final

We have lots of pictures of our trip to Utah for our finalization.... so I'm going to try to take it slowly, one day at a time, one post at a time. It was a great trip, we had amazing experiences, saw lots of family, and loved every minute. Will slept in until 10am the day after we got back.... just shows you how exhausted we are!

We arrived in Utah on Wednesday night. Spent the night with my sister and her family and woke up at 5am the next morning to get ready, get kids ready, pack our suitcases up (we stayed at a different house each night), eat breakfast, and drive up to Salt Lake.

We got to the courthouse and both our parents met us there, along with Liz and Devin who flew in the night before. We are so grateful for such wonderful, supportive parents. They do a lot for us and we are very lucky. It was also so fun to have Liz and Devin there. They had never met Eli, so it was fun to introduce them to our chunky man.

Just outside the courtroom, waiting to go inside. I've never in court before. It was pretty cool, very formal, and I had no idea what to expect. Our attorney said that the judge we had was very nice, but very formal and hardly ever smiled. So I was a little nervous. I didn't feel nervous about the finalization at all, I knew things were going to work out, I just had NO idea what to expect. I didn't know what they would ask us or say to us, in order to make our adoption final.

Once we got inside, we waited a while for the judge. He got there, we had to stand up and be sworn in. That was pretty cool, and intimidating. Then they called a "witness" from our agency to testify if all our paperwork, case worker visits, and family life were in order. They also asked her if she thought we would make fit parents to raise this child. Have you ever had someone testify if you are a fit parent? I'm just glad she doesn't see us at home, when all is falling apart about 4pm everyday while I'm pulling my hair out just trying to keep it together! :) Needless to say, she said she thought we should adopt Eli and make him a permanent member of our family. Whew.

Then they talked to Scott, and asked him all sorts of interesting questions. Like "Scott, do you want to adopt this child?" And "Do you feel like this is your child, is there a bond between the two of you?" Also "Do you want to allow your wife to adopt this child?" Of course he answered and expounded YES on all of these. They also asked us if we realized that if we make this adoption final that it means that Eli is ours for the rest of our lives, come what may, death, divorce, hard times, sickness, etc. That is a bit intimidating too, no one ever says that to you when you have a baby of your own making! :) They also said "You know he's going to turn 16 one day, and you'll be responsible for him, right?" That's when I suddenly got nervous thinking about raising ANY child when they are 16. After they asked Scott questions, they asked me the same questions. It was humbling and I couldn't help but be a little tearful answering them. They asked me the same things as Scott but also asked me if there was love in our family. Not just between Eli and me, but between all of us, big brother Will included. I was happy to say yes and that we were very happy.

Then it was the judge's turn to speak. He was very friendly, and very emotional. He said "I don't know why I'm emotional, but seeing this family, and seeing what a good thing is happening here makes me really emotional. There are a lot of not so wonderful things that happen in this courtroom and it is great to start the day with this experience." Then he "declared" our adoption final and let us take some pictures, shake his hand, and even told Will he could sit in his judges chair. Will said no.... of course! :)


It really was an amazing experience. I hadn't expected to feel any different after our finalization. I already knew Eli was ours, I knew I loved him, and I knew he was going to be part of our family always. But for some reason, after the finalization, I felt totally different. I loved him more, felt more connection, and felt closure. It was a great feeling.

Having been through adoption, I know that EVERY adoption is a miracle. It is the best thing that has ever happened to our family, and I wish everyone had the chance to experience it. You never know what love you are capable of until you receive a baby through adoption. We love you Eli and are so proud to be your parents.... even when you turn 16. We love you too Will! You did a great job in the courtroom, minding your manners and being so polite. You are a great big brother and Eli is lucky to have you!