Praying for patience

Each person in our family is feeling the happiness and stress of adding a new little one to the house. I suppose Eli should be the one most out of sorts, but he isn't. He's a happy baby...eating like a pig and growing. He still has the "orphanage cold" he came to us with, and I gave him an antibiotic today as I think it may be in his ears now. Yesterday was the first day he cried for me while Josh was holding him...we were so excited!

Cora loves her baby brother and often gives me a play by play of his every movement, "Mommy, mommy, Eli smiled. Eli touched me. Eli pulled my hair...". She has been a bit more defiant though. She seems to know she lost her place as the baby, so she's giving us a hard time. I truly feel bad for her, so we've been trying to snuggle more.

Sam is, well, same old Sam. He also loves Eli, sometimes too much for Eli's taste. This week is a big adventure for Sam, as he's flying with his Nana and Papaw and Great-grandpa to Florida for a visit with family. He is sooo excited to fly and see alligators. We gave him some money to take along and he said he would by us some Ethiopian stuff...little confused there. Anyway, we are so happy he gets this opportunity (if it weren't for grandparents, our kids might never get off the farm:) I'm ashamed to admit that I'm also glad for a little break for the jabber mouth...did I just type that!? No really though, I think God knows what we all need, and this trip is a blessing to us all.

Josh is so great helping at home. The kids adore him. He has lots of jobs he'd like to do outside, but right now he just comes home and helps with the kids. I take a big sigh when he gets home in the afternoon.

I am so happy to have Eli home. During the adoption process you are always waiting on something, often with butterflies in your stomach. Now, that feeling of nervous anticipation is gone, and I don't miss it. It is not a let down, it is a relief because my baby is HERE! This said, having three kids is hard! I am an organized person stuck in a crazy life. God is working on me though, and He knew I would feel this way. I am praying for patience for each one of us as we find our "new normal".

Finally, Josh and I are both in awe of God's plan for adoption...adopting us. Eli was truly lost without hope until we took him and made him our own child, with all the benefits (well don't ask Sam about that). This so clearly illustrates how God saved us when we were lost in sin. The Bible says He ADOPTED us. Now we are His children forever, with all the benefits, and there are many. How wonderful that our family has a constant reminder of God's salvation and love.