A New Life

This is a hard Job! I am totally drained, exhausted! Truth is, everyone is in transition right now, not just the two boys. Everyones world is being ROCKED in a big way. It's a new life for all of us. We have already had huge moments of complete chaos. One of them poured a cup of root beer in our fish bowl (amazingly it lived), someone took a dookie on their closet floor last night (not kidding), someone even got lost at church and decided that they should find a new family (our friend found him sitting in another wards sacrament with a very confused family). We have already shed many tears, screamed our guts out and laughed a lot. It's all good! I see progress everyday, although I know it will take years to fully help them heal and adjust. But all in all, its all good.

One of the fun things is seeing the world through their eyes. Things I have overlooked my entire life, like magic doors that open at the store, magic flushing toilets and soap dispensers that magically know you are standing there, the rotating grocery belt at check out, Garage doors with a button to activate it...the buttons....Oh, yes, all the many, many glorious buttons....

garage doors,

remote controls,

doorbells,

microwaves,

elevators,

toys,

radios,

computers,

cell phones,

Buttons everywhere!!!!!

I thought I would share a few of their first with you...

Their first room! I was super excited about it when I finished. Actually, Its also their first bed and someone usually falls out of it once a night.

Their first radio! This came in gift basket from a sweet neighbor. He LOVES it and just dances to the music only he can hear. I fell on the floor laughing the first time because I was standing right next to him and he screamed a question at me not knowing how loud he was talking.

Their first experience with a horse. Little man was very unsure of the entire situation. Big man could not have been more excited. He even feed it right out of his hand.

First lessons in how to act like a prince, given by none other then the her highness herself.

First time jumping in puddles after a rainstorm... okay, maybe they did this in Ghana but it was their first time doing it with their family.

First time getting on a trampoline...or maybe just the first time thinking about getting on a trampoline since he decided not to.

"Mama, Snap a picture!"

I wanted to post pictures so some of the families who loved my boys while in LH could see how much they have grown and changed. Big Man is our photographer so most of the pics were taken by him. If he is not in it he is taking it...except for all the close ups of his face in which he got really good at taking pictures of himself. A talent I still have not mastered. All these pictures were taken in March. I will upload more recent pictures of our last trip as soon as I can. You see, we only have pictures of the first half since "someone" broke the camera. That mystery will have to be solved in the next life, since neither one of them wants to admit anything.

He was so proud of this pose...I call it the "Cobra!" Say it with a really cool low voice...do it...its way more fun.

I can just see exactly what he will look like as a full grown man in this picture. He is so handsome!

Kind of a funny picture of him but he doesn't sit still long enough so I have more pictures of his older brother from this trip.

One thing we do have going for us is that they love each other sooo much. I think it helped them to always have that connection of love with someone else.

GOOD NEWS!

I like this title. If you don't know me you should know I'm a drama geek and so I've got this song in my head as I type it "Good News, Good News!" I feel like I just pulled the gag off my face!

After receiving sound advice from friends and officials we decided to take our blog private for the remainder of our adoption. I posted a few times after that but felt all I had to say was very sad. I'm not a negative person and felt "who wants to read a depressing blog?" Plus, I just felt plain depressed about everything. I decided not to blog again until I could say something HAPPY! So here it is...

We are done! The boys are safe at home and we are a family under one roof at last! Happy, Happy, Happy. (Okay, its not all rainbows and unicorns but that's another post.)

After a whirlwind trip back to Africa last week, lots of prayers and a wonderful Senator stepping in, we returned home with the boys late last Thursday night. We are all learning new things, adjusting and trying to keep our heads above water. But that room that's been empty for so long is now occupied!

This may come as a huge surprise to some people(the people who prompted our reasons for going private) but that was the point, wasn't it. To them I say this...You don't know us. You don't know the level of relationship we have with God. I knew I would bring those kids home because He told us over and over again that we would. We placed ALL our trust in Him. We never paid anyone a cent...did not need too. We know you tried to pay someone and now...so does the embassy. Luckily, we had built a friendship with those people out of honesty and goodness so they trusted us with these treasures. They were not for sale. The only one who gets to play God with our life is God. I am told you read this blog in the past. I am not sure if you read it or not but wanted to say that. And that's all I will ever say to you because we are done.

Thank you to my family for hanging out at the Airport so late at night to give us a victorious "Welcome Home." It meant the world to me! Thank you to all our friends and family who encouraged, lifted and held our hands, who watched our kids while we came and went. Thank you to all the friends we made along the way who became valuable assets to us and will remain to do so. I'm grateful for the temple and its peace and solice it gives, the moments of clear understanding and guidance it provided for us. I'm grateful for my children's wonderful cousin and her tender heart and honesty...she is brave and strong. I'm grateful to the sweet family who cared for the boys so much longer then originally agreed upon. I am grateful that this long journey is over and we are already beginning a new one full of happiness, security, healing, and most of all REAL LOVE. Something my kids don't understand right now but I am certain they will someday...because He told me they would.