I want to start out apologizing for not updating this blog
earlier. I have actually written it more than once but computer issues have
prevented me from posting it. I do not want to appear like the 10 lepers that
Jesus healed and only 1 came back to say "thank you." So, although this post is
not as eloquent as I would like, it is a post of Thanksgiving for all that God
has done in our lives.
Victoria Justice Jordan is officially a JORDAN!!!!
Wow, what
an incredible journey it has been.
I know God has orchestrated our lives to
belong together & only He sees the finished product... the beautiful tapestry
that is woven through the threads of our lives.
We started attending foster care training classes in July 2011.
Later that month, on July 26, 2011, Victoria was born (we didn't know who she was at the time). We finished our initial
classes the same weekend she was placed into foster care with her foster mom. We
would spend the next year completing our home study, providing respite care for
foster youth & being passed over for child after child. It was a very long,
emotional process.
But finally, the Delaware Family Court system chose us on October 25, 2012 (the day after my
birthday) to be the foster-to-adopt parents to a frightened 15-month-old baby girl.
She was 18 lbs, not walking, not talking, not feeding herself, not responding
much to the world around her. She started her visits with us in November 2012.
We were all so excited to bring her home to love on our little girl to be.
Within a week, she was walking. Within a few more weeks she was feeding herself
& using a sippy-cup. We taught her sign language and she learned quickly
how to communicate her needs & many of her wants. Her brothers waited on her & she learned to trust us.
In December 2012, there was a mix-up about how long she could
‘visit’ with us while her Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) agreement was being finalized. An ICPC is needed for a cross-state foster placement or adoption. We were actually asked by our agency (KidsPeace) to send her back home the day
after Christmas for possibly 6-9 months while we waited on paperwork.
That was
devastating for me. I felt like all the progress we made with her would be
lost.
My heart ached for my boys who might not see their sister for 6 months
due to a technicality. Praise be to God DJ had some friends in high places that
were able to find our ICPC paperwork (it was sent to DC instead of DE!) &
expedite her foster care placement with us so we did NOT have to take her back
to her previous foster home.
January through May 2013 we would make biweekly visits to
Delaware for Tori to visit with her birth parents. Although I didn’t appreciate
driving back and forth so often (my foot/leg was better but I remained in a
chronic state of pain) & the trauma it caused Tori to have to visit with
people she did not “know” was difficult at best, I was able to see God’s plan
through that storm. I was able to visit with my dear sister-in-law, Donna
Taylor, & sweet nieces often as they had just moved to Delaware. Donna’s
family had over 50 foster children in their home & adopted 7 of them.
As a
sibling to foster & adopted children, Donna provided me with more knowledge
than a library of books & countless social workers ever could have.
I was
able to encourage her as she was in a new place with young kids, working on
building a strong, healthy marriage & family. It truly was exactly what we
both needed.
Tori’s parental rights were finally terminated on May 7th at the Delaware Family Court &
she was legally free to adopt at that time. We still needed to wait 6 months for her adoption (this is another foster-to-adopt rule). Although she came to us in
November 2012, her official placement wasn’t until February 2013, pushing her
adoption back to August 2013. We also had
monthly visits with a social worker from our agency, KidsPeace. KidsPeace is
a therapeutic foster care agency that doesn’t typically do adoptions, but they
did work with our family & cared for us in a special way that we will
always be grateful for.
We had a few hiccups in August 2013 (the month our adoption was
supposed to be finalized). In addition, we moved to a new house at the end of August, Trey started a private
middle school 2 days after we moved, & I started homeschooling the other 3 kids a few
weeks later. We still owned our home in Columbia & we were working to rent
it out. DJ was starting his last semester in grad school at Johns Hopkins & he was appointed to a state wide board. We had a ton going on.
Our adoption paperwork got lost, wasn’t filed, etc, etc, etc
but it all got worked out. Victoria Justice Jordan's adoption was official on September 12, 2013. On October 19th, we had a
child dedication service for her at our new home in Woodbridge, VA with many
friends & family gathered & my father in law, Darrell Jordan Sr,
blessing her.
We received a special letter from the Governor of Virginia that I read with
tears of joy that so succinctly said all that I had hoped & prayed for over
the past few years. It read,
"Dear Tori, I was very happy to hear about your adoption. Your story is
a beautiful one, & I am glad that you & the Jordan family found each
other. Your mom & dad love you very much, and are very lucky to have you as
their daughter. I know you will be a good sister to Trey, Tyson, & Taylor
too. I believe God has a great plan for your life. I look forward to hearing
about how you are doing at home & at school. Best wishes to you on this
great milestone!”
Warm Regards, Governor Bob McDonnell
The adoption of Tori is complete, but her story is only
beginning. I know that God has amazing things in store for Victoria Justice
Jordan. Because of Tori’s young age, we were given the option to name her (since
her plan from 6 weeks old was adoption, she was called “Baby” by her original foster mom for most of her
first 15 months of life). We let Trey help name his little sister. He choose
Victoria Justice Jordan & we would call her Tori. We really liked his choice
& the very next day, Pastor Mitchel Lee from Grace Community Church in
Fulton, MD preached on justice. Here is his definition of biblical justice,
which we pray Victoria is able to live out.
Biblical
Justice- “Acting out the heart of God by obeying God, to bring about the
deliverance and protection of God, to people made in the image of God, all for
the glory of God!”
We are so
very thankful for our baby girl (now 3 feet tall & 30 lbs!), our family
& friends who have prayed for us, encouraged us, brought us meals, clothes,
gifts & walked with us down this incredible road. The journey has only
begun & we still covet your prayers, friendship & support. We love you.
Giving God
Glory for He is Worthy,
~DJ, Glorya,
Trey, Tyson, Taylor & Tori Jordan~
