Southern Belle Magazine May 2013, Issue 1 | Page 88

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About the Artist
Jane Lazenby , founder of Gracie & Co ., is a native of Birmingham , Alabama . Find more of her work at www . etsy . com / shop / gracieandco
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A note about Ava Grace our Cover Girl

My husband and I had been foster parents for 7 years before we met our Ava Grace . We loved all of our children so much , I can ’ t tell you the times Terry had to pick me up off of the floor when a child went to their forever home . I knew however , that God had their family chosen already and as much as I loved them , I knew they belonged with the family that God chose for them . We had over 60 children in our home before we got the call that there was a little girl , and I needed to come right away . We were to be her foster family . When I walked in , she was sleeping , her face was turned away from me , she slept in the arms of a family friend of her first mother . I can never be near a child and not reach out to touch them . I reached my hand out and patted her back and something happened to me . A warm rush of emotion , it was like at that moment our souls became one . Her first mother walked over and half whispering said to the woman holding her , “ I wish she could be her mother ”. I tried to pretend like I didn ’ t hear it because I knew it wasn ’ t possible , but my heart was doing flip flops in my chest . I went home and tried to put it out of my mind but I couldn ’ t . I found myself praying for my sanity because this was impossible !!! Wasn ’ t it ? Less than 2 weeks later we got a call that changed our lives forever .. it WAS possible ! Everything fell into place- confirmation after confirmation that this was our child . God made a way where there was no way . I will never stop thanking God for the gift of her little life , and the honor of being her mother . mMichelle Bradford