I opened up my computer to see these pictures!!!
The struggle to get them home a distant memory now everyday life and a whole new mindset. You imagine what life will be like but you have no real clue until it happens.
We are a family of 7.... a multiracial family.... What has changed in 3 years??? A LOT!!
For starters these kids have grown like weeds!!!! They are both doing amazing!!! If you never met our family and had no clue that they were adopted you would never know. Their English is amazing and they both are doing awesome in school and socially.
What has changed for our family??
At first you wonder will you ever be attached to kids whom you did not give birth to..umm YES!! I have 5 children all a gift from God! It will be 3 years in December that we all stepped off the plane but it feels like we have always been a family of 7! So if you are new to the journey keep the faith it will happen! Maybe not at the same pace as another family you know but at your own pace! Adoption is not easy the whole bonding thing takes work..lots of work but God will walk with you on this journey!!! One day it will be easier and it will feel Normal..Or as I say a new normal!
Well talking about being a multi racial family and being one are way different! You throw out all of these hypothetical situations in your head, you try to come up with responses for the statements and questions you will be asked BUT until it happens you are clueless what your response will be. We walk out the door and you never know how people will respond.. You get questioning looks.. some rude comments but we Are a family living in a 98% white suburb some days our kids are the other 2%. We as a family have all opened our eyes to a new world. A world my sweet brown kiddos will live their whole lives. Will they be looked upon differently because of the color of their skin..Yes! Is it right? NO is it and unfortunate reality? YES is their real racism? YES! We educate ourselves and our children, we pray that our children our judged for the amazing indiviuals that they are but prepare them for the fact that may not always be the case. But we as a family don't see color we see Love and we pray for the hearts of those who don't to be changed. We cant change the world view but we can control ours..
What did I not expect the day I got the call???
Well my heart being broken. Broken for family half way around the world. Heartache for the Millions of children I cant save or help. A feeling of overwhelming Joy and heartache every time I share a special moment with my kids. Joy because I am their mother and get the experience so many of their "firsts" heartache knowing they have family in Ethiopia missing these amazing moments. God used this whole experience to open our hearts wide open and I would not change it for a second!!
Is it hard?? Would you do it again??
Hard Oh my gosh unless you have been through it you have NO CLUE!! Its a long, hard stressful process..Its expensive, it stresses relationships, its makes you lose sleep, shed many tears and sometimes you hair falls out from all the stress!(well mine did!!) BUT I would do it again in a second!! I would go through anything for all of my children!! For now being a family of 7 is where we will stay but only God knows what the future holds for us or our kiddos!!
Today we remember the amazing feeling that we all felt when we first saw your sweet faces!!!!
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| July 15th 2013 |
