Able to breathe

Yesterday was a day that I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was a momentous day for the record books. Dustin and I went down to Somerset and we picked up the kids and moved them to Louisville. I didn't sleep much Sunday night. I was too excited. I even woke up yesterday morning with a smile on my face. 

I felt unstoppable. I was so excited I even felt the need to put make up on kind of like a celebration for new beginnings. Our day started early. We knew there was going to be a lot of things that had to happen during the day. So we planned on being down in Nancy by noon. Plenty of time. 

We started our trip as scheduled, around 915-930. By this time I was getting really fidgety. I was just too excited. All of the negative things that have happened in the days, months, and years was now out the window. It was just positive moments and bright futures for the kids. 

The trip was going so smoothly until after we hit E-town. Once we got past there it just rained and rained and rained. 

I wasn't going to let it bring me down. Today was going to be a great day, and nothing was going to stop it from being on. We arrived in Nancy shortly after 12-as planned. We got a call from the kids about 30 minutes before our arrival asking where we were at. When we arrived the kids were down at the neighbors house taking showers, I was not happy about this picture at all. Three little girls down at a grown mans house with no other person there. Not kosher at all in my book....yes we took notes. We had to wait for about 30 because their mom wasn't there. When their mom finally arrived we exchanged a few words and then got the ball really rolling. All of the clothes that they had were given to us in garbage bags. Not a big deal. We got the car loaded down and the girls buckled in. We were off!!!

We stopped in Liberty to grab a quick bite for the girls. They were starving and there is no way we were going to make the kids sit in a car for 2.5 hours without eating. The ride home went smoothly. For the first time since I met these kids, my mind was at ease. The air smelled a little bit sweeter, I felt at peace. For the first time in a long time I was able to relax just a little bit. 

We got home a little after 4 and it was busy busy busy until it was bedtime. We had to go through all of the kids clothes. We had made three piles. Keep (wash), throw away, donate. All of the clothes that were brought up with them and we kept had to go directly into the washing machine. There was a stench coming from these clothes that just reeked. It was a combination between mildew, dirt, smoke, and body funk. It was just bad. So bad that I had to light 5 candles just to get the smell to go away. I think I did a total of 6 loads of laundry last night. 

Tonight we get to go through their hair and give them lice treatments. This is something I was expecting, but ran out of time to do last night. When I get home from work I'll start on Tracey's hair before dinner. That way the shampoo will be able to soak and I'll get dinner started before going through their hair with the comb. 

I couldn't be happier right now. I'm still on cloud nine.