6 MONTHS HOME

Yes, it's true, time flies when you're having fun!!

Six months ago today, we headed up to the second floor of the Civil Affairs office in GZ to meet our little boy. The room was filled with dozens of families that day...close to 50 children were handed over to adoptive parents from what we were told. It was busy and loud but the excitement was so intense you could feel it. I think every adult had smile on their face that just wouldn't go away!

Something I never have blogged about happened about 5 minutes after we arrived. As I went to focus my lens, it totally BROKE. I mean, cracked on the inside, not gonna be an easy fix, kinda broke. I did have another, but it was my zoom and someone would've had to stand a good 15 feet back to get any shots for us. And in a room with 50 other families, we didn't have 15 feet where someone wasn't standing. Remember just 48 hours before, I lost my hard drive, computer, etc, in the Atlanta airport. Deeeeeep breath later, and one of the other mama's quickly came over and said she would take pics with her point and shoot, that her son wasn't even there yet and they had about 30 minutes. We had about 3. Asher was just behind the curtain.

Determined not to let the enemy steal an OUNCE of joy, we turned as they called "Flynt" and out came the most precious little boy I had ever seen in my life. My first impressions as he was handed to me:

1.he is SO BEAUTIFUL
1.he's TINY, I can feel his spine
2.he's not crying, he's so calm
3.thankyoujesusthankujesusthankujesus!!!!!!!!!

What an amazing 6 months it's been! When he came home, he was assessed to be about 12 months old, and now he's somewhere between 18-24 in most areas. He can say a ton of words...mama, daddy, ally, nana, nammy, pop, dog, ball, balloon, eat, more, all gone, thank you, ms.kim, bye bye, uh oh, night night, shoes, eyes, nose, and several more! His speech has really taken off over the last few weeks especially.

His eating has also taken off recently! He's eating mac n cheese, stage 3 jars, rice, oatmeal, eggs, pbj (break it into tiny pieces), and several soft things. He's learned to use a sippy cup (PRAISE THE LORD!) and only has a bottle in the morning and nighttime now.

He sleeps great, all night long and takes a 2 hour nap. He loves the church nursery and is thrilled when we come to get him. He's had two surgeries and his hands look amazing!

Of course, it's not all been perfect...we have had some typical orphanage behaviors that have been hard to deal with. For his privacy I won't go into them here, but suffice to say that no child lives in an orphanage for 2 years (even "better" orphanages like his) and doesn't come out with some scars. As heart breaking as it is to deal with them, I knew it came with the territory. And I'm thrilled to say that most days we now don't deal with them at all any more. The Lord heals!! He is healing his heart and it's an amazing thing to watch this little boy grow and change.

I tell Jay all the time, if we could go back and get another child just like this, I'd do it again NOW! It has truly been such a relatively easy road this time. Not every adoption goes this smooth, I've lived that and I know it, but this one truly has far exceeded any and all expectations. The Lord has granted us that, and I am so thankful. Not a day goes by that I don't just have to take a deep breath at what He has done in bringing Asher to us. When the Lord gave us our verse to cling to...the one that would start this adoption process for us, I never could've imagined just how TRUE it would be......

Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all we could ask or imagine, to HIM BE THE GLORY! 

Asher may your life and your story always always always, bring GLORY to the One who made you perfectly in His image. Your life has already been used to make the name of Jesus famous to those around you and to those who love you. We have no doubt that the Lord will continue to show Himself faithful in your life as He already has in the last 2.5 years. He has had his hand on you from the moment you  were formed in your mother's womb. He was with you when she slipped a note on you and left you where someone would care for you. He was with you for 23 months in that orphanage and He placed your picture in the exact spot where your mama would see it and make her heart skip a beat. He was with you as you courageously came to us without a tear, and as you have learned to love and trust us. And we cannot wait to see how He uses you!!!

"Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family,

that you have brought me this far?"

2 Samuel 7:18