Part 3...The Referral

For Parts 1 & 2 of the story, go here

Wednesday evening I left for Regina for a course for work. Funny enough, or great timing, the course was on "the neurological basis of attachment in children". I was super excited to take the course as I am privileged enough to work with children in my job and this was extremely relevant to my job as a physical therapist. So Thursday morning, the course started bright and early and I was super excited. Around 11:00 that morning the facilitator for the course gave me a note to call home as soon as possible. My heart immediately jumped to my throat as my grandma had been quite sick and recently in hospital. I thought something happened to her. So I was worried as I picked up the phone and dialed. My husband answered and I said hello and then he said hi. And then there was a pause and quietly he said something. I couldnt quite hear so I said "pardon me?"

" we have a son"

And time stood still. 

Only for a moment. And then my arms started flapping wildly and my feet jumping up and down. Not all on my own volition may I add! I calmed down enough to hear that he had received a call from our social worker that morning that we had a referral. He was about 9 months old and beautiful. My husband told me to try and find a computer so that I could read a little and see PICTURES! So I frantically ran around this rehab facility and found a computer that would let me on and print. I found one and he was gorgeous. 
By this time my colleagues were getting a little worried and it was lunch so I went back to the room where the course was. One of my colleagues (who amazingly and not coincidentally is a mom who has adopted herself) asked if everything is ok and I replied that we just received a referral for our son! I received a huge hug and lots of congratulations...
So through all this I am in another city from the rest of my family. I was blessed to be able to concentrate the rest of the day on the course & keep glancing and the pictures I had just printed off of my son! That evening, with both my husband and I on the phone and the kids on speaker phone, we gave them each a picture of their brother and told them that he was about to join our family. My husband took pictures of their response and I have never seen bigger smiles! As an aside, my little princess slept with that picture each and every night until he came home...so so sweet. So I still had 2 days of the course left, which was great but I could not wait to get home! Saturday night I returned home to a house full of people(mom & dad and my sisters and families we there) as the next day we were celebrating my husband's and little princess' birthdays (born on the same day 30 years apart). I walked right into my best friend's arms ( my amazing husband) and was overwhelmed and thankful that we got to be parents for the fourth time! The next morning, we signed the papers to officially accept the referral - what a great birthday present! And that was how we welcomed our precious fourth child into our growing family...

Many people ask us how long it took us? Suffice to say that it was a very short time between when we started the process and received the referral. It doesn't make sense practically, as the process often takes longer, but God knew what He was doing. His timing is always perfect and there are so many things in our experience that can only be attributed to His work in little man's life and in the life of our family!

Coming up next - Part 4...travel and in person! 

Blessings,
Candra