Finally Official Andersens!!!

This post is picture overload and I won't even apologize for it! On September 3, 2014 Charis and Christopher officially became Andersens!!! 

They came to us as Shaun Travolta Blackwood Jr, and Olivia Nicole Blackwood. At different times and from a little different situations, but they both ended up in the Andersen house and it was always our desire for them to officially be part of the "A Team" 

We loved them from the time we knew about the (which was while Olivia/Charis was in utero) A couple years later when we heard that ANOTHER Shaun Travolta Blackwood Jr had been born and was in foster care, our hearts jumped at the idea of having them both in our home. In God's perfect timing he brought Christopher to us first...a squishy round-footed baby. That was in September of 2012 and in January of 2013 Charis came to join him (and the rest of us!!) 

Adding 2 kids (2 and under) within 4 months has had it's challenges but we are so grateful that God chose to entrust them to us! If we're being honest, we probably spent most of the first year they were with us in a bit of a fog. Transitioning from 3 to 4 to 5 kids and all of them 7 and under.....I'm not sure we were thinking clearly at all :) But we've watching them grow and flourish in the time they've lived with us!! 

So in the middle of sudden loss with Poppa ending his journey on earth, we are so glad that the time is also marked with the ending of our foster journey for Charis and Christopher. You both bring much joy to our lives and there aren't 2 other kids on the whole planet that we would rather have be a part of the A-Team!!!  Of all the people on this planet, you're 2 of our favorites!!

Welcome to the team Charis Sophia Andersen and Christopher Shaun Andersen!

Poppa Murdock

It's so crazy to me to think that 2 years ago today our lives changed forever. I'll never forget the texts and calls flying back and forth the night of August 30th. 

"Poppa fell" 

"y'all need to get here soon"

 "it's bad" 

"moms still in Texas"

"drive fast" 

The kind of words that make your heart stop. So, around 10pm, after very short conversation with Chris,  I got in the car, drove to pick up Christa and we headed south from North Carolina driving to Florida. Our hope was to get to FL in time to say goodbye so we were driving hard and fast! 

The middle of the night call that said, "he's gone" took all urgency out of our drive. All of a sudden one of the most constant things that I had ever had in my life was gone. 

He had taken us to the mountains and the beach more times than I could even begin to count. He let us get donuts AND a drink when we were little. He introduced us to frozen grapes and speed walking for fun.  He took us to church with him and we watched him serve the Body of Christ diligently. He made us laugh, sang us songs and memorized entire books of the Bible then he would quote them to us. 

I recognize that not everyone in the world is blessed enough to have a Poppa as good as we had growing up and I'm so grateful God chose to give him to us! 

3 daughters, 3 son-in-laws who had BIG shoes to fill, 1 grandson and 7 granddaughters who fully believed that they were prettier than Miss America :) 

The number of Great Grands continues to grow but they will forever be a part of his heritage and blessed because they come from "Gran and Pop" 

 I'd give anything to call his phone today and hear him say"happy good morning" to me. But instead we'll tell the Andersen 5 stories about Poppa. and be so grateful for the legacy he left us all. As a man who loved Jesus and His Word, the best way we could ever remember and honor his is by living lives where we produce fruit from all the seed Pop planted in us. May we ever be people who live lives that honor the Lord above all else...

"It's not what we gain but what we give that measures the worth of the life we live"