Rebel Without a Cause or Maybe Now With a Cause???

Our little Rebel is actually our 18 year old daughter who came to be a part of our family a little over a year ago. Like I said in one of my previous posts, she has been so easy for us to love. She came into our lives one day when she was 16 years old (almost 17) not knowing what would be in store for her and her future. Breeann is a free spirit with a lot curiosity about life. We call her our Rebel because, well, she has no fear....(on the outside). Because you know we all have some kind of fear about something inside of us. We have tried to show her all the love that she deserves and that we tried to show our other children.

So we (me and my cuz Patrice over at blessingsamidchaos) left on a Monday morning at 6:00 am and arrived at her house at 6:00pm that evening to retrieve a child that we had no idea what to expect of her. We had only been around her a few times in the past year and she was always a sweet and fun girl to be around. But we had no idea how things would go when she was out of her comfort zone of her home that she grew up in. Well did she ever surprise us!!!!! After we packed her things (and her dog) into my van and headed down the road, I could tell she was nervous. So I handed her my cell and told her to call her friends that she didn't get to say goodbye to and tell them to meet us at a restruant that was on our way out of town. That's when she started talking and hasn't stopped since!! We made this trip in 22 hours (straight there and straight back). I had this feeling we were going to be able to love her instantly. Of course my boogs (her daddy) has always loved her but was never given the chance to show her. So this was the start of a new chapter in our lives.

She was enrolled in the local high school and within a few days had made friends, and seemed to be adjusting well. I could tell it was going to take a while for her to trust us. To learn the love of a daddy and his little girl. To learn that she had a stepmother that had love and compassion for a stepdaughter who had been through so much in her 16 years. I feel like we have formed a bond like most mother and daughters. Where the daughter can come to her mother with anything whether it's good or bad and we can work through it. Even if I don't agree with her decisions and actions I hope she has come to trust that I am here for her through the good and bad. We can rejoice over the good and work through the bad without judgement.

Things by no means have been perfect, but we have been through a few trials and I think after a little over a year our Rebel has become to love and trust us. Rebel is 18 now and that is one thing that she has looked forward to for a long, long time. Not once has she threw it in our face that she is 18 and can do what she wants (to a point). We are well aware of the fact that she is 18 and can walk out that door anytime she wants. We just hope that she wants to stay awhile and soak up some more love from a family that has longed for her for years.

So this post is for my Rebel with a sweet spirit, a beautiful heart and the most beautiful voice you have ever heard. (At least we think so)