We’ve Got an Announcement to Make: ADOPTED

WE’VE GOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!! 🎉

It might not be the one you’d expect, but it DOES have to do with a BABY… my baby girl, to be exact. 😍

Austyn Elizabeth has OFFICIALLY been adopted!!!!

She OFFICIALLY has TWO daddies now…. Her sweet biological daddy in Heaven, Nick Magnotti, who stuck around as long as he POSSIBLY could. And, her amazing present daddy, Jay Galios, who fell in LOVE with her & STEPPED UP gladly to a commitment greater than almost ANY other. 🤗

This.
Is.
EVERYTHING.

… EVERYTHING!!! 💕

Being a solo* mom was one of the HARDEST things I have EVER had to do in my ENTIRE life. (Well, maybe it ties right up there with watching my husband and best friend slowly fade away…)

*Solo parenting means that there literally is no other parent AT ALL responsible for the child on the face of the planet. 🙅🏼

When Nick passed away & for two and a half years after, it was just me and my sweet baby girl. And while the challenge was ROUGH, to say the least, it also taught me sooo much about myself, about God’s love for us, AND it really showed me just how much of a FATHER & best friend that God can REALLY be.

Anyway, I digress… back to the story: When I met Jay, I wasn’t struggling. Not in the least. Not in any way. 🙆🏼

Financially… I was making good money working writing contracts. I had invested some of the insurance money Nick had left us and that was helping too so that I only had to work and have Austyn in school PART TIME.

Emotionally… I was FINALLY at a place of COMPLETE trusting in God. I had no worries or cares though I should have. I didn’t fret for the future. Or what would happen when the insurance money ran out… I was just living & ENJOYING every single day.

I was renting a house just four blocks away from Greenlake in Seattle. For those of you not familiar with the area, it’s an AMAZING little neighborhood, centered around a beautiful lake, surrounded by a green city park and fun little shops and restaurants. Just a five minutes drive from downtown. We had just moved back across the country from a sabbatical of sorts on the Gulf of Mexico. 🌴

And, I had found a perfect little 1,000 SF house for me and my just barely two year old. I had found a PERFECT Montessori school just a short five minute gorgeous drive around the lake.. And, my office was the CUTEST little local coffee shop. ☕️

I was LOVING LIFE.
And, I was committed to being the BEST single momma I could be.

I felt like I FAILED every single day at something (heck, I still do). 🤗

BUT, I was TRYING my absolute best &&& giving myself GRACE where I needed it.

So, things were GOOD. And I believed they would continue to get BETTER.

Because I FINALLY believed whole-heartedly in God’s goodness. ❤

I wasn’t a damsel in distress, by any means.
& I was fine with my lost-love-story.

I knew Nick was in Heaven. Doing miraculously well. So, I was going to be here. And do my damn best. I would make him, myself and GOD proud.

Then, Jay plopped into my life.

And everything CHANGED.

… for the even better!! 😍

This guy filled cracks that only GOD knew of… and where ONLY God knew what could be the GLUE. 💔❤️

I married Jay in June, that’s when Austyn started to call him “dad.” But, TRUTHFULLY, she stole his heart long before that. 😁

In August, Jay began the process of a step parent adoption. And, let me tell you, it WAS a PROCCCEEESSSS. 🙆🏼

We did it “pro se” (meaning we had no lawyer and did all the legal work ourselves). And, NOW I understand why lawyers get paid so much!! Holy smokes! This process was basically a part time job for me for MONTHS! 😮

Home visits, dr appointments, social worker interviews, court appointments, documents upon documents, paperwork galore, and, FINALLY, a hearing date. ☺️

Before a judge, Jay PROMISED to take full responsibility for Austyn as her father. To love her and care for her as if she was his own. 😌

My heart skipped a beat, you guys. Right there in that courtroom, SUDDENLY, I had something I had NEVER had.

An ENTIRE family; all THREE of us HEALTHY and VERY MUCH ALIVE. 👨‍👩‍👧

Jay and Austyn have a BEAUTIFUL relationship. One that I know will continue to grow and strengthen as time goes on. What an added blessing to know that Jay will be able to help me tell her all about Nick when she starts asking questions about her biological daddy.

Instead of choosing to be upset that she never got to know Nick in this life, I’m OVERJOYED that this little girl has not only ONE but TWO very committed, GENEROUS, loving and Godly daddies to look over her! ❤😁❤

When you have something to celebrate, you sing it from the ROOFTOPS & that’s what I’m doing now!!

GOD continues to bring:

BEAUTY from my ashes.
JOY from my sadness.
And a SONG from my heart.

FOREVER & EVER grateful for HIM & this crazy beautiful, broken family. For, in HIM, we are WHOLE. 💕

I will sing the Lords praise for He has been good to me!!! Psalm 13:6

#adoption #adoptionday #foreverfamily #stepparentadoption #grateful #blessed #onechildsworldchangedforever