We're home!

Some days, I still can't believe that we're actually home.  But, we did it!  The two of us traveled halfway across the world, spent 2.5 weeks away from Asher and Mac, and then traveled 24 hours back across the world with an 18 month old we were just beginning to know.  We've had a pretty crazy month. 

It has been quite an adjustment to get back into the daily grind of things with a new person to now think about.  When we first got back, Asher and Mac seemed a little sad/mad/disenchanted with their new brother.  But, as this week has progressed, I think the older boys are realizing that while their lives have changed, Strider and I are still here to love and care for them.  We're starting to get into the groove of our "new normal" and it's going well today.  That's not to say that every day has been good.  We've been home for 9 days now and it has definitely been a HUGE transition for Strider and I too.  The first 5 days back were probably the roughest.  On top of being totally sleep-deprived, I felt completely emotionally overwhelmed with trying to care for three boys' needs (who were all so completely different and seemed to compete with one another the majority of the time).  Also, I have never rubbed Asher or Mac's back to get them to go to sleep, but I am now doing that for nap time and night time for Kenan (and was doing it throughout the night for awhile too- although he has put himself back to sleep the last 2 nights with no pats!!).  It sounds like a small thing to have to do, but I only have a precious hour to myself for afternoon naptime, so laying with Kenan and rubbing his back for 15 minutes of that is the last thing I want to do when my to-do list is out the window.  But, even with all this, I am glad that he is now a part of our family.  We're still getting used to each other and feeling one another out, but he is so cuddly and lovable and completely full-of-life.  I am praying for God to continue to bond us to one another.

I'll end it tonight with a funny encounter with our neighbor today.  We live across the street from a family with 6 year old twins.  This was the first time we had seen them since we got back from China and they wandered over into our yard today to say hi.  As soon as they got to our yard, the little boy started screaming, "He lost his hand! That baby lost his hand!"  I had to reassure him that he didn't lose it- God made him that way.  He kept mentioning it the whole time we were playing, but he was just curious and processing the fact that someone looked differently than most people do.  I'm sure that this will just be the first encounter of many...

So, now I'll move on to everyone's favorite part of the blog- pictures!! These are pictures I took yesterday and today as we played around our house.  I'm starting to see some brotherly love develop and that is so encouraging to me!