Safekeeping

Sooooo, there's been some activity in our lives in relation to Lasa.  So much has transpired, most significantly the end of our foster care role (whoa!) and the beginning of our custodial role (again, whoa!).  I will have to resort to a strict list of dates and events just to get it all down. Then, if I have the heart, I can go into some detail or commentary of what we have processed since then. 

Sunday, March 27 - Momma hasn't visited with baby since Feb. 28.  Momma STANDS US UP entirely at our 5:30 visit.  We wait around til 6:15 and then leave after having received no response to our texts.  Momma calls at 6:30 to see if we can still meet, says she is on the way, yada yada yada, Josh agrees to get baby back out to visit if Angelique is willing to come all the way to Gallatin because we are already home.  She does.  They visit.  It goes well.  She brought a little Easter basket of things for Lasa.

Angelique is sorry for the visit chaos and surprised and sorry to be reminded that we have been having to buy formula which she should be supplying with her WIC.  She says she will meet us this week with supplies.  (That night, I say to Josh that I wouldn't be surprised if she gets into some trouble pretty soon as a result of how emotionally stirred she seemed to be during the visit.)  As expected, we do not hear from her about meeting with baby supplies.  She means well, but follow-through has been almost non-existent every time.

Thursday, March 31 - On my way out of town, JJ texts/calls to let me know Angelique was arrested the day before and has three charges against her - two counts of assualt w/bodily injury and one for probation violation.  Victim was her husband, Rodney, again.  Has trial for this arrest April 6.  Mind is racing alllllllll weekend about how this will effect her custody hearing on April 5.  I simply cannot sleep that night.  So I sit up in bed at 4 in the morning at the hotel and pray and open my Bible where I last left off and the Lord simply ASTOUNDS me with the timeliness and specificity of the verses awaiting me.  I pray His very words in those verses over the upcoming custody hearing.  I claim them and mark them with Lasa's name right there in the margin in multiple places and I KNOW the Lord means for me to read these words and seek Him through them.  Psalm 7-13 will never be the same to me again. 

Tuesday, April 5 - Josh attends the trial.  Much discussion is made regarding Angelique's sentencing tomorrow.  Jail time is expected - 6 mos. to a year.  Judge decides to place Lasa in the Browns' (that's us!) FULL LEGAL CUSTODY with visitations with momma in jail (and after) to be at our discretion.  Josh leaves the courtroom to discuss the visitations with both attorneys.  He does not see Angelique again after that.

Wednesday, April 6 - Rodney does not show up to testify.  DA reschedules for Friday because that day is apparently better for Rodney.  If Rodney does not testify again, charges will be dropped and Angelique will be released.  Ummmm, wow.

Friday, April 8 - We do not have confirmation about whether Rodney showed up or not.  All we know is that the two assault charges were dismissed and her probation violation now shows her aggravated assault charge from early March as REOPENED with a probation review date for February of next year.  Angelique is released from jail.

Saturday, April 9 - Angelique is arrested (again!!) at 3:45 in the morning for a protective order violation and is presently back in jail.  Her trial for this offense is on April 12.  We figure she showed up at Rodney's place (and her current home) for her stuff or to make more drama.  Either way, foolishness and more jail time.  Another day in the life...

Are you tired just thinking about all this up and down, like me?  How about a more fun timeline?!?!  This same week, back in the land of law-abiding citizens, we now have a court-ordered custody document in our hot little hands and proceed to directly employ them in the acquisition of some pertinent information we have been needing for 8+ months!  With this happy little paper, we have gotten copies of Lasa's birth certificate, applied for her Social Security card, had her WIC benefits transferred to Gallatin, and now have an appt this coming Tuesday to pick up those vouchers for the next three months!  Once baby's SSN comes in the mail, we will take steps to file an amended tax return to claim her as a dependent in 2015 as we should have done to begin with, and Josh will add Babylove to our insurance.  As well, we will be able to finally get a copy of her TennCare card to use in the meantime.  I hear rumors that we can even use it for secondary insurance up to a year.  Bada bing, bada BOOM!

Apparently, custody papers are the keys that unlock the world. 

And that is where we are in all the technical things so far - court, custody, momma, jail, baby. We have had not-quite-a-week to process what our custody means going forward.  Don't laugh, but I looked it up in the dictionary to get a concrete definition -  and I liked the one that called custody safekeeping. Most immediately, our custody order means we are no longer working with DCS - they have closed the case. And we are technically no longer active with Jonah's Journey - they have discharged Lasa as a result of the custody order.  Soooooo, apparently we are just free agents in this now .... just us and momma and baby ... and that is sobering. Concerning.  A little freeing in some ways.  Some amount of exciting in other ways.  Very much confusing ... as to what our goal is supposed to be at this point... Soooo, praying.  And sitting on it and waiting to see what comes after the dust settles with Angelique.  If it ever does. : /  Outlook not good.

The next obvious question everyone wants to discuss now is ... adoption.  We are cautiously going to put that discussion on the backburner for a bit.  Believe it or not, there is still room for Angelique to appeal custody and try to have baby placed with her?  It's a long shot and not likely to be granted, but we will be wise to respect the timeline that still sits out there.  There's also room for her to end up with jail time and/or more arrests. So for now, we just sit with custody, with the job placed before us, with the safekeeping of our girl.  Trusting all the rest to the Lord and his providence and his timing.  Pray with us if you will!