Airport Homecoming. Two months home.

Some nights as I lay in bed I think of a million things to share about our time since picking the boys up at their orphanage but actually opening the computer and putting them into words seems impossible.  Some of it is too sacred, some of it belongs to Thomas and Samsel as it is their story to share and then there are most days when I am too tired to even think about typing more than the usual few words pecked out on Facebook.  

Right now.  Life is hard but it is beautiful.  

We're still learning about each other and slowly Thomas and Samsel are learning to trust us.  

Bit by bit, day by day smiles get brighter, hugs are more eagerly received and our family continue to blends.  We have a lot of time to make up for together, losses to redeemed and love and trust to be found.  

Two months ago we landed in Cleveland; anxious and excited, nervous and (slightly) afraid.  But joyful, relieved and extraordinarily thankful.  

That my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever - Psalm 30:12

Two amazing photographers captured some of the our most precious moments as Gabe met his brothers, are friends and family met the little boys already so dear to their heart and our life as a family of five truly began.  

Gabe waiting for Thomas and Samsel

This is what a brother looks like when he first sees his new brothers.

Part of our home team.  So thankful for them. 

Biology doesn't always give you sisters but life does.  

Hannah's Hope besties together again.

These photographs.  They capture everything.  

The end to one journey and the beginning of another.

So much joy; unspeakable joy. 

And a journey like no other.  

A journey of faith and hope, love and loss, letting go and letting God lead 

us to where we needed to go.

A journey of two little boys from one side of the world to a family that they needed and a family that desperately needed them.  

Adoption comes from loss but is filled with hope.  It's nothing if not bittersweet.  So we take the bitter, we take the sweet and we keep journeying on. 

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday Volume 8

Today I am thankful for a stranger.  A gentlemen whose name I will never know but broke the rules and allowed Gabe to have fun.  Fun that I firmly believe, every child despite their abilities should be able to participate in. 

Let me digress.  Gabe loves slides.  When we lived in Houston we were at the park multiple times a week, if not daily, to climb up the climber and slide down the slide.  His love for slides hasn't changed despite the fact he's not on one everyday.

Enter the Fish Festival.  There were quite a few activities for kids to do on Sunday when we were there but not many Gabe could actively participate in.  He wasn't interested in winning prizes and honestly, his motor skills probably would negate any prize except for the obligatory consolation prize.  And we do not need any more junk in this house!  Gabe became interested in one of those large trampolines to jump on but upon hearing the hydraulics that allow the child to jump higher, I knew that would not sit well with Gabe. 

Then we saw the slide.  He'd done a slide like that at the Cuyahoga County Fair almost 2 years ago and had loved the large slide at the I-X Indoor Amusement Park this past winter so I figured he'd like it.  We walked over and then I saw the sign.  The sign that said only people that could climb up the stairs themselves would be allowed to slide down.  I felt like I was sucker punched.  Gabe can climb stairs; sturdy stairs at home but I couldn't imagine him being able to make it up the bounce house type steps that led to the top of the slide. 

I nudged Matt and asked him to go talk to the man running the slide.  I have no idea what Matt said to him but the result was this:

1st time down the slide:

 Smile after 1st time:

2nd time down the slide:

3rd time down the slide:

I didn't get his name but I will always be thankful that Gabe was given the opportunity to be just like every other child at the festival; time just to be a kid! 

Thankful Thursday Volume 6

One week from today I will be arriving in Atlanta where I will meet some of my dearest friends for the first time!  Sounds irrational that I'm meeting dear friends for the first time but that is the blessing of the Internet and adoption networking. 

 

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to go to this conference; to learn how to be a better mama to my little one(s), to refresh my spirit with worship and moments with God and to connect with other adoption loving, orphan advocating, God fearing women.  I'm not sure if I'll laugh, cry or both when I meet some of these amazing women. 

Matt will be taking Friday off work and spend the weekend answering to the boss man, I mean, Gabe [smile].   I'm a little anxious about leaving Gabe, but so thankful that I won't have to worry about him for the weekend.  Matt is an awesome daddy and I'm certain Gabe is going to request I leave more often after all the fun he'll have on his "boys only" weekend. 

Excited.  Thankful.  Blessed.  That just about sums it up.

THANKFUL Thursday

Today may go down as the best Thankful Thursday ever. 

There are no unwanted children, just unfound families.

-The National Adoption Center

 

And somehow, by the grace that can only be given by an unfailingly gracious God, another little one has found their way into our family. 

 

Stunned?  We certainly were.  There's a little bit of a backstory but I'll get to that later.  Little A is almost 16 months old with beautiful brown eyes, gorgeous lashes and one of the sweetest faces you'll ever see. 

 

We are so thankful, so blessed and jus astounded by God's overwhelming goodness.  

 

More to come about Little A and how he found us but for now, I think I'll go back to looking at pictures of our sweet darling boy. 

Thankful

  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:15-17

 

From our family,

to yours we want to wish you a very

thank-filled Thanksgiving)

 

(and evidently I've reached my photo limit here on blogspot so no pictures until I figure out what to do - what a 1st world problem to have)

Thankful Thursday Vol. 3

Today was one of those days that reminded me dreams can come true.

 

When I was waiting to become a mom, I spent too much time thinking about all the special things I would do with our children once they came into our family.  Christmas, apple-picking, family picnics, beach trips and baseball games made up some of those thoughts.  But it was other special things, every day situations made just that much more delightful because I would be accompanied by a little one.  Early morning walks, late night cuddles, reading together, story time... the list was a mile long...

 

Today I am thankful for being able to do ordinary things with Gabe.  I want to celebrate the ordinary, because it's in these moments that I'm reminded of just how extraordinary my life is.

 

Today after therapy, Gabe and I headed off to lunch.  A lunch date with the sweetest boy imaginable.  An answered prayer.  A dream come true.  I am so thankful for moments like these.  Because in moments like these I can't help but thank God for making my dream of motherhood come true in this blond haired, blue eyed little miracle. 

 

 No Panera lunch date at Memorial City is complete without a train ride through the mall. 

I love, love, love this sweet boy and spending every day with him.

Thankful Thursday

I was clearing off our SD card and was quickly scanning through the pictures when this one caught my attention.  This isn't a good picture.  The lighting stinks, the cute little subjects in the photo can't be seen clearly but for a few seconds, this single picture made me pause and think. 

 

Trying to finish my task at hand I continued skimming through the pictures until I rested on this one.

Again, the quality of the picture isn't great but the picture, it just fills my heart with gratitude, eyes with tears and my soul with hope.  Immense gratitude filled my heart as I look at Gabe with C2 and C3; two typically developing children who don't wonder about their little friend that walks on his knees.  They don't care about his glasses, his knee walking or that his right eye looks like it's winking sometimes. 

Gabe is their friend; nothing more nothing less.  And that friendship includes everything that is beautiful, everything that is good and everything that is right in this world. 

Although they live in Ohio and we live in Texas, I couldn't be more thankful for Gabe and the sweet friendships he has up there. 

With friends by your side, life has a sweetness that can't be ignored and I'm so thankful that Gabe can taste that sweetness... even if it is only a few times a year.