I'm thankful, too!

I can't imagine how any of us could make it, since nobody else really understands what we go through minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, year by year. The stress, the worry, the financial toll...sometimes it feels unbearable.

So thanks, ladies -- you're the best!

one minute, one second and one day at a time that is how I manage. I would not give this another thought. I also live in a state/area where there are alot ot abused, neglected children. And I am thankful to have mine gc with me so I know they are safe. God willing, I hope the grand child stays with us. The cob webs, the dust, the gray hair can all goes with the messy house. It's lived in, and thats the key here. It's LIVED in! We enjoy every minute, every second, every day of it!

I am also so thankful for this group of supporting individuals.

nana

it makes my heart drop to think what GB went through for nearly three years before we got her back... rotten teeth, shaved head due to lice, no medical care, no real food, no socialization, unable to speak full sentences at 4, no place to call home just a hotel room with 2 beds to share with 7 other adults... AND I feel blessed she got out when she did... I thank God everyday for saving her. this is one job I plan to do until the day I die or until God finds someone to do a better job.

Thank you all for being a blessing to me. I felt so alone until I found you all. A place where I can say what's on my mind to people who understands my situation.

When I think about where my GD would be if I had not saved her, my heart breaks. My daughter and the baby's father kept her in harms way. Between the two of them fighting with the baby in the house and them high on alcohol/drugs, anything could have happened to her.

Yes, I too am drained and sometimes I don't know if I'm coming or going, but it's worth knowing that she is safe with me.

We are all blessed.

I agree with everything being said. I look around at my messy house, the things I am missing out on and sometimes I am past the point of exhaustion, but I would not change the fact that I took these kids to raise. I fought my husband and we nearly split up when I wanted to keep them and it has all been worth it. When one of them gives me a hug and says, "I love you mamaw" I know I did the right thing. My 7 yr old gs wrote me a letter, thanking me for loving him and taking care of him and it is something I will treasure forever. This is the hardest things I have ever done, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Reading all the replies makes me want to cry. But you're right. We are all very blessed. My house is still very clean and tidy. My kids actually clean up after themselves, put dishes in the sink, dirty laundry in the hamper. Etc. but even if they didn't the extra stress would be worth it. I am so happy for all of our kids that they get to be raised in a living home. Yesterday I was at DMV, getting ID's for the kids and I was observing a very young mom with her cold, maybe 18months. The baby wanted to play with my kids, the mother called to her. When she didn't respond the young mom grabbed her from the arm (tightly) and said "when I say come here, your better come"' ahe'a 18months old! I feel so bad for all these kids that are being raises by teenagers. It's tragic.

There was a local story where a young lady was hooked up with an abusive boyfriend who was on heroin. I don't know if she was also on heroin or not. I believe she was only about 18 or 19 when he killed their little 7 month old boy, though. I think the girl's family had the baby alot when he was little. I don't know if DCFS was ever involved or not. I just know that one day the parents had him and before the day was over, he was beaten to death. I'm told by someone who is best friends with the young woman's sister that he was abusive and she was afraid to leave him. At any rate, she is serving a prison term and so is the father. She didn't get as many years as he did, but got time nonetheless for not protecting her baby or stopping it. I cannot fathom what this family has been through. Now the "father's" family has the baby's older sibling and is keeping her from her mother's side of the family, which just seems like a terrible injustice from what I've seen of her Aunt whose company I have been in many, many times. She is a teacher, and a very sweet & kind person and I think it's a disservice that her little niece lost her mommy & daddy (to drugs and then prison), her baby brother, and then everyone on her mom's side of the family. The biggest sorrow, though, is that the precious adorable little baby is gone...........................and I know his grandparents must lay awake EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and 2nd guess every decision & every move they made the day he died. Even though it's not their fault, they weren't able to save him, and that has to keep them awake at night. Yes, we are VERY BLESSED to have our grands with us and the thought of my GS's bio mom dragging him from drug addicted boyfriend to drug addicted boyfriend was a very VERY big part of my decision to get the state involved before she was able to take him out of my house. Nothing we are going through with the kids compares to laying awake wishing we'd done something different because we had to bury them.

Any time I get overwhelmed with everything that we have to take on I look at a website called Imperfect Parent. The absolute horror stories there remind me very swiftly where my GD could have been if she was not with us.