It was only a couple weeks ago, my sister called to say that we will be welcoming a new member of the family just in a matter of weeks. For those of you who don't know (which is pretty much everyone), my sister and husband are unable to have biological children. Through a mountain of prayer, they felt lead down the road of adoption. If you know Jenn and Jonathan, you are fully aware at how loveable they are so we knew it wouldn't take long for a birth mom to pick them to raise her child. Had a couple close calls but in the end it was T who chose them to raise our little Bennett.
Now almost two years has passed, and Jenn and Jonathan have decided it was time to start their adoption journey again. Much to their surprise, they were called last week because T was preggers again and wanted them to raise her child. They were only given 24 hours to decide which I would have freaked out about. But they remained calm and collected as usual and simplied prayed about it. They felt complete peace that this child was theirs, much like the feeling they had with Bennett. We don't know what the baby will be but we do know that this child could not have been placed in a more loving home. Had you asked me 15 years ago what my sibling would be like as parents, I probably would have laughed and said "good luck kid". Growing up, I never pictured my brother as a dad (because that would mean procreating and I like to think my siblings don't do that sort of thing) and if I did, I questioned his patience since Jenn and I were always pushing his buttons... but he has far exceeded my expectations.
With Jenn, I always knew she would rise to the occasion. Being 16 months older than me, she always knew how to tell me what to do, how to finish a story i was telling... you know the type. Bossy. Though dingy at times...well alot of the time, she somehow seems to get it together and keep all (most of) her marbles in a row. I thoroughly love to hear Zack talk about his boys and see his face light up with pride when he's sharing some story about them. And I love to hear Jenn laugh at her son. Nothing warms my heart more than hearing them giggle at each other. Jenn beams with love for this child like none other. He truly is a gift from God.
A family is not made of one person. It is made of one love.
Zack would not be the father he is if it weren't for his wife, Wendy.
And Jenn would not be the mother she is if it weren't for her husband, Jonathan.
They lead by example, with thier words and their actions. Their faith in the Father, their faith in each other, and their faith in themselves inspire me every day. As their kid sister, when my time comes, I can only hope that I am half the parent they are. (Scratch that... I know I will be even better because I will have the pleasure of learning from all their parental mistakes) :) There is an advantage to being last you know...!!!
