So Thankful
So sorry for the lapse in time between entries. Things are very busy around here. Emma is doing great after her surgery. She goes to the Dr. tomorrow for a 2 week post-op visit. We are hoping he will take the cast off then. If not, she will wear it for one more week. Then, she will move on to a boot that she can put weight on and walk on. This will also allow for showers instead of just baths. We borrowed a scooter from our dear friend, Lindy. It has been a huge blessing. She scoots around pretty fast. All the kids at school now want to have surgery so they can be like Emma. It really hasn’t been as bad as I thought it was going to be. She is able to do way more than I thought.
Victoria will have her first select volleyball tournament this weekend here in Cedar Park. She is nervous and excited. She is also working really hard on her grades. We are very proud of her efforts.
Asher is doing great. His speech continues to shock us. He speaks in complete sentences. He engages other children in playing. I took him to Chik-fil-a one day for lunch. He loved the indoor playscape. After only 5 minutes, he was leading several other boys in pretending that there were lions and tigers trying to get them. It was amazing to watch. These boys just follwed him around and waited on him to tell them what to do next. He was smaller and younger than they were, yet he was clearly in charge. He is very excited about Christmas. He wants everything that he sees on t.v., even things that are out of his age and gender range.
Levi is doing great in school. He got to see snow for the first time last week. His teacher took them outside to play in it. Of course, he wants more! I received an email from his teacher last week telling how pleased she is with his progress. He has really settled into the classroom and she is not having any behavior problems anymore. He is doing wonderfully in academics. His reading is getting better each week and he is doing Math with the rest of the class. He is learning multiplication. Last week we noticed something different about him. He had this twinkle in his eye and this peaceful coutenance about him. One night we had finished wrestling and we were choosing books to read. He let out a giggle. I asked him what was so funny. He said, “Nothing is funny, I am just happy.” I asked what makes him so happy, he replied, “I am just happy that you are my mom.” I was speechless. After clearing my throat, I told him that I was also happy to be his mom. He has become the most affectionate 9 year old boy. He hugs and kisses now on his own initiative. He loves to cuddle in bed with us. He continues to get up early, but we have turned a huge corner. He now gets up on the weekends and fixes breakfast for he and Asher, so we can sleep in. He has been told that thye cannot come out of their rooms until 7:00 on Saturday or Sunday. So, they play in their room and then after 7:00 they eat breakfast and then watch t.v. or continue to play. It is awesome!!!!!! He continues to tell us stories about life in Ethiopia. He even adds more details to old stories he has told us before. He did alot of fishing and knows how to use a sling shot. The kind that David used to kill Goliath. He used to kill birds with one because they would eat the corn his family grew. We are trying to find one, so he can show us how to use it. He is skilled beyond his years. David’s big dream came true over Thanksgiving. He got to take Levi hunting with him. The first two times David didn’t see anything worth shooting. The third time he was able to get a buck. It was a huge bonding time for them. David said that he sat so still and quiet in the blind. He took lollipops just to make sure. He didn’t imagine he would be able to take him so soon. We have so much to be thankful for. We are very thankful for all of you who think of us, pray for us, check in on how we are doing. We feel guilty sometimes to be so blessed. Levi has consistently asked for 3 things for Christmas: a fishing pole, skateboard and a ds. He will be getting all three. They don’t understand or know about Santa. We aren’t sure how to handle that one. We don’t want Levi blowing it for the other kids at school, but we also don’t want to make up a big story about someone who doesn’t exist, when he is 9 years old. It feels more like lying at this point. As we are explaining Christmas to the boys and all of the things that go along with this season, I most enjoy telling them about Jesus and what he means to us.
