If a picture could say a thousand words...this is it. We had waited for this moment for almost exactly a year from the moment we saw Kwesi's first picture and decided to pursue adopting him. For 7 days, while Jeremey was in Ghana this time- I lost sleep because of all the prayer and excitement that the week brought...and then finally they were on their way! The kids and I were just beside ourselves trying to get through the morning routine and make signs while we waited to go to the airport.
Jeremey and Kwesi missed their first flight in the U.S. in Atlanta, but he somehow managed to get on a flight to Denver that got them home 2 hours sooner than we had planned! Now THAT is the way to do it!
After all that waiting...they walked through the door! Aubrey ran straight to Daddy and the rest of us just stood in shock that our 6th family member was finally on U.S. Soil! I wondered all week how Kwesi would take to me after being with Jeremey and all the traveling. To my delight, he looked right at me and smiled from ear to ear, and even let me hold him so Jeremey could take a load off. Then he was off running around the airport with the kids...
Our first week together has been an amazing, happy blur. We have played to our hearts content as a family and bonded with Kwesi in ways I never thought would be possible this early in the adjustment phase. I can TRULY say that he feels like he was always meant to be our son. This breaks my heart because I know that the tragedy is there, and out of that tragedy comes something beautiful. I am thankful though that God knew him in the womb, even though it wasn't mine, and knew that we would one day receive the blessing of this precious boy. All parents say "yes" to being parents when they decide to try to get pregnant. We said "yes" to being his parents when we decided to try to adopt. It really is no different. I selfishly wanted Kwesi to be MINE. to be OURS.
I am a little disapointed in myself to say this but something about him makes me a better mom to all four of our children. I wish I had learned sooner to laugh more, love with abandon, overlook faults, and give grace while teaching and raising our children in the Lord. I have spent far too much time in the last 6 years of motherhood taking myself to seriously. Each of our children have taught me something about life and made me better. Kwesi has given me so much joy. He is like a refreshing drink of water on a hot day!
We planned and prepared for a lot of scenarios with bringing Kwesi home that I prayed would not happen, but got training and read up just in case. Well...we have had none of those things happen. It has been the most natural, joyful adjusment I can imagine! We have had to get used to a new level of noise, the boys rough-housing, and making A LOT more food. I am way behind on laundry and cleaning of pretty much EVERYTHING. lol but I don't even care.
Our biggest challenge now is reassuring the other 3 children that we still have enough love for them too, they won't get less time with us than before, and that we are living God's plan for our family.
Grayden asked us last week how we "knew" Kwesi was supposed to be in our family. We told him that we prayed and prayed, and God answered. But he wanted to know how God answered...did He talk to us? So we explained to him how God put Kwesi in our path, and opened wide every door and smashed every obstacle between us and him. I am so thankful for what this is teaching them about faith, God's love, and the radical life that we CHOOSE to live because Christ gave it all for us.
My heart is too full to even put words on a page. How does one describe an overwhelming joy? It's like the moment you first hold your brand new baby after hours of pushing! lol Our labor pains this time were in our hearts. Not so much in the physical realm but boy did we feel them! Now those struggles are forgotten and we are just thankful to God for a sweet, healthy, bundle of African joy.
