March 22

We are 24 days into this adventure, but who is counting!! Each day that passes is another one we don't have to relive. Each day is another day that the boys are in their new environment and we are with them. Each day is another day that they have exposure to the language and our routine. Each day is another day that they are learning about their new place in life.
This adventure is difficult. Our comfortable life has been turned upside down and inside out. The real cost of our decision is with us daily, sometimes hourly. We seek the Lord for his wisdom and guidance.
Our adventure cannot be as challenging as what the boys are experiencing. I cannot imagine being six and eleven, leaving everything familiar behind and stepping into a new world. The language, the tastes, the sites are all different. The one constant is the brother that is by your side.
We are working on helping them to learn the boundaries in this new world. With the language difference, it is a challenge. Add to that the institutional world that has been their home, and their home life before the orphanage and we have no idea what they are all dealing with. Today we battled over having "no" mean "no". Thankfully I am bigger then the younger boy and can usually avoid his reach, but it is taxing to fight the battle. We have tried to not sweat the little things, ie, changing clothes, brushing teeth, eating meals. Some things have to addressed, thus there are the battles.
The girls are learning what we meant when we talked about the "cost" of adoption. We talked about what that would be other then $$, now we are experiencing it first hand. The loss of peace and quiet in the home, parents that are busier and have less focus, and little brothers that can be pesky. Ellen, Jessica, and Rebecca have been huge helpers in taking the boys outside and kicking the soccer ball or playing on the swing set. For that I am very grateful. We try to allow them to have their own time as well, but we are still working on getting all this figured out.
All prayer support is greatly appreciated. We are in the trenches and it is a battle for their hearts, minds, and souls. We are confident that this is the path that the Lord wants us on, so we will trust him. Others have gone down this path and survived. We will press on....
Doris