We get Anni

Soon after we moved here, the sister missionaries called and asked if I could drive one of their investigators to the church for a tour of the church building. When I got there, the woman also had a cute little two-month-old baby named Anjolena.  I started helping this woman get her feet on the ground; she had a lot of community service to do, check-ins with her probation officer and a million other things.  She was really looking for something and was excited about the church, but had so many hurdles to overcome! She was also incredibly difficult to deal with the majority of the time, but early on, while watching Anni, as the kids came to call her, I had a strong impression that I would have a lot to do with this baby's life.  Later, before I had even mentioned this to Shawn, he had the same impression.  SO I kept helping, thinking that the best thing I could do for this baby was to get her mom doing better with HER life.

Then in August,  Joleen, the mom, got a job.  Suddenly she had to work on Sundays and couldn't come to church.  She also stopped answering text messages and moved apartments.

On October 21st, after church I suddenly had a thought that I now know was the Holy Ghost.  I thought, "that's strange that Shawn and I were so sure that we would have a lot to do with Anni's life and we haven't even seen her for two months!"  I said as much to Shawn.  It was only 9:00, but we were exhausted and went to bed. At 10:00, I heard Shawn's phone buzzing.  I nudged him awake and he answered it just in time.  He listened for a little while and then asked me, "would we be willing to take Anni?  Her mom is in trouble."  I said yes, because the thought I had earlier had been a reminder and a preparation for what was coming! A case worker showed up at 10:30 with little almost-18 month- old Anni.  We were told that we would definitely have her for "a few days". We fed her and put her to bed and she slept like a log all night long. I thought, "this is going to be a breeze!"

The next night she wasn't as exhausted and she climbed right out of her play pen over and over again.  I thought about how she had slept right in bed with her mom her whole life, so I finally slept with her in Kami's bed.  She was so snuggly and had to have her arms around my neck or be right on top of me!

The next day was spent scrambling to find a car seat before it was time to go pick the kids up from school, but the CPS finally came through for us there by giving us a loaner carseat! When I got home from picking up the kids, the kids informed told me that Joleen, her mom, was on the front porch!  She told me that she was there to pick up her baby.  I have never worked with the CPS before, but I was pretty sure that she wouldn't be allowed to take Anni after what she had been through.  I texted Shawn and he got hold of a case worker who came to the house and talked to Joleen.  The case worker told us we would for sure have Anni for at least 10 days.  The next Friday there was a hearing and we were told that we would have her until December 4th.

We love her so much and have been enjoying every moment with her! (except for the many sleepless nights, and the fact that she has projectile vomiting pretty regularly while riding in the car-  but we are handling all that okay:)

Out for a walk:

I find all sorts of pictures of her on my phone every day:

Maddie sent me this picture after painting her toe nails; aren't those the cutest little feet?!??:

Anni's first dress-up Halloween! 

Heading out with Captain America and Iron Man to do some trick-or -treating!  Nolan wasn't too happy that he had basketball practice that night!  

First ever pig tails!:

personality pictures:

I could hardly get Anni to eat anything besides applesauce and milk.  The boys could get her to take bites by telling her to open her mouth, but she wouldn't do it for me!  I was always glad that they were home when it was time for her to eat!