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Saturday, October 25, 2008

A Year of Grace

Yesterday we had a really fun day. It was movie day in both of my classes at our homeschool co-op (which was good because I had no voice!). I made the kids popcorn and they all seemed to really enjoy the movie (both classes watched the same movie because it was relevant to both lessons). Then we went on a field trip to a neighbor's corn maze, which was such a blast! We had a hay ride and the kids got to climb on the round bales (though I can't figure out the lure of that since we do both at home). After the field trip some of our co-op friends followed us home and the kids all played on the swings while the adults talked. It was such a blessing because there is a family that I have been meaning to get to know better, and they were here. We made everyone hot cocoa and the kids gave a tour of the home farm (the stuff by the house- not the entire farm!).

When our friends left, we came in and had a cake and watched a movie. The cake was a celebration of the 1 year anniversary of the finalization of adoption with our two youngest. I thought about that year and how different it was compared to our other experiences. The year after finalization with our oldest kids was horribly hard and sad and just so much work because it was a realization for them that they were never going home. It was such a bad year, I gained 50 lbs because the only way I could handle that constant deep pain was to medicate it with food. Even then I hadn't learned to fully lean on the Father. It was also a year of transition because as their parents, we had legal rights to do as we saw best, so they were withdrawn from public school and brought home. It was a hard adjustment on everybody. It was just a difficult year no matter how you looked at it.

This year, though, has been a year of grace. There have still been the everyday bumps, but not the long, hard transition we faced before. I often remark to Gary that our baby was the grace after so many years of turmoil. Aside from a few small medical concerns, she has been just like we had born her ourselves. She knows no other parents. She has no emotional baggage or disorders. She's just a breath of fresh air after all those years of feeling like we were drowning. Don't get me wrong, she's a ball of energy and gets into so much mischief you'd swear she had to have help. But this year has been blessedly 'normal'. Even with bubby, who does remember some things and has so many residual physical affects of what happened to him, we transitioned without a pause because he was young when we got him and he had been here so long already that it was just all he knew.

I feel like Job, after the testing, when he received ten times what he'd had before. Sometimes the crowns in store for us at the end of the race are presented before we expect them. ;)

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain..." 1 Corinthians 15:10

3 comments:

Andrea Cherie said...

What a sweet blessing you have in your youngest two! Happy "anniversary"!

laurie said...

So glad you have some refreshment for your soul! I know our issues are nothing compared to some adoption issues (we have many friends who are in tough situations), but anytime you have a houseful of children there is usually something your dealing with. I know it is during those times I especially appreciate the ones that I can enjoy now.

Tracy said...

What wonderful pictures:)