Embarking on unfamiliar territory

I don't even know what to write or how to begin this because the story is too long and all the details are not mine too share. In 5 short days 2 families lives have taken an unexpected turn. It began on the 4th with a friend of Nate's from junior high who came to visit us for the day, actually it began 2 years ago when this man and his 2 children came and stayed with us for a week. At the time his daughter was 13 and somehow I made a connection with her that has stayed with me over the past couple of years. They lived far away so I never tried to have a relationship with her, but I wished that I could have her. Fast forward to a few days ago. He was sitting on our front porch sharing her struggles and his own feelings of inadequacies as a single father when I blurted out that I wanted her to come live with us. We talked about it for a while, and since I had not discussed this with my husband first I said that we would keep this under wraps until we as a family had discussed it and prayed about it. For the record I usually don't jump into huge decisions like this w/o talking things over with Nate first, (it was very unDebbiePearlish, I know) but I had so often pined for this scenario in regards to her, and Nate knew this so it felt like the issue had already been discussed and not that I was springing this on him. That night in bed we talked about it and he was on board. That is one thing that I just love about that man, he knows what is right, he sees the need and acts. It was the same way when I presented him with the adoption process. I shared my thoughts, he listened, and it took him just a few minutes to make the decision. The kids were fine with it, as long as she isn't the boss of them. Well to make a long story short, she called me yesterday and said she wanted to come, so now there are just the details to work out. I will homeschool her and I need to figure out how to do that legally since I am not a certified teacher.

In regards to Dania and the whole adoption thing, I just believe that God's hand is in this and she will come home when it is time. I can already see how he orchestrated certain events. I would have not had the room or energy to have that man whose marriage was in crisis move in with us for 3 months if she had been home. I also can see how we wouldn't be doing this if she had only been home for a short time, and those are just some of the ways I see God. The other cool thing is that I have 2 full size beds for Dania's room. Even though we knew that we were only adopting one child at a time, I asked for 2 beds to fill that room. I just ordered quilts for them last night.

I am terribly excited, nervous and strangely peaceful all at the same time. I really believe that this is of God, and so you know that we didn't just throw caution to the wind, we talked to a number of people about this, including our extended family, and some people who have fostered a number of teenage girls. We did not get one red flag from the people that know us in real life. Strangely everyone said that we were just the right kind of people for this job.

Mothering a teenage girl who has never had a mother, wow! am I in for some surprises!