So starts this crazy, beautiful journey.
Let's backtrack a little first, for those who are just tuning in.
I married my husband in 1999 and was welcomed into a wonderful family in which God intended for me to be part of, I knew this for certain. Scott, my husband, has three siblings. He is the second-born, preceded by a brother, and following him is a sister and another brother. He was the first to be married out of his siblings.
I got to witness Shelly falling in love with her spouse-to-be, Rob.They met at Cornerstone University and were married in 2001, the same year Scott and I welcomed our first son into the world. I was pregnant with our second son when Dave, Scott's older brother, met a girl online. In a Christian chat room, Dave met Anne, an Australian beauty. Their conversations and brief encounters (sorry, sped that part up) led to a wedding set in Australia and attended by the whole family in July of 2004. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
After the wedding they stayed in Australia and worked on their careers. They both had great jobs that kept them very busy. Anne's job was extremely demanding and stressful, but she enjoyed it nonetheless . They had tentative plans to move to the United States some day and start a family.
Dave and Anne traveled to the U.S. every summer to visit. It was fun spending time with them and slowly getting to know Anne even better. I enjoyed hearing about the differences in our languages and cultures. It was always sad to see them go back home at the end of their trip.
Scott and I brought boy #3 into the mix at the beginning of 2006. (ha ha that rhymed). At the time, Brian, the youngest sibling, was engaged to a little cutie whom he met working at Pietro's. Brian and Kristen were planning to be married sometime in the summer of 2007.
The date was set at June 30, 2007. Dave and Anne heard the news and made the plans to take their annual trip centered around the time of the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful and a good time was had by all. We all enjoyed being together and celebrating Brian and Kristen's union. Now the family was complete....or was it?
Well, this is getting longer than I intended so I'm going to fast forward some. We got surprising news that Dave and Anne were moving to the states. We were all ecstatic. They came in late 2008 (oh my goodness, did not do that on purpose, promise) just after the birth of our fourth boy. They moved in with my in-laws (who live next door to us) until they found a house of their own. Well, first Dave had to find a job. But we were all hoping and praying that it would be something close.
In the meantime, I got to spend almost everyday with Anne. We had TIME....lots and lots of TIME without a long goodbye looming in the distance. My boys got to know Dave and Anne very well. Dave was the perfect playmate they never had. He loved to do all the same stuff as them. Especially play video games. It was awesome to watch them fill their days getting closer to their long lost aunt and uncle. And I loved taking the time to get to know my Australian sister-in-law.
I should say, Shelly and Rob were also busy expanding the family during this time. They brought two boys into their clan in 2007 and 2009. That brings the grandchildren total to 6 boys. Just trying to cover all the bases here.
I'm going to fast forward again to fall 2009. What a spectacular year it was. Dave got a job in Holland and they bought a house in Borculo. It was so amazing witnessing Anne experience a lot of her American firsts throughout the year. We had a summer full of activities and excitement. But tragedy was around the corner and it was a jolt that shook us all.
Dave and Anne sat us down and shared the news that they had recently discovered.
Anne had cervical cancer.
It was devastating news. As a woman, I knew what that meant, and knew what was laying heavy on Anne's heart. Not only the terrible news of the cancer, but what that meant for the future of their family. The family they waited to start until coming to the U.S. I asked her if they could save her eggs, already having made a decision in my head. A decision that took only a few seconds and needed the confirmation of her answer. She looked at me with tearful, hopeful eyes and said yes.
I responded with, "I will have your baby for you."
