Forever Family...One year!

One year ago we became a forever family...February 23 is a day I will never forget.




Over the past several weeks I have been reflecting and reliving last year and I am so overwhelmed by God's faithfulness!!! I have been in tears when I remembered several specific moments in the journey to get our kids home. (Ebe Fialley, Meggy Dankers, Sandy Garcia, Edie Koller, Rick and Emily Everswick, Gloria Thompson, Allison and Dwayne Stanton...I will forever be grateful for your help during this week last year!!!)

We will always celebrate February 23rd as our "Forever Family" day but it is also a day that holds a special place for me since it is the day my stem cell sharer went to be with Jesus. (I was a match to donate stem cells to a stranger in 2011. I have come to know and love him and his wife over the past year.)

On the day that Gabriel ran into the arms of the first father he has ever known, Montie Duncan ran into the arms of his heavenly Father. It makes me happy to celebrate both occasions on the same day and to know that the same God who welcomed Montie into heaven with open arms also was holding and carrying our family through the long journey home from Ghana to Georgia. Abundantly blessed, indeed!

Montie Duncan

Personalities Defined

I am SO THANKFUL we all remained sickness-free over the holidays but February has presented a different story entirely. As Gabe and Grace experience their first true winter I have been prepared for some runny noses, sore throats and coughs.

It started with Grace and then Gabe and then Liz and then Adam and then me and finally Cael. Now...it is back to Grace! Liz missed 4 days of school last week and Grace has already missed 2 this week.

Thankfully, it is pretty standard runny nose, fever, sore throat stuff and nothing severe. But...I have been doing a lot of middle-of-the-night comforting, medicine-giving, nursing and I think it is so funny how each of my children's personalities have been highlighted in the way they receive my middle-of-the-night care.


Grace- (With major high-pitched whining, heavy breathing and LOTS OF TEARS) "I don't want to take medicine. Will it hurt? I'm scared. Do I have to go to the hospital? I don't want to take medicine? Will I miss school tomorrow? Will I get a shot? Do I have to go to the doctor? I don't want to take medicine........" (gasps, sobs, more whining......)











Liz- Drinks the medicine, goes back to sleep.












Gabe- "I will not take this."
Please buddy just take it. It will help your cough.
"I will not take this."
Please. It will make you feel better.
"No"
Please. Take it FOR ME. Please. I can't sleep when you are coughing so much. Please. It makes me feel like a good mom.
With a frustrated sigh, he swallows the medicine and goes back to sleep.







Cael- "Thank you so much mom for giving me this medicine. Thank you for helping make me comfy. Mom, do you remember the last time I was sick and I threw up? I'm not going to throw up this time...I just have a bad cough and a runny nose. (I bring him a tissue.) Thank you so much, mom. I love you. Thank you for taking such good care of me. This medicine tastes really good."









This reiterates to me:
Grace is still very needy and fearful. She needs a lot of affirmation, reassurance, and TLC!
Liz is very compliant and responsible and doesn't require many words.
Gabe still wants to be in control but he also really wants to protect me and take care of me.
Cael likes to talk! He is also very affectionate, sensitive and loving. If something can be said using 3 words he will find a way to turn it into 30.

I love these 4 treasures so much!!!! Looking forward to seeing how God is going to use each of them and their unique talents and personalities for His glory!