I'm sitting here overwhelmed. This time it's a good overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed with love by friends, family, and complete strangers.
Adoption is so many things. It's ugly trauma but beautiful, hard but heart touching, confusing but a gift, frustrating but humbling. I could go on and on. Today it is humbling.
This morning I reached out to some BTDT (been there, done that) Burkina adoptive families in order to inquire about their travel cost. I had sat down this morning going over the cost and comparing that to our adoption account. After getting the information of their cost, I figured we were roughly short one thousand dollars and inquired if they agreed. One of those BTDT Mama's took that and ran. Humbled.
One thing that I have learned over the last 4 years is when your adopted child comes home, it's stressful. It's stressful on the adopted child, your children, on your marriage, on your finances and your mental state. I have seen many families go deep into financial debt to bring their child home. The weight of the financial debt is like a rock tied around that family's leg as they are trying to tread water until they find their new normal. Adoptive families that bring home special needs children often have added health care expenses as well. Sometimes that rock is so heavy that it tears families apart.
We know, with out a doubt, that God has lead us to Wendinda. We are so thankful to those who are walking along side of us in this journey. You are helping in so many ways to make sure that when she comes home that the rock only a pebble.
Thank you.
While I'm here, I'll give you a few updates: Wendinda is doing great. She is learning many new skills. She is learning how to eat with a spoon, locating specific shapes and colors, staying focused on a task such as walking up and down stairs or following the leader. She's learning to sign. One day recently she opened a book that contained a picture of Kevin, pointed to him and signed "Daddy". She loves to listen to music using headphones and often makes noises as she listens. I'm just so amazed at the progress she has made since November.
Update on Danil: He is doing wonderful. He's finishing up the 3rd Grade. He's an A-B student and is the most strict bathroom monitor around. He's a rule and fairness enforcer. He recently did a project at school where he developed a product, marketed it with a commercial and sold it to classmates and other classes. It was so much fun to see him in action. He was one of the top salespersons in his class. He definitely has a future in sales or a supervisory position. He's the type of person who becomes very focused on an idea and has a very hard time letting it go. Yesterday, we went on a field trip to a minor league baseball game. He went with the goal to catch 2 balls, one for him and one for his brother. He was so focused on this task the entire time, it was so hard to see him walk away empty handed. He also loves to share his adoption story with people and also tell them about his new sister.
Again, Thank you so much to all who have supported, prayed and loved us during this journey. God is so amazing.
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