Two Years Home

May 5, 2011 we flew into the Atlanta airport with our son Israel! It has been two years since our sweet boy was in our arms forever, and I am so grateful for the light and joy that Israel is.

Over the last two years we have learned:

• The art of getting a child to sleep. (Ergo babywearing, cuddling, sound machines, etc). 
• How pointless sweeping the floor is. 
• The thrill of sitting on the porch watching cars go by. 
• That you can watch the same Elmo or Baby Einstein video without going insane. 
• How to be aware of an exit plan before actually attending an event- because you never know how quickly you will have to leave. 
• How to connect with special needs resources and advocate for your kid. 
• There are some people, social workers, therapists, etc who want to fight for your family as much as you do. 
• People say dumb stuff and you have to forgive them. (About being a conspicuous family, about special needs, about adoption). 
• No matter how confident you may start off, cutting your son's hair is not a good idea. 
• Pretending to get hurt and crawling after thrown toys is the most hilarious thing in the world to Israel. 
• At a young age (9 months to 2 years) Israel has shown how brave, resilient and strong he is. 
• When your toddler is acting out, he probably just wants to be snuggled or acknowledged. 
• Parenting in your own strength is not fun or easy. Grace from the Lord is absolutely necessary. 
• You have to intentionally remember that your adopted African son is adopted and African. 
• The words "car" "truck" and "mama" are magical when your son finally communicates what he sees and loves!
• There is no earthly sacrifice or gift better than being a parent. We are so thankful for our sweet boy who made us parents and for the gift from the Lord, allowing us to enter into Israel's story. 
• It never gets easier to comprehend how crazy, hard and beautiful that we are now Israel's parents. 
• Taking walks makes the day better. 
• Diluted apple juice brings out the sillies. 
• Having Israel home makes me want to fight for all the other kids out there like him that aren't in safe and stable homes. 
• Listening to silly song music cds is the best way to him down. 
• Reading the same books over and over (Goodnight Moon, There's a Wocket in my Pocket) is therapeutic.
• Although we entered into this parenting gig hoping to display in some small way the glory of God through adoption, we have been eyewitness to how God has shaped us and made us aware of his sovereignty, miracles, and faithfulness in a million more ways than we anticipated. 

Israel, we love you son! Happy 2 years as a family!