HOOORRAYY!

SO!
We aren't going to trial in October anymore!!
Yesterday we had our final mediation and they decided to change their minds, put the TPR trial into abeyance and reinstate the goal of reunification! It will still be a lengthy process and we have more tasks to complete, Allen is not allowed to visit her without supervision yet, but we are perhaps at last on the road to the end?!?!!
I honestly was shocked and confused and felt like their had to be some sort of horrible catch or they were going to pop out of a closet in my house later and be like HAHA JUST KIDDING!! But my lawyer has assured me things will continue in this direction and we will be finished in a "timely" manner if nothing new arises and Phoenix continues progression! HOORAY!!!

Please continue to pray for us - the "timely" is not a short amount of time. And continue to pray for Phoenix's recovery - she is "too smart for her own good" and has begun to take a bit of a detour in her recovery because she is becoming a master at getting around using her left side at all. We are working with her every day but she is very stubborn - a trait that has done her a lot of good in the past because it helped get her where she is now - and is not easily swayed into believing that using the left side is better. Small things (and I wish I had a picture) like when she has her sippy cup, if she does not feel inclined to use her left hand to hold it she just whips her right leg around and holds the left handle up with her toes. I couldn't even believe it the first time I caught her doing it! But every time something new is introduced she is very, very quick to find a way to do it without the left side helping - she has begun whacking people when they try to help her left hand do things as well. All in all she is becoming a normal cantankerous one year old and I LOVE IT!! Every time she does something like going stiff and shrieking when I sit her down in her car seat I just have to remember that there was a time when we didn't know if she would even be able to do something like that and it really does make parenting a lot easier :) Plus I usually just think her antics are hilarious which I'm sure helps a lot with getting her to stop doing naughty things...hahaha!! Perhaps I am creating a monster! But I really find it difficult most days to not just laugh at the little things that she does that I see a lot of parents reprimanding their children for - such as screaming like a pterodactyl in the store at people who pass by...

Anyway! Wanted to share the super news and let you all know how Phoenix is doing :)
Love,
Shell, Allen and Phoenix

Please Pray

Hey everyone,

We go back to our final mediation on Monday, Aug 13 at 0900. I'm not sure what could happen there but maybe something good, maybe nothing at all. Please be praying that God works in the hearts of the lawyers and DCF reps present there.
Love
Shell, Allen and Phoenix

New Pictures :)