Summer Days: Annika

We have a brand new niece named Annika. She is precious and her arrival was anything but ordinary. She was born on July 4th, and became part of our family two days later. Her birth mother selflessly chose to give her up for adoption after the passing of her husband and some other sad personal circumstances. She placed her with the agency and left it up to them to determine who would be the best parents for her. And so my sweet and deserving sister Jill got a precious new baby.
Sounds simple right? With all the horrible adoption stories floating around out there, this one certainly seems to be a miracle. And there is no arguing that it was anything less. However, the several months leading up to this happy ending were the complete opposite. Two different potential adoptions and families that selected Jill and Steven to be their parents, and twice there was a heartbreaking turn of events. My sister shares more details of everything that occurred on her blog  if you are interested. But for me it suffices to say that it was a long spring for our family, and without the little mercy arrival of Annika, we would still be recovering from the drama. I don't usually get churchy on my blog, and those who know me well will attest that it is a rare occurrence that I publicly advertise my beliefs... but this experience helped confirm my faith in an all knowing God above who truly does know us and bless us with the things we need in the season we need them. Miracles can happen in life, I really do believe in that. And our sweet little Annika will always be one of ours. Welcome to the family little lady!