News on Andrew & Kourtney

Yesterday we received a big brown envelope full of paperwork in the mail from Jerry & Betty's attorney.  We knew they'd located one & were getting things started for the custody transfer, but weren't sure how long it would take before we'd hear from the attorney.  I had anticipated this being a really hard thing emotionally...but I'm okay.  Really, I am.  I will always have a HUGE soft spot in my heart for the kids & will forever wish things had turned out differently.  Mother's Day will always be hard, as will other milestone dates that relate to the kids, but I am at peace with how things are.  I know God is running the show & things are as they are supposed to be.

The more than time passes, the more God has given me a greater understanding of things.  I guess I knew these things all along, but I'm understanding now what God had in store for us the whole time.  He had a plan & a purpose for mine & Larry's involvement with Andrew & Kourtney.  You see... the kids needed a place of security & stability immediately after their mom's death & their dad's imprisonment.  They needed a home, they needed boundaries & rules & lots of love & nurturing.  They needed "parents" who could fill a gap during a time of need.  There were a lot of needs there.  While I never planned on their stay being temporary, God had it all figured out from day 1 & knew that, when the time was right, He would have them move on.  But before doing that, He  needed us to show them HIM.  They were filled with Scripture, prayed over, annointed & blessed.  They were taught about God & church & praise/worship.  They were given a very clear path to Christ in our home.  They were given opportunities & were able to see what a 'normal' family operates like.  Now, please understand I am NOT tooting my horn.  I'm sure we fouled up plenty along the way, but we were able to serve the purpose God had in store for us by providing A&K a place of security during a very scary time in their lives.  Had they moved immediately to Jerry & Betty's house, their lives would be different today.  We may not know until eternity what difference we made in their lives, but I know that we were obediant to God & that He is pleased with what we did.  And really, that's all the reward I need---knowingthat He is pleased with me for obediance.

So anyway, we got the custody paperwork.  Larry will took it to the office today & ran copies of it all before signing it & putting it back into the mail to the lawyer.  Of course, it's not finalized yet, but it will be in a few more months.  At that time, I'm sure that Larry & I will make a quick trip to Victoria to go to court & make it all 'official', but for now, we can rest in knowing that the process has been started.

I wrote this letter to the kids a couple weeks ago.  It really does express how I'm feeling now.  (Since I've recently been asked that very question, I hope this answers it for those of you who've wondered.)

July 6, 2007

Andrew & Kourtney,

In February 2006, my family grew by 2 kids. (YOU TWO!) Right away, I wanted you to feel at home, to feel like you'd become a part of our family & our lives. I think we did an OK job of making sure you felt comfortable with us. But in the time it took to make you feel comfortable here, something else happened. I grew to love you guys like my own kids.

I dremt of Kourtney's dance recitals & her wedding day and the day that Andrew becomes an engineer or a bull rider (ha ha). Andrew, remember all the nights we spent snuggling in your bed, talking & reading books, acting silly & laughing? Of course I'm sure we'll both never forget "It's HOT in Topeka!" Kourtney, remember all the silly stories we made up together & all the nights you woke up & came to cuddle with me after a bad dream? Remember drawing pictures for your mom & tying them to balloons to float up to Heaven? Remember the cross we put up in Elkhart for your mom? Remember our neighbors--(i'm not including those kids' names here, but they were in the letter)? We have lots of good memories, don't we?

The truth is, I still love you both very much! My heart still hurts a little every time I think of all our happy memories together, but I know that God has a different plan for your lives & He's moved you to where He needs you to be. From what I hear, things are going great in Victoria & you have all sorts of fun things to do! (To tell ya the truth, I'm a little jealous about the trampoline!) Sure, I'm sad that you can't be here with us, but I am happy you are with your Uncle Jerry & Aunt Betty because that's a better place for you. Your mom would be so happy to know that you are living with her brother! Just like when you lived here, I'm sure there will be times when you wish you could go somewhere else, and that's ok, because deep down inside you know that Jerry & Betty love you with all their hearts and want what is best for you. And so do Larry & I and Pappaw Jim and Mammy and Mammaw and your dad and Aunt Debbie.

I loved the time that I got to share my home & my heart with you. Thank you for being my "kids" for the 13 months you were here. I will always be here for you, so feel free to call or write or email anytime. Jerry & Betty have our phone numbers & address, so just tell them when you want to get in touch and they'll help you find us one way or the other.

Now it's time for me to go, so give each other a great big hug for me & be sweet to Jerry and Betty and B (their son--I'm also not including his name here for privacy reasons). Tell your mom's parents HELLO for me the next time you see them and give them a big hug, too!

I'll write more later & tell you about what's going on here, but for now I just wanted to make sure you know that I love you and always will.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and make sure to write us at the end of the summer & tell us about what all you did!

LOVE YOU BUNCHES,

Aunt Liz

P.S. I have your boxes of stuff packed up & will ship them next week. (baby books, pictures & stuff from the drawers in my closet)