things to work through and I am sad Waverley had to go through some tough things, but I am so glad she is home. God is working an amazing beautiful story for her. Precious sweet girl, so loved and so lifted before the Throne of Grace by so many. Molly thank you for sharing. I will continue to pray and I know God will continue to bring healing and redemption. Hugs and love to you!

Sally Suzanne said...

Incredible. Just incredible. Wow. Thanks for putting this story down for us to experience. Wow.

Cara said...

I haven't seen you in years. I have never met your children. But your story inpacted me so much that I have never stopped praying for you and your family. I didn't know I was waiting for this story. I thought it had ended with a permanent "The End"...at least here on earth. But WAVERLY IS HOME and it wasn't the end and how, how...there is not word for how wonderful that is! Like everyone else, I will soak up every word you write because wow, what a hard and horrible and beautiful story!

wildirishrose said...

What a wonderful chapter to your story! Glad she is finally home!

Jenny said...

So beautiful! My heart dropped and rose again! You are such a strong lady, momma, wife! Nothing but admiration for you Molly!

Emily said...

Molly, you probably don't remember me, but I've read your words ever since you started writing on here and a mutual KSU friend shared your blog with me. I'm crying tears of awe right now. What a miraculous journey, only God could write it. Thank you SO much for sharing it. Made my night... actually, way more than that!!!

chris and diane said...

through all of the pain, this is still amazing and beautiful. thank you so much for sharing your story with all of us. i am praising God so much for His redemption here. He is mysterious and glorious. have never stopped praying and will continue to pray for healing for everyone. i look forward to seeing years from now how He has continued to redeem and turn ashes into beauty.

Unknown said...

Molly, there are no words, only tears of joy to express the immeasurable awe I feel after reading this post. My heart is overjoyed for all of you! I have not stopped praying for Waverley or you over the years. God has faithfully kept you both on my heart. I will continue to pray for healing & wholeness in the months & years to come. ~Christina

Anonymous said...

Amazing story. I don't know how I first found your blog and today, for some strange reason, I thought about it.
I could not remember the name and then it came to me...seeing that post dated today gave me chills. Truly wonderful story, thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord,I am so thankful for You hearing all our prayers for Waverly! She has been preserved until this great time of being with her forever family!
You, the expert on healing and protecting, will continue to do just that for her and her entire family. I thank You for Jake and his character that so resembles Yours as a man who exhaustively pursues his own until she is safe. Praise the King of kings!!!!
Lord, I love you so much and it's in your entirely competent name I pray. Amen

Anonymous said...

I have been thinking about you so often as we are currently falling in love with a little guy in foster care. Such a broken system that causes so many fears for me for him. I've been struggling with doubt that our Mighty God is big enough to protect these sweet children. I don't understand why life is so full of suffering along the way but so often like in your story God shows up and restoration happens when we least expect it. I will continue to fear for him, advocate for him and love my heart right out for him...your story is such a testament and one that doesn't still all my fears, but gives me great HOPE that God never ceases to work and bring restoration. Knowing that waiting for that will be deeply painful and feeling unsure of how much I might see...but it is not in vain because God is at work! Thank you so much for sharing your story. We will continue to pray for your family as God continues to work!

Luke & Tamra said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your story. I started following your family's story when our family was becoming licensed for foster care and you were losing your battle to keep Waverly in your family. I wept over the thought of losing a child (Waverly is the same age as our oldest daughter) and I wept for the children who might come into our home through foster care and the brokenness that would be their stories. A mutual friend recently told me that your worst fear had come true and that she had to be placed in a foster home. I checked your blog hoping and praying to read that through God's miraculous grace she had come home to you. What an incredible story of God's restoration and redemption. Thank you for sharing the pain and the joy of your story. Praying God will continue to bring complete healing to your family and your precious little girl.

Vanessa said...

I know I've said it on Instagram but I could not be more thrilled for you all! I've prayed so much for that little girl over the years. At the same time I have prayed for you & Matt, and then you & Jake. My heart hurts for the years you were apart but I think of God's word that says He will restore the years the locust has eaten. Praise God for redemption and restoration! I will continue to pray for you all!

Unknown said...

We go to church with Brian and Vicki...and we've followed you through this journey as well as prayed along side so many others as you have gone through unimaginable heartache and equally unimaginable joy. I have read all your posts and will continue to read as long as you continue to share. And thank you for letting those of us who only know you by association, tag along...God bless your family, now and always.

JulieA said...

Your words bring tears of joy!! I don't know you, but our family has prayed for you over the past several years. What sweet, sweet news of Jesus' restoration in your life. Thanks for sharing! Excited to hear more... hugs to you!

annieglan said...

HOLY SHIT!!!! I AM SOBBING!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR SWEET DAUGHTER. God loves you with something fierce and I just can't get over this. This was my worst nightmare when we lost our son. I am so so so so happy. Thank you Lord!

Linnea said...

Oh my goodness. God is so good. I'm so happy she is with you and so sad for all the loss she has experienced because the judge made the wrong choice all those years ago. Praise God she is home. How is Harper?
Be blessed
Ashlee

Anonymous said...

I have been praying and following your story since you were in court as well. I'm so thrilled for you and your family!
I will continue to pray for healing for Waverly, and all of you!

Cari said...

I love this and hate it of course and love it all again. I can't believe it but of course I do because of course God is so good. I read it last night and then again today just to try to wrap my mind around it. I think we will all always care about this story. I know I will. I am looking forward to hearing more, and I'm thrilled for you guys. What a huge sigh of relief to know that Waverly is home now.

Meredith said...

this story reminds me that there is a God who is in the business of redeeming and restoring the most broken horrifying teeth-chattering situations. your word pictures of His glory are so Beautiful.

Mimianders said...

You don't know me, but we are in the same family. The family of God. And I am rejoicing with you, as I have sobbed with you and raged with you over the years of this journey. Words cannot express the joy in my heart as I picture your family made complete by the addition of Waverley, again, and for the last time, finally! We share mutual friends, but most of all we share Jesus and to Him I am eternally grateful for His redemption and restoration, provision and protection.

the mom~ said...

My heart is swollen after reading this. I am SO glad the Lord has chosen YOU and Jake to be Wavy's parents. In HIS timing, but man isn't that hard to learn?!

KM Angel said...

Thank you for the update! Welcome home Waveryly!! God is good, all the time!

Anonymous said...

Having followed your journey from when you first learned Waverly might removed from your and Matt's home, saying I cried with your latest post would be a colossal understatement. I will be forever in awe of our mighty God and his completely unexpected path for redemption and restoration in you and Waverly's life. Unbelievable!

Anonymous said...

The Lord taketh and giveth. I'm so very very happy for you that you are finally on a giveth streak!

nikki said...

Ironically, I was just on your blog a few days back-reading old entries-I just love the way you write-and I always hope that there will be a chance to hear something new....but I never imagined this update. So, so glad that wavy is back...right back where she should be. Praying for her healing--and so grateful she'll be doing it in your arms.

Anonymous said...

Molly- my heart is overjoyed and rejoicing for you!!! I am so glad that our God is a God of redemption and restoration, and that Waverly is finally HOME!!!!
<Megan Adams

brit said...

I am seriously speechless. I am sitting here at work just...speechless and finding myself saying over and over again, I can't believe it! God is so good! I thought I saw Waverly with you guys at church but didn't say anything because I thought she must be a friend of Harpers and how insensitive to bring up the fact that Harper has a friend that looks like exactly like Waverly. I am truely stunned and so, so happy for you and your family. man, God is good and the story of Redemption is NEVER over. Praise God, SHE'S HOME!

brit said...

also, you have GOT to write a book. you have a STORY of REDEMPTION that everyone should read. and on a completely technical level, you are a fantastic writer and story teller. :)

Anonymous said...

I am an adoptive mommy in Kansas and have followed your blog for years.,I am crying tears of joy for you and your family right now! This is so amazing, I have no words! God is good. Congratulations on having your sweet baby girl back!

lovejoy_31 said...

OMG!!! I absolutely can't believe what I am reading. Praise God for he is Good!!!! So very happy for you

Jinny Newlin said...

What an amazing story, Molly! Praise the Lord! You are so blessed! God has given you such great treasures. Keep your eyes on Him! Hugs!

Auntie Mip said...

Dear Molly,

I have spent the better part of the last 24 hours trying to put words to my feelings on this extraordinary turn of events. After all, I am a stranger to you. It is funny, a random, rainy Seattle Saturday surfing the web led me here. I honest to God have no idea how I landed here. But I did. And your fight for Waverly had just begun. And I prayed. And you lost her. And I wept with you.

You see I am a pediatric oncology nurse. I see children ripped from loving families at the hands of a vicious disease every day. So this, THIS, I could not comprehend. I was outraged. I wept bitter tears. To me was far worse than the death. As believer, when your child dies you have faith that they are safe in the arms of a loving savior. Not here. Not this time. I prayed for your family. Again. Continuously.

Then Matt. My God how could this happen? This family that had already suffered far too much was being plunged to the depths again. I prayed for you and Harper and Matt's family. I prayed. Again. Continuously.

Your posts slowed. While I was disappointed I would not get to hear how you and Harper were doing, I understood. I am a stranger. A voyeur even. I felt a lot of good, old fashioned Catholic guilt over that. It was so selfish on my part. I had no right to know how you were doing. I continued to check in occasionally and I continued to pray. For your daughter. For your broken heart. Again. I prayed. Continuously.

Then one day a new post. New love. A new chance at happiness. I was grateful for redemption and the hope I felt for your little family. I was glad you were "running" towards it. I was cheering you on. Silence again as you began this new chapter and then a new post. A wedding and a miracle baby boy. I could not believe what I was reading. I was overjoyed for you all. For this little boy who had come into a family that was so ready to burst with joy. Who had earned that joy by grieving deeply yet, remaining faithful. How you remained faithful is beyond comprehension. I hope to God, if tested even one tenth as you were, I will rise to the challenge. I prayed. Again. For your new family. For Matt's family as they welcomed this new man and baby into their love and life. I prayed. Again. Continuously.

And Waverly. Throughout it all I prayed for Waverly. Again. I prayed. Continuously.

This time I was not in the least surprised you were no longer posting. This new chapter of your life begged for forward momentum. Perhaps this little blog had served its purpose. This future so brimming with life it did not need to connect to the hard work that led you there. But life doesn't work like that does it? We are all inexorably connected to our past. And for good reason. How foolish and fatalistic of me to think that chapters close and new ones begin. Chapters are linked, perpetual, a simple continuation of the same story. So why should I be surprised to make that casual, check-in click on my Wavybel bookmark and find a new post, "The One Where She Comes Home"?

It is as clear to me today as it was on that random, rainy Seattle Saturday when I first found you that she is meant to be yours. I will never understand the heartbreaking chapters that led to the latest plot twist. But, I will always believe that He was there all along. Guiding. Comforting. Redeeming. Saving. I believe with all that I am that He and Matt orchestrated this latest chapter in a story I hope to continue reading.

Molly, I apologize if this note is too long or too much. This real life story is the stuff books and movies are made of. It is a story that needs to be told. It is the story of perseverance, guts, love and as you so eloquently said, redemption and restoration. I am over the moon happy for your family. All of them. Parents, In Laws, siblings, cousins and friends. And for everyone who has ever said one single prayer for the love of Waverly.

Jacksprat said...

If my kids weren't upstairs sleeping right now, I'd be jumping up and down screaming and yelling. HOW AWESOME IS OUR GOD?!?!?!?!?

Anonymous said...

A tragic love story unfolds with only the magic GOD can give. My heart has been burdened for Wavy in such a way words can't describe. I keep thinking about what looks like a mound of ashes turning into a beautiful rose garden and how Matt must have been pleading with GOD Himself to have Wavy return HOME. Thank you opening your heart.

Anonymous said...

I've checked your blog a few times over the past year or so, wondering how your family is doing. To come on today and read this post was the best part of my day. I don't know you but your story has touched my heart so much. My family are Christians and a foster family, so your story is particularly moving to me. I am so incredibly thrilled for you! God is so faithful.

-Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

As others have said, thank you for sharing your story! I used to read your blog and feel so much pain and shock in your words, and then joy when you wrote about remarrying and having a sweet baby boy. Your blog is bookmarked on my browser, and, every once in a while I'd click on it, hoping for an update. Today I got my wish, and what a glorious update it is! I'm so happy for you, and I don't even know you. I'll click on your blog more often now.:)

Chris, Renae & Annie said...

Every now and then I check back in to see what God has written in your story. And after a long hiatus from any blog reading, today I had a chance to read and catch up a bit.

And oh how God has written! Happy tears and Holy Spirit chills all over the place! So thankful God brought your dear girl home!

Georgia Damalas Snodgrass said...

Wow...I randomly saw this post today and I am in shock. Shock filled with JOY!!! What a hard road, but what a beautiful ending. Thanking the Lord for blessing your family and your faithfulness to Him! Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!

Anonymous said...

Oh. My. Jesus. I think my heart just stopped beating. I was randomly thinking of Waverly today and decided to come and see if you'd written anything new. I cannot believe this!!! Praise God!! Please, please write more if you are so inclined. I am so thrilled beyond words that Wavy is home!

Unknown said...

i'm not sure we've ever met, but we have a ridiculous number of good friends in common so i have known and followed your story for quite some time. Facebook just started sending me "people you may know" notices that include you :) so i thought i'd check your blog for the first time in a while today to see if there was any news in your life...and oh my goodness, my heart is so full of joy for you right now!! thank you for sharing your story. it is important and should be shared for all who are seeking a glimpse at His redemption at work. i am just so thrilled for you and your family! i hope our paths will cross in person one day! xo

Auntie Mip said...

I want to wish you a Happy Mother's Day with ALL your babies home.

I am a stranger to you. I have no earthly clue how I came upon your blog all those years ago when your fight for this girl, YOUR girl, first began. I found you, and I stayed. And I prayed. Oh I prayed. And she was taken anyway. And I grieved a system that turned its back on a child. And I grieved for you, your family, everyone who fought for this little girl.

I stayed. At times it felt voyeuristic, wrong. Your grief was so raw and palpable and I felt as though I was intruding on something private and sacred. But I stayed. And Prayed.

I remember clearly coming home from a trip abroad. "Checking in" as I routinely did every week or two. I couldn't believe what I was reading. Matt? How is this possible? How cold my loving God ask so much of you? Take so much from you?
Your faith was that of a mustard seed. And if you could have that strength and assurance in God, who was I to question.

The posts slowed, then magic. New love. Happiness. A new, blended family for Harper. God shows up right? And in such big ways. A baby. A healthy pregnancy and baby years after giving that dream up. Shows up BIG indeed.

Posts slowed. Though I missed your little slice of life, I knew your were moving forward. It was good. He was good. He redeemed. So to randomly check in, months later and see She was home was unimaginable. While I long to know more of the story, I understand the need to keep close. The fear that it is too good to be true must at times be unbearable. But it is true. And tomorrow you will wake up a Mother to 3. And I will pray at Mass once again for this little family I feel like I know and am so very grateful for.

Mira's mom said...

Can I just be honest and say I check back daily. I want to hear more of this amazing story.

Stacy said...

oh my gosh!!! I cant believe it. I googled Waverly after seeing an article about a similar situation. I hadn't been on your blog since loosing my computer and its bookmarks to lightening 1 1.2 years ago. I am so glad W is back home and I am beyond sad that the journey back to you was the result of something so dark. I look forward to checking in again. Peace to you and her.

Amy Cain said...

OH SWEET MOLLY! In series of weird events, I ended up at your blog tonight. I sit here tears continuing to stream down my face, and it's been over an hour that I first read this post, and I have re-read it and re-read, trying to get my mind wrapped around this... A multitude of emotions (all clumped together, from heartbreak to anger to disbelief to elation and hope). But mostly, as I process, I will hold on to the JOY I feel knowing that Wavy is back in your arms with her family and being loved and cared for by you. I will echo Waverley's words: I'm glad she's home now.

I'm seriously out of words... This. This Story. Oh Molly. Redemption and Restoration: I will continue to pray for your family and all that this means. Love you, Molly.

Anonymous said...

I really wish you would keep writing!

Kristen G said...

Here it is August, and after spending a day in Kansas City I thought about sweet Waverly. Came home and thought, I wonder if Molly has updated her blog. I hadn't visited in awhile and knew the last time had been back in October. So here I am, and I am jumping for JOY at how good GOD is! From Him Whom ALL BLESSINGS FLOW! I just couldn't believe my eyes when I read the title! Please update us soon. I'm dying to see a NEW family photo with you and Jake and your three babes!!!

Anonymous said...

Please, could you write an update. I've been thinking of you and wondering how I can best pray for you and your family now. I only know you through this blog, but it feels Iike much more of a relationship than that.

Also, I wanted to say that as a "mother -in-law" THANK YOU for doing that hard, scary thing to take the trip wih Matt's mom. I can only imagine how much it meant to her, even if she didn't convey it. I'm afraid I don't always convey my feelings very well, and I'm trying to do a better job of that. Kudos to you for that!

Hoping to read something from you when you get a spare moment to write on the blog.

Kristen G said...

Please... Pretty please update us!!!!!

Unknown said...

I don't know what prompted me to check your blog tonight.... I did EVERY SINGLE DAY for months and months... and tonight, I will be going to bed with pure elation that Wavy came home!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!! Now blog more! We need more to this happy ending! <3

chris and diane said...

Hi Molly!
i have no idea if my previous comment actually went through or if the form reset, so i'll post it again. :) hi! i've been thinking about you guys a lot lately - how have wave and your family been doing?

- Diane

Kristen G said...

I keep thinking one of these days when I click on your blog there will be an update! Wish I even know HOW I got connected to your blog in the first place because I read like a grand total of 4 blogs on a regular basis. I've invested a lot of thoughts and prayers in your family. I know that God is good. Redemption wins! Can't wait for an update!