A Day Full of Firsts....

Although this is Zeke's pouty face, this is just one of the faces he makes for the camera. He is already a ham.

This is Zeke's face most of the day!

Elly playing ball for the first time. It was right after this that she smiled for the first time!

Kaitlyn and Elly waiting to leave. Both kids love to have their cups nearby...must be strange to get clean water whenever you want it.

Today, we awoke as a family of 7. There were many firsts today, and the top of the list is my favorite:

· When Elly came down the stairs this morning, she looked around the living room at everyone (there were about 7 of us waiting) and came straight to me. My heart….it was a mess.

· After breakfast both children had their teeth brushed for the first time. I would brush my teeth, and then brush each of theirs. They did exceptionally well at spitting…..

· Zeke went to the potty exactly 28 times today (and only 3 of those were outside). He is definitely not used to drinking this much water, AND he is very fond of watching the toilet flush.

· Zeke ate a cucumber….not his favorite. The boy can eat so we have to watch how much he eats. But, never fear…veggies are not his favorite.

· Elly tried everything offered to her but LOVES mango!

· Zeke would eat a horse and a cow if they were offered to him.

· Elly colored today…she prefers plain paper and just marks all over it. She likes the idea of putting a colored pencil in the hole of a notebook and watching it stand up.

· Zeke can follow simple directions in Luganlish (that’s Lugandan and English). For example, I said “Awile water?” and he went to get his water.

· Zeke knows everyone’s name and likes to repeat anything we say (today, I overheard Jett teaching him words like t-rex, facetious and awesome).

· Elly smiled several times today. I wish we had gotten this precious gift on camera but they are few and far between. But, they existed today, and that was God’s healing beginning in her heart.

· They both slept on a mattress last night.

· Both had baths today…(thank you April Holloway for your excellent product advice). Elly LOVED it and Zeke screamed throughout his…apparently, he wanted cold water…go figure.

I could go on and on…but needless to say, there are also some difficult things that we are walking through. Both of these children have painful memories and struggles. We have to love them through every bit of that. And, it is NOT easy. Adoption can be painful and isolating and lonely. But, I am so grateful for all of the emails, notes and phone calls we have gotten over the past few days. We feel so loved and surrounded by a community of support.

For those of you who are about to adopt, know that sometimes you have to cocoon your family in order to deal with attachment issues as well as emotional trauma. It is hurtful and time consuming. Many will not understand. It is a struggle…. But, God Himself has a hand in all of the pain. He works in and through it both in the children's lives and in our lives. His handiwork is a beautiful tapestry of grace and mercy.

I am in awe of the way He has worked out the details of this adoption. Please continue to pray for all of the legal matters to fall into place quickly. We love Africa, but we love our home too. And, we want our children to settle into our home soon. Pray for a quick legal process and a transition that honors Christ.

PS We were able to Skype with JT's mom last night while Zeke was still awake fighting sleep (Elly had just fallen asleep). Zeke thought it was funny to see his "Meemaw" on the computer. He even said her name, told her he loved her and would see her soon.

Please do pray for the kids' sleep patterns. They are used to sleeping whenever they are bored and late at night. They have a hard time sleeping in such a new environment.