When their nieces and nephew needed a home, Cheryl and Kimberly opened their hearts!
When there is love in our hearts, things seem to always work out. Cheryl Lobue and her sister, Kimberly, hadn’t planned to adopt. But when they learned their young nieces and nephew needed a home, they found more happiness than they imagined possible!
Listening to the voice on the other end of the line, Cheryl Lobue held the phone in shock.
“Your sister is in the hospital and just gave birth to twins. She also tested positive for cocaine . . . ”
Suddenly, Cheryl thought back to the day her sister, Becky, had been born. She’d been 12 then, and when her dad and stepmom said they didn’t know what to name the new arrival, Cheryl had blurted, “Rebecca!”
But, between their age difference and growing up in different homes, Cheryl and Becky had never become close. Often, years went by without even a phone call.
So the New Caney, Texas, single mom and postal worker had no idea Becky had been into drugs. But while the babies had blessedly tested negative, they weren’t permitted to go home with Becky— nor could Becky retain custody of f ive- year- old Alexis, fouryear-old Brandon and Avery, two.
“Can you take them?” the social worker asked.
For the love of the children
At41, with two daughters grown and her “baby,” Abby, already 10, Cheryl had no plans of adding to her family. But these babies are family, too! And they need someone, she thought.
Besides, it would only be temporary, until Becky went through the child protective services program to get “clean” and regain custody.
It had been years since Cheryl had even held an infant. “And I don’t have enough beds— or car seats or anything for babies!” she worried.
Hearing that, friends, family and neighbors dropped off tiny pink outfits for newborns Chloe and Zoe, and beds for the older kids. Cheryl’s co-workers even threw her a shower, giving her enough diapers for months!
Still, when the kids arrived, Cheryl was understandably overwhelmed. It was hard enough getting two babies fed and to sleep. But Alexis cried, “I want my mommy!” “You’re going to stay here for a little while,” Cheryl gently explained. Yet tears continued spilling down the young girl’s cheeks. Brandon had speech issues that made him hard to understand, and he seemed to always be starving and he hoarded food. And Avery would wake up at night screaming inconsolably.
What have these poor babies had to endure? Cheryl wondered sadly.
Cheryl’s daughter, Kelsey, 21, came home to help, especially while Cheryl took her twice- weekly required foster classes.
We just have to stay committed to giving them every bit of love possible! she told herself. So day in and day out, through every bowl of Cheerios and every bedtime story, as the twins learned to roll over and babble, “Mama mama,” that’s what Cheryl, Kelsey and Cheryl’s older sister, Kimberly, did.
“I love you, Mom!” Sadly,
though, months became a year, and Becky never straightened out her life.
“Would you be willing to adopt the kids?” the social worker asked.
Cheryl knew it would be financially difficult. But there was no way she could say no. How could she let these children she loved go into foster care, where they could be separated forever?
Realizing what a monumental undertaking it would be, Kimberly offered to adopt Alexis and Brandon.
“And Avery and the twins, who really only remember your house as their home, can live with you,” she suggested.
This way, they could afford more of what the children needed. “And we live just down the road from each other. We’re together all the time!”
Today, Alexis, 11; Brandon, nine; Avery, eight; and six-yearold twins Chloe and Zoe are not only growing up together, but they’re happy, healthy and thriving!
They have sleepovers where they watch movies and give their dachshund, Charlie, pink manicures; they go to the beach and Chuck E. Cheese as one big, happy family. And now that he’s graduated from speech therapy, Brandon speaks just perfectly!
“Every day, I know we did the right thing,” beams Cheryl. And though life is chaotic, “When the children hug me and tell me, ‘I love you, Mom’ . . . my heart knows no greater joy!”
— Kristin Higson-hughes
Other things may change us, but we start and family.” end with ANTHONY BRANDT
Cinderella “Even miracles take a little time.” — Fairy Godmother