This will be my last post from Colombia! In many ways, this two year journey is coming to an end. We have survived the roller-coaster called adoption and have learned so much about our Lord throughout the duration of the ride. We have been taught patience and to have faith even when situations seem bleak. We have felt utterly out of control, and have learned that throughout all of life, we truly have very little control. Though this seems scary, it really isn't. Would we rather be in control, or have our sovereign, omniscient, all-power God in control?
We are elated about coming home and showing off our new son! He is awesome, folks! However, coming home will be a new beginning for all of us. We will have to discover our new normal as a family of five in America. The girls will continue going to Frazer Preschool, and for now Samuel will stay home with me. We have tons of doctors appointments to take him to in the coming weeks. He is still learning the rules and boundaries of our family, and how to be a "big boy," and we will practice some schooling at home to get him caught up with others his age.
We so wish we knew what he was picturing America to be like. If he was shown pictures of New York City or Miami, he is going to have a big awakening when he sees Pike Road, Alabama. He has always lived in an apartment, so we are curious what he thinks about a spacious house surrounded by grass. We certainly hope he enjoys life in Alabama, where traffic isn't horrific, fields of horses and cows are always close, and everybody is granted plenty of personal space. We can't wait to take him to Shakespeare to feed the turtles and ducks, to First Baptist where the great folks in the world are, to Pump it Up to use tons of that four year old boy energy, to parks that are not cushioned with cement, and countless other "firsts." The big news is we have a first for all three of our kids in a few months! We are going to Disney World in December! It'll be how we officially celebrate his adoption into our family as well as his fifth birthday. AND my best friend Lizzie and her family will be there at the same time at the resort right next to ours.
We tried to stay busy today in order to make our last day go quickly. A sweet lady that partners with Lifeline named Ana invited us to go to a petting zoo. About ten minutes before we left, Brent got really busy at work and decided it would be best for me to go with just the kids. Not only that, whatever his sickness is has become much worse. My funny dad warned him not to look too sick so that people in Hazmat attire don't show up and treat him like he has Ebola. Ana and her two little boys, Pablo (2 years old) and Francisco (1 month) picked us up. Therefore, we two adults were in the front seat, and all five children were in the back seat. Man I can't wait for car seats and booster seats! We went to a petting zoo first, which the kids loved. Then, the kids played on a small playground for a long time. They were covered in dirt, but had a grand time. Lilly Grace kept calling Pablo, "Pablo Escobar." I was mortified and kept apologizing to Ana. Brent and I had no idea she had heard us talking about him when we were in Medellin.
The 7 of us then headed to a bigger park area. I don't even know how to explain it; it was way more than a park, but not quite an amusement park. Ana needed to feed the baby, so I headed in with four kids under five. Somehow I managed to purchase tickets for all of us, and juggled four kids. The park really was geared at older kids, so I was continually lifting kids and helping them "play." By the time we needed to leave, I was just as exhausted as the kids. We had a lovely time with Ana and her boys. She was so sweet, and the kids loved playing with cutie patootie Pablo!
We got back to the apartment around 2:00 and the kids were starving out of their minds, but were actually acting really good! They were great the entire time we were gone. Brent had gone out and purchased lunch for us, and ran to the pharmacy to get more of Samuel's heart medicine, some medicine for his tummy, and Dramamine to help us sleep through the flight. All of that was roughly $14. Incredible isn't it?
Though it was a super late nap for the kids, the timing worked out perfectly since they will be up late tonight. They are still asleep right now (5:20 pm), but we are getting ready to wake them up, take showers, get ready, pack, and go! It's been great Colombia, but there's about to be a party in the USA!
(I am still not able to post photos on here with our internet, but rest assured that in the next few days, there will be a huge influx of photos on my Facebook page from our two months here.)
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