As I have gone throughout these first couple of weeks home, I’ve been overwhelmed with the feeling that it’s been just too easy.
Oh yes, I’ve written about concerns that Eliza wasn’t bonding with me. I’ve wondered when she would let down the walls she has built over the years. But even with all of that, adjusting to our newest teenagers has been overwhelmingly easy.
There’s so much concern over adopting older kids, and we were cautioned by so many that we were taking on a lot, and while there were moments when we were afraid, we had an overwhelming sense of peace that God had chosen the children He wanted to place in our family, and even if it was hard, we wouldn’t be alone. We knew we would be walking in His favor.
Now we find ourselves only three and a half weeks into our journey with our girls, and I am amazed at how well we are all doing.
The girls are just thriving.
Eliza is blossoming every day. She is growing more comfortable with the children, and with me. She seeks me, calls me, looks for me. She skyped with a couple of friends today. At one point she carried the laptop all over the house to show her friend where she lives, even out on the front lawn.
Tonight when I kissed her goodnight, she laughed and wiped the kiss off her face, but then she said, “I love you.”
Yes, she did.
Evangeline is doing so very well also. She is so comfortable and happy here. She is developing quite a friendship with Sophia, and loves to help with Olivia. She hugs me all the time and even sits on my lap and lets me cradle her.
She has such a sweet personality.
I just love being their mother. I can’t explain it any other way. Mothering these two is an incredible blessing.
Our biological kids are doing just fantastic. They have welcomed the girls into our family without even a glitch. They have just moved over and made room for them in their lives. They have never complained, or expressed any jealousy at all. It’s just like the girls have been here all along. It really has just amazed me. I am so proud of each one.
I know that difficult days will come. Merely disciplining children is daunting sometimes. Evangeline will need significant medical care, and I know I will need to work with Eliza in so many ways to help her catch up for the years she spent in an institution. The girls may grieve, and they may grieve hard.
But I know that the struggles we face will be issues that are common to all of humanity. We will deal with loss, and disappointment, and sadness, and anger, and the list goes on. We will learn to lean heavily on our Heavenly Father, and step by step, we will build our lives together…
one day at a time.
And the difficulties will pale in comparison to the blessing of loving these two precious ones who have already blessed our family more than words can say.
Here are a couple pictures of a few of us at BJ’s.
And here’s one of Eliza’s bed. 🙂
Blessings!
What a sweet wonderful blessing. I have felt much the same way with my two girls. God is good.
I love your post and I so enjoy coming back for more. And i’m really happy that things are starting to turn around. God Bless you and your beautiful family.
I love this post! When my kids wipe off their kisses from mom (particularly our little foster guy), I just say, “go ahead…wipe all you want. Mommy kisses are unwipeoffable!” They find this really amusing and it lightens any mood. Now they do it just to hear me say that crazy word!
Vertical Mom recently posted..Still here…I think
What a wonderfully encouraging post Diane! Thankyou!
Roberta recently posted..Hello!