Our 1 Year!!!

It's our 1 year Anniversary of becoming a family of 8!! Our "Gotcha Day" as it's often referred to in the adoption world. A year.... 12 months... 365 days... and we're all still standing... Whew!! That in itself is a major accomplishment!

Where to begin... what to say... no idea how to put a year into words so I've decided to show some pictures....and express some of my feelings along the way.



Our very first meeting. Just off a 17 hour plane ride. The kids met us at the Airport when we got to Ethiopia. Can't even put it into words... and yet I remember the feelings so vividly.... from elated, to overwhelmed, to scared, to happy, to anxious... I remember feeling so scared on the taxi ride to the guest house and feeling I was living in my dream ... and wishing it really was just a dream. Had no idea how I was going to parent all these kids.



The kids first night together. It was late, we were all tired and not really able to communicate but they all could understand a card game. I remember watching them all together and feeling like I could breathe again. It was a beautiful sight... siblings.. very loosely attached... starting the bonding process. I still wasn't sure we could do this but Randy was doing great so I was able to sleep knowing one of us was ok with all that had just happened.



Justin and my boys. They got along amazingly! It was a whirlwind. We were trying to take it all in and only had a week. We wanted to see everything and get to know our kids history. There were a lot of us. Found myself doing head counts to make sure we had everyone. I was too busy to even know what I was feeling. I was also afraid to check in on what I was feeling so the busyness was a way out. The kids were getting along great and that sure helped. Still so scared and worried if we had made the right decision. I loved the idea of the kids joining our clan but wasn't sure I was the one to parent them. Wondered why God had called us, especially me, when I was feeling so incapable.



After the whirlwind of a week, it was back home to Michigan. Lots of emotions going on with the transition as well. Still scared, especially because Randy was heading back to S Carolina. But also so excited for the many "firsts" for the kids. I remember them experiencing snow for the first time. I remember when they thought they were sinking into the earth the first time they stepped on the snow covered grass.



I was still nervous that we had what it took. So many decisions had to be made and Randy was working in S Carolina. School or homeschool?? The dental visits and deciding what needed work immediately and what we could space out. Then visiting the doctor and trying to keep track of who needed what. Even the doctor would get confused asking which child I was talking about. Deciding if we should stay in Michigan or leave the house on the market and head to SC?? Thanksgiving time came quickly. So did our annual Christmas production. Bonny performed and I worked in make-up. Still such a whirlwind. The kids began to audit some high school classes to get the feel of American school. And then Christmas. I was overwhelmed and still trying to accept my new role and all the responsibilities with Randy away.



It snowed more than I ever remember... and I grew up in Michigan. I remember the kids thinking their legs were frozen off. Their skin had never felt snow. Some fun times playing in the snow. Some not so fun times needing to shovel what seemed like every morning before pulling the car from the garage to drive to school.

In January we visited Randy in SC and decided we had enough of the Michigan winters. We made the decision to move by the end of the month. I couldn't believe the paperwork required to enroll the kids in school. A mortgage closing would have been easier. I was coming to accept our new life. It was full of craziness and funny stories. Things were not as I had imagined but how could I ever imagine what life would look like. I had no experience with adding three international teens to our family. For that matter, I was discovering it wasn't a common occurrence so there weren't a lot of stories out there.



So unsure if I'd like life in the south. Randy was convinced I would. He was absolutely loving the weather. One thing I knew I'd surely love was being only 2 hours from the ocean. Spring break we took the kids for their first trip to the ocean. Man, I tear up just remembering the emotions.... and feeling so thankful for pressing on those first few months. No challenge felt too big at that moment. I was beginning to feel this was definitely God's plan for our family. Still plenty of obstacles. Still lots of uncertainties. Lots of trial and error on our part as parents. We had raised a few through the teens years but this was so different. We had to learn new skills. It's not easy teaching an old dog new tricks... Randy and I are proof of that. We kept wanting to fall back on the tried and true techniques. Time would prove the social worker was right.



South Carolina was quickly becoming our new home. The kids were so happy with the weather after their 3 month experience in Michigan. We still can't get them to understand life in Michigan is not always -35 degree wind chills.



Spring Break had welcome visits from family and friends. The kids were so happy to see The Pages again. They will always be part of our extended family.



Yet another first... tubing on the lake. Fun stuff!



Some family time...


And getting citizenship...



And loving your sister...




It has been a year of trial and error. A year of transition and adjustment. A year of learning and growing. A year of bonding and attaching. A year of taking steps towards trust. Trust is such a biggy and takes time to develop. The kids want to know we're in it for the long haul... something they lack experience with. We try to prove it daily with our actions. We try to remain consistent even though our lives have us in constant transition. We stay consistent for a day or a week or a month and then revert back to the comfortable. Before we know it, we're parenting like we always had... but not what's most effective for the kids. We encounter a melt down ... or a blow up... and wonder what went wrong. We pull out the books and contact the social worker for help as we work our way back to consistency. Again God gives us another chance. We run with the fresh start and try again. He shows us He is always there no matter what life may bring. He has used this experience to draw us closer to Him. We have all grown in the process.

There are still days I feel in over my head... but don't all parents?? Still days I wonder why God trusted us when we miss the mark. Still days when God shows me my patience needs more work. Still times I question, but am glad to say I'm learning to quit asking why and instead truly understand our family was created by the perfect artist.

Today we are celebrating becoming a family of 8! Kyle will join the clan in the spring and we will be a family of 9. It's not been easy... but God is good. I can't imagine our family any other way! Each child makes our family unique and special! We thank God for his many blessings! We are proof that He doesn't call the equipped but He surely does equip the called!