A different kind of Father's Day
Today is my husbands 6th Father's day.
In 2011 we had our first long term foster care placement (Tashari).
In 2012 we had two foster kids (Tashari & Charlie).
In 2013 we had recently adopted Tashari & we still had our foster son (Charlie).
In 2014 we had recently adopted Charlie, so we were officially the parents of two.
Last year (in 2015) we took placement of three foster kids unexpectedly in addition to our two adopted kids.
This year, he is officially the father of all 5 of our kids.
It is simply amazing to look back at how God has worked in our lives over the past six years.
As I look back at each Father's Day & I think of Ben as a dad, all of these memories are the same. I saw Ben love each of the kids as his own. Each Father's day, I've celebrated him because he has been a baba (daddy) to each kid we've met. He was a baba to our first placement who was gone too soon, to the baby girl we prayed for who never came & even to the respite kids we loved along the way. He has loved each one selflessly.
He held each of them as he may not have tomorrow - often knowing he may not. He's tickled them until they've peed their pants (literally). He has been a human sprinkler - hosing them down as they run around on hot summer days. He has spent hours & hours playing with them - from legos to catch to chasing them around park after park. He has chosen kindness and love.
Instead of accepting the brokenness, he chooses to fight for his kids. He has learned from therapists to learn how to love kids who don't want or know how to be loved. He has held his adopted children as they've punched him in the face and told him they'll never love him. He has refused to believe the lies from their trauma.
To the man that has sacrificed himself & his idea of a perfect family to allow broken kids to know what it means to be loved unconditionally is the guy my kids get to call daddy. It is my honor and privilige to stand by his side. Happy Father's Day Ben. We all love you to pieces. Keep being you. xoxo
In 2011 we had our first long term foster care placement (Tashari).
In 2012 we had two foster kids (Tashari & Charlie).
In 2013 we had recently adopted Tashari & we still had our foster son (Charlie).
In 2014 we had recently adopted Charlie, so we were officially the parents of two.
Last year (in 2015) we took placement of three foster kids unexpectedly in addition to our two adopted kids.
This year, he is officially the father of all 5 of our kids.
It is simply amazing to look back at how God has worked in our lives over the past six years.
As I look back at each Father's Day & I think of Ben as a dad, all of these memories are the same. I saw Ben love each of the kids as his own. Each Father's day, I've celebrated him because he has been a baba (daddy) to each kid we've met. He was a baba to our first placement who was gone too soon, to the baby girl we prayed for who never came & even to the respite kids we loved along the way. He has loved each one selflessly.
He held each of them as he may not have tomorrow - often knowing he may not. He's tickled them until they've peed their pants (literally). He has been a human sprinkler - hosing them down as they run around on hot summer days. He has spent hours & hours playing with them - from legos to catch to chasing them around park after park. He has chosen kindness and love.
Instead of accepting the brokenness, he chooses to fight for his kids. He has learned from therapists to learn how to love kids who don't want or know how to be loved. He has held his adopted children as they've punched him in the face and told him they'll never love him. He has refused to believe the lies from their trauma.
To the man that has sacrificed himself & his idea of a perfect family to allow broken kids to know what it means to be loved unconditionally is the guy my kids get to call daddy. It is my honor and privilige to stand by his side. Happy Father's Day Ben. We all love you to pieces. Keep being you. xoxo
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