Reality (part 2)

My last post shared some of the "real" that comes with adoption, but that's only a small part of the picture. As I look into my little ones' eyes, I see a treasure and a gift from God!

When God allowed us to add first Julia, and then J.T. to our family, He blessed us beyond what we could have imagined! They are both incredibly caring and kind. They are thankful for everything, from the smallest detail to the life-changing events. Their love for God and  faith in prayer puts us to shame. It's not uncommon for us to be in the middle of a conversation about someone who is sick or hurting, and one of them will scrunch their eyes closed, fold their hands to their chest, and start praying for that person or situation. It's precious beyond words!

This girl! We brought her home and watched her evolve from a nineteen pound, scared-of-everything, four year old, into a confident eight year old. She has caught up to her peers size-wise and is the life of the party. She is everyone's biggest cheerleader and encourager! The thought of our lives without her is unimaginable!

What J.T. lacked in stature and muscle tone when we brought him home, he made up for in personality and sweetness! This child charms everyone he meets! We've watched him grow stronger and taller in the past year and a half,  and he is so creative.  He is our resident Superhero, and he takes his role of protector of Mom, Amie, and Julia very seriously!

We have so much fun at our house! Our two little ones are fascinated by everything, even the mundane. It doesn't take much to produce screams of excitement around here. We spend a pretty good part of our day laughing at their silliness!

We experience the fun side of virtual twinning everyday. Julia and J.T. are the best of friends! They play together all day long, and we have instant social skills practice as they learn to share, resolve conflicts, resist being a follower, and put each other first. Watching and listening to them adds a whole dimension of entertainment to our household! They turn back the hands of time when they put on shows that are so similar to the ones our older children performed in our living room ten years ago.

Adoption has given us a "bonus round" at parenting. All the times we've thought, "If I had it to do over again,..."  well, in a sense, we do. We know how fleeting the years can be, so we try to spend the extra time, play the extra game, laugh a little more, and enjoy the stages they are in.

So many children wait for a family to choose them! They literally languish is orphanages and foster care without the hope and unconditional love that a family brings. Watching children flourish because of love and nurture is one of the most amazing gifts that God gives to those who embrace the orphan!

As I stated in my last post, would we change a thing? Absolutely not!