Update!

Life gets a little crazy with 5 kiddos. It has been an adjustment, but I think we will get there in the next year or so. LOL! We really are doing well.

We had the great JOY of celebrating Haddie's 7th birthday! How thankful we were for that gift. I couldn't help but think about that number...7!!! At times I have found myself thinking of these 7 years without Haddie with different thoughts and emotions. Sunday gave me new thoughts and emotions that overwhelmed my heart with praise. In Scripture, 7 symbolizes completeness or perfection! It is also the year of JUBILEE! In Deuteronomy 15:1-18, the 7th year is called the LORD'S release, and all debts are to be forgiven. The reason for this law is to relieve the poor. WOW! How significant this is to the timing of the Lord bringing our girl home to us. The year of her release! Her birth into our family brings completeness to our family that is all a part of His perfect plan!

Haddie continues to be delightful. She really is a sweet girl. She loves to help. She will work her way right into whatever I am doing if she sees an opportunity to help. Her zest for life makes me laugh out loud. When she goes at a task she will hold nothing back. For example, tonight as I was heading down the stairs with Libi and had a zillion things in tow, I went to grab something else to carry down. Haddie steps up and pushes my hand away shaking her head “no”…very insistant that I not carry anything else…she would handle it. I keep asking her what I ever did without her. 

I have never seen a child that smiles so much. She is so happy. I believe that it is really the overflow of her heart. When we would look at the somber faced little girl in our referral pictures Brad would pray that God would bring a smile to that face. Bring a smile He has! That girl is just simply “happy”! We do see some behaviors which go right in line with post institutionalized issues that you would see with an older adopted child. We are thankful for the insight that God has given us into these behaviors and ask that you would pray for us as we seek Him to guide us.

Bonding? Well, it is progressing. A friend had shared with me early on that Haddie would probably bond faster with me than I would with her. I never expected this. It really doesn’t “feel” good. I fight feelings of frustration and guilt on a daily basis. One thing that has been hard for me to get used to is Haddie being on my heels ALL day long. She is truly joined at my hip. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t trip over her or run her into a wall. Yesterday I was sick in bed all day. While in bed she came to visit me a couple of times and my heart ached. I wanted to pull her into bed with me and kiss her sweet little face. I really missed her. I laid there and thought, “What is wrong with you?” Just yesterday I was telling Brad that I needed a break. Well, I realized that there was not a thing wrong with me. I was simply missing my girl because I love her. This may not seem significant to you, but it was a moment. One of THE moments! You see, in the process of bonding you will have moments that draw your heart deeper in. You can actually FEEL it…REALLY! Now, don’t get me wrong, I do think I enjoyed being sick yesterday more than I ever have! Seriously, to lie in bed and not have to do anything, to be ALONE! It was refreshing…how crazy…the flu was refreshing???? Thank you God for the break! 

We are busy with basketball games right now. I love going to watch Jacob and Jack play. I don’t think I will ever catch on to the game. That may make some of you laugh, but it really moves too fast for me. I can usually tell when one of my boys has done something good, and then I holler my praise from the stands. I think that is all that really matters. Libi and Haddie enjoy going to the games. Actually, Haddie enjoys going anywhere. She is the first one at the door with shoes, coat and bag. She cracks me up!

I am proud of those Arnold boys. We had some frank conversation the other night about being the “biological” kids. It is not always easy. In the last 5 years these guys have had an unwed mother move in, loved and let go of their sweet sister, welcomed home a mentally handicapped sister, and an older sister with special needs. Let’s be real, all of this has not been easy for their parents in their 30’s…well, one in their 30’s  Seriously, I know that God has begun a good work in these guys especially over these last 5 years and He will be faithful to complete it in them. They have learned that the hard thing can be the BLESSED thing. They have learned that there is JOY in the midst of sorrow. They have learned more about God and who He is over these last 5 years than I could have ever taught them. Thank You Jesus! Continue Your work!!