[Yash]

What kind of lyric can I drop
To make you think twice
About the trials that you're gonna face
In this life
I can lullaby, even point you
To the Most High
Prayin' every little thing is gonna be alright
Someday my love isn't gonna be fulfilling
Try as I may, human love it hits a ceiling
But I can sow a seed, say a prayer,
This I know
If faith can move a mountain
Surely God can make His spirit grow in you


It's official! It's official! Jory is now Kaleb Alfonzo Julien legally as of 11:40AM on Tuesday, August 1st.

What a busy, fun-filled week it was for Jory and the rest of the family.

On Sunday, July 30th, Jory was christened with his cousin, Lauren. He looked
adorable in his little pope outfit. He wouldn't keep on the papal hat so I finally had to take it off. He also refused to look
at the minister. I guess the congregation was much more interesting. But hey,
at least, he didn't sleep through the whole ceremony like Lauren did.

I would have taken pics of my Jory and Thumper all dressed up together, but it
was time for Sunday School to start and the people in charge of Sunday School
don't play when it comes to Sunday School starting on time.

On Tuesday, after waiting an hour and twenty minutes, we were called into the
courtroom. Of course, I was in the bathroom changing Willow at the time. My
aunt rushes in and tells me the news. As I get ready to hand Willow over to my
aunt she shoots out poop on my jacket. So I frantically try to wash the poop
out because I can't take off the jacket because her brother spilled milk over
the front of my blouse. I run out the bathroom cleaning, but yet I was still
able to enter the courtroom looking calm and collected.

I took my seat at the front of the courtroom and get sworn in. I introduced
my mom, daughter, sister, two aunts, and my social worker, who did the home
study and brought Jory home. The judge had the lawyer explain Jory's new
rights in my life and then after checking the spelling of our names, I signed
the sheet of paper. Then the judge signed it and Jory was mine. Just like
that it was over. We took a group picture. The kids got super soft teddy
bears and we were ushered out of the courtroom, where groups of families
waiting to finalize also, cheered for us.

19 months and 2 days to the day Jory was placed in my arms was over in like 7
minutes. It's mind blowing!

Then on Friday, Jory's adoption party was a great success. Jory had a great time,
especially once other kids showed up.

Thank you all for taking this long, torturous, adventurous, perplexing, odd,
funny journey with us. All of your love, prayer, support, and encouragement were
definitely felt and needed.

Please continue to pray with us and for us as I continue down this road to
raise a man after God's own heart. A man who will one day lead his own family.
A man, who will one day, we pray, do for swimming what Tiger Woods did for
golf.

Thanks again,

Yash & Kaleb Alfonzo Julien aka Jory

PS The lyrics are by the brilliant talented Toby Mac - "Do You Know?"

PPS Starting tomorrow engines will be on full blast to bring home Layla aka
Katarzyna McKell Elphaba Thrower by this time next year from VN.

[Linny]

Congrats all around! How wonderful to know and FEEL that it's really 'all over'! So many times, I sometimes wondered at the fact that it took so long to have my babies......but that final, legal stuff took only minutes. (Almost, kinda anticlimatic?)
But, it's over. And his new life is in order and ready to go---with his family.

My best to you and yours...

Sincerely,

Linny

[DianeScraps]

Congrats to you and your family!

[hotspice58]

Congratulations!!!

[Yash]

Linny,

You're so right. It does feel anti-climatic. Hasn't he been mine for the past 19 months? When this journey first began I never would have thought the finalization hearing would feel like that. YIPEE!!!! We're SW free, well at least for Jory. We still have Willow's. But hey one SW is better than 2 in your life.

Thanks,

Yash

[Yash]

Thanks Diane.

Yash

[Yash]

Thank you so much Mille.

Yash