10 weeks

We've been together as a family of four for ten weeks now. Can you believe it? I can't. It's that same strange time warp feeling I've written about before. It feels like the boys have always been here, and yet, it feels like they just got here yesterday. It's amazing.

I said to Bob the other day "We didn't even make these kids ourselves, and yet, they're just like us." It's so awesome to see the way God works. Of course, the boys are individuals with their own temperaments and personalities, and yet, they are part of this family in a way children born to our physical bodies would be too. For example:

One of the boys is the class clown, just like his father.
One of the boys is a picky eater, just like his father and aunt.
One of the boys chews on straws and pens just like his aunt.

One of the boys is controlling when anxious just like his mother.
One of the boys loves cars like his grandfather and father.

The list goes on, but you get the idea. It's very cool, when we follow God's leading how things work out-there is no doubt that God put this family together. I pray that we will listen and follow His promptings always.

People often ask "how are the boys adjusting?" and as far as I can tell, the answer is "very well." They have learned a lot of rules and structure since they've been here. Of course, they forget sometimes and test limits at other times, as all children do, but when I look back to the chaos of those first 2-3 weeks, I see huge strides. They speak and understand English very well. I do see some "processing time" delays from time to time, and I try to pay attention and give them time to figure out what I mean or what I am asking them to do. It can be difficult to discern testing/disobedience from not understanding the request unless I am really paying close attention. One of them also takes things quite literally. For example, I told him to stay in his room and not come out until I came to get him (at naptime). What I meant was, don't goof around, don't get up and play, stay in bed and stay in your room for a little rest. And he obeyed. Even though he had to poop. Really badly, apparently. And so he tried to go in the trash can. Missed and ended up going on the floor. This is what we laughingly refer to as a "code brown" in our house. It's a good thing Bob and I have a sense of humor, or this would be really really bad. LOL.

Oh, and there is the "great cactus incident of 2010".
And Smitty our "pet" scorpion.
And there is the fungal infection that won't quit-just keeps moving around.
And an earthquake in Arizona?!?! So thankful that we missed it so we didn't get to see just how traumatized the boys were by the quake in Haiti.

But those are for another update. Consider them job security for the therapists/counselors of the future.

Thanks for checking in, and please continue praying for our family. Your prayers are what make the difference.