Six Months with Six Kids!!!

Wow! I can't believe that today marks six months with our two newest. In the early weeks, when they were home, I prayed for this day. I just knew that "things" would get better with time. I knew that June would bring summer, the end of another home schooling year and a more time to slow down.

My summer schedule is already filling up, so I will call it a different kind of busy than the school year.=)

So, how is everyone doing after six months? Each time a person is added to a family the roles change. We have all adjusted to these little ones. The process for Stand-Up Dad and I has been interesting. Just as no one can prepare you for being a parent of a baby, no one can prepare you for the adoption of two older children. I believe that our two have made an amazing adjustment to life in our home, but that does not mean that it has been easy.

As the Mom I found myself beyond overwhelmed. I was working to make these new ones feel safe and loved and wanted. At the same time my older children were going through some serious adjustments as well and needed reassurance and attention. These needs often worked against each other. These were the times that God showed me how useless I was on my own and reminded me that He alone is the healer of hurts. He is the one who can fix the broken places and weave families together.

There were quite a few days that I did not want to get out of bed. But I did . . . and I kept getting out of bed and every day God worked through my children and Stand-Up Dad and I. Here we are after six months claiming God's faithfulness through it all. We know that there is more adjusting to come, but we are well on our way.

Elsie and M&M love having Little Buddy and Sunshine in our home. They have been an extraordinary help to me as they clean and cook and generally fill-in when Mom is being the Mommy. It takes so much time to train little ones who have not been in our home for the first five years of life.

Sweet Pea loves having a little sister. She now shares a room with Sunshine and is learning how to love and show empathy to Sunshine. This new sister has pushed Sweet Pea beyond her comfort zone in a good way. She is very happy that her sister is very neat and enjoys a tidy room just as much as she does.

Pumpkin also is sharing a room for the first time with Little Buddy. Words cannot describe how happy he is to have a little brother. I know he wishes that Little Buddy was seven like he is and can get frustrated at three-year-old behaviors, but it has been good for him. He is finally learning how to be a big brother after seven years as the littlest in our home. Each day he is working on what it looks like to be a big brother. I am very proud of the strides he has made.

Sunshine is such an amazing little girl. She is so smart and is constantly quizzing us in the car as she tries to learn her math facts. She has a constant drive and is very diligent and purposeful at work and play. She has learned that things work best when we work together to complete a task rather than trying to do it all by herself. She is learning that letting Mom and Dad be in charge is a good thing. She has a wonderful sense of humor. She understands when you are joking and can quickly throw one right back at you. She is amazed by God's love for her and has a burden for her family back in Ethiopia. She knows that they do not know about Jesus and is anxious for them to know of His love for them. Please pray with us that someone would share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

Little Buddy is the most wonderful three year old I have ever met. He has energy that never quits, yet he is able to sit quietly through church. I have enjoyed watching him transition from a little boy who is overtly silly (to get attention), to a little boy who has appropriate silly moments. He should actually have silly as his middle name. He is a riot. He is not afraid of anything. That is to say that he will try anything. We recently let him play in a pool for the first time and he learned a respect for water and breathing air instead of water.=) He is very affectionate and has completely blossomed having a Mommy and a Daddy. He has grieved hard for his family in Ethiopia. He still struggles with this. Just tonight, he had me in tears as he prayed for them and shared how sad he was over the loss of one of his family members. Easter was hard for him. He thought that if Jesus could raise from the dead, so could that person that he lost. Oh, that was a difficult conversation. Yes, I have been stretched in many ways. I feel so thankful that he feels safe enough with us to let us help him grieve.

It is true that I cannot imagine my life without these two in it. They have made our home complete and been living reminders of what is really important in life. I can't wait to see how God will use our family for His good purpose in the future.

Please continue to pray for us. This process takes a long time. There is so much to teach them and our family continues to grow through the process.

I give all the praise and glory to God that a year and a half ago we said yes to God and began this amazing adventure.

Sweet Momma