Louisiana Thanksgiving



Grandma McGuire and her great grandkids



Emma and Sofia




Joey and his mom, Shirley



More fun on the 4-wheelers



Faith, Sofia, and Jake



Sofia loves the swing



Faith, Sofia, Jake

Faith giving Jake the "stink eye"



Sofia, Jake, and Andy enjoying the 4 wheelers

 

Thanksgiving

Over and over, God reminds me and whispers, "I've got this under control."  This is a chaotic season in our lives.  The ups and downs of foster-to-adopting, the business of our normal routine, and internal need to try and make everyone happy can be overwhelming.  But just when I start to sink, I hear God whisper, "I've got this under control."  So, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I can't help but be thankful for a God that has it under control.  I'm thankful that He doesn't need me to fix all the problems, make everyone happy, or be perfect.  He just wants me to relax and love him. Love leads to action.  So, by loving God, I will love others.  That sounds easier than it is.  Loving others in spite of their faults, even when they are unlovely.  But God does it for me, so how can I deny others?  Anyway, as I start to get stressed out with all the to-do lists, travel arrangements, packing, baking, and scheduling that needs to get done, I am relieved to know that God has it under control.  I'm trying hard to refocus on others.  The other stuff will work itself out.  So, today I re-worked my to-do list.  Mopping and cleaning the bathroom got bumped for some quality "nail painting" time with Faith and Sofia. 

The adventure begins

It has been four weeks since Faith moved in.  The past four weeks have been a dizzying combination of appointments, school, baseball, and adjustments.  I'm very impressed with the three younger kids for handling the transition with patience and grace.  The past four weeks have been busy, fun, and at times painful.  Tonight, I was reminded how painful this whole process can be.  We knew going into this that foster care and adoption is difficult, especially with older children; however, nothing can prepare you for that actual experience.  That's to say, you can read tons of books and listen to the finest experts, but nothing exposes you to truth like the reality of having a 15 year old move in and join the family.  The past several weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions and I'm sure that we are only beginning in our journey.  Today, I got an e-mail that quoted a well known writer, Oswald Chambers, "If through a broken heart God can bring His purpose to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart."  Sometimes, God has to rearrange some things and this process is painful.  But I wouldn't miss this adventure for anything. 

First Visit

This past weekend, we got to visit Salha for the first time.  Joey and I drove to Houston to meet her for lunch on Friday afternoon.  We anticipated an awkward first encounter, but we were pleasantly surprised.  When we walked into Chuck E. Cheese, we saw her sitting at the table talking to her caseworker.  She was very shy, but she talked to us and we played lots of games.  After eating pizza and playing games, we made plans to meet the following day.  We got a picture before we left and Salha surprised both of us by putting her arms around us.  It was a simple gesture that meant a lot.

On Saturday, we met Salha and her brother, Rami at Dave and Busters.  We bowled, ate lunch, and played more games.  We had a fun time.  It was great opportunity to get to know the kids better.  We enjoyed every second we got to spend with them.  Salha gets to visit us in Fort Worth this weekend.  Andy, Jake, and Sofia are very excited.  I can't wait to have everyone under one roof.  We are very thankful God has brought Salha into our lives.  We're looking forward to the plans he has for us.