Robert's Day

This whole adoption thing sure has been exciting, depressing, invigorating, rewarding, challenging, great and frustrating all rolled up into one nice little (or big, depending how you look at it) package. I sound bi-polar, huh? Well, I'm not. It's just the truth. We've experienced so many emotional mood swings, that it's not even funny. If anyone ever tells you it's easy to adopt a large sibling group... run! Because they're lying. It's not. There are so many things that we never thought of that we have had to walk through (and still are). It's hard. But it is definitely worth it. Yesterday was Robert, the youngest of the groups, 3rd birthday. He is such a special kid. He always looked so angry when we first got him. You could really tell that he had seen and experienced things that no child should ever have experienced. But over the last several months his temperament has totally changed. He is definitely a mommas boy ( which he tells me several times a day, just to tease me) and he loves being in a family. There have definitely been a few rough days over the last 8 months (especially here lately) but yesterday wasn't one of them. Yesterday was one of those days where we could really see and get satisfaction knowing that we're making a difference in the lives of our children. Having spent almost his entire life in an orphanage, little Robert never really celebrated a birthday the way you and I know it. He never had a cake or presents or anyone sing the birthday song to him. Today was his day. We took all the kids skating, opened presents and sang the birthday song to him. If you could have seen his little face. The appreciation and joy that he had... it was amazing. As he opened his presents (nothing even that spectacular) he was so happy and just sat there and jumped up and down, yelling, "yay, yay, yay!" Man, he was so happy! This may not seem like a big deal, but to us it was huge. You see, there have been several days when we've thought, "have we done the right thing by taking in all these kids?" "Did we really hear from God? Because some days are tough. But it's in the days like yesterday that we know, yes... we are doing the right thing. We did hear from God and these kids are growing up in a family that not only celebrates birthdays, but we also celebrate the fact that we serve a living God. A God that loves us and loves our children. A God that has a destiny and purpose for each and every one of our kids. So, thank you Lord for allowing us to experience difficult times... because it makes days like yesterday even sweeter.

Love ya,

Robert's Proud Daddy