So Very Thankful

Thanksgiving was days ago. It didn't turn out the way it was meant to in my mind. You see, we ALWAYS go home to Dillon. Always. I have only missed two Thanksgivings in Dillon in my 41 years. One time I was in Seattle with T, where he was doing chemo. We had crab. Didn't seem like Thanksgiving. The second was with my sis shortly after she moved out to the tri-cities. That time was a feast like none other. Man, my sis can cook! But, Dillon is where I am meant to be. With my folks. It is tradition, sorta. It is family.

So the weather became involved a day or two before we were planning on traveling. By that I mean it got cold. Really cold. Below zero cold. Like -30 with wind chill. And it snowed. It snowed a lot. We debated back and forth. It is a long drive. Wednesday we got up, packed, and then decided last minute that we shouldn't go. We decided that with the cold and snow and a vehicle full of kids and dogs that it was the smart decision. Not to mention the trip is a 5 hour trek in perfect conditions and the weather would surely add at least another hour. So, it was off. I called my mom. There was no composure. I immediately started bawling. I felt so guilty. So homesick.

I managed to whip up a proper Thanksgiving dinner....my very first. It turned out good, but it felt like a regular dinner. Definately not Thanksgiving.

I am thankful though. Very thankful. Even though we weren't able to make it home, I am thankful. I am a truly blessed woman. I have the most amazing family. I am married to my best friend and love of my life. And I have the most beautiful kids that I traveled thousands of miles to bring home and cried millions of tears of happiness over. We are all healthy, exceedingly happy, have great friends, super jobs, a nice house and plenty of food to eat. We have it all. But mostly we have love. I am so thankful for the love that fills my heart and the love of my family for me. It is enough. More than enough. A blessing.

The Lord is awesome.

Can you say lice?

Oh ya. You heard it...lice. Creepy, crawly, scalp itching little parasites. Seems sorta funny now. We were prepared for lice. I bought a box of RID even before we left for Ethiopia. Didn't take it with us. Thought I would treat when we returned. It was on my mind. But, I did several, what I thought of as thorough, head checks on the little guy. His hair is sparse, except for a dense curly little patch at the back of his head. I never saw anything even remotely suspicious. Then suddenly, four weeks later, I was combing through the Empress' hair and I saw a little bug. I flicked it out, quickly looked through her hair, and let it go. But, in the back of my mind, I wondered if she could have lice. That evening I did a more extensive search and found two more bugs crawling around on her head. They weren't anything like what I thought they would look like, but I decided to treat her for lice just in case. I assumed that she had gotten it in Kindergarten. We informed the school and I combed out her hair each day. That was Monday. On Friday I decided to use the little lice comb to comb out the baby's hair. I sat him on the counter and suddenly there were lots of little black bugs. Ugghhh.

Long story short, I treated him and watched dozens of dead little black bugs swirl down the drain. T and I treated. I washed, scoured, scrubbed, and sprayed. We have all treated twice. At last check we are all clean. I never saw a bug come out of my hair, nor did T, but we both suddenly developed what I call psychological itching. Well, at any rate, I think those little buggers are gone. Please let them be gone. Please.

Party for the peanut

Finally, we have settled on a date for our introduction of the little guy. We have been somewhat sequestered for the past six weeks. Bonding. Very important time for both adoptive children and parents. But, we are feeling secure. He is hugging, snuggling, making eye contact. He is beginning to understand that we aren't going anywhere. That we are the ones to go to when he needs comfort, food, a kiss for a bumped head. He has settled in. He is happy. He plays and sings and giggles when we chase him. He will grab my face in his little hands and plant a kiss on my lips. He is silly, smart, and has a wicked little temper. And, all this is very, very good. So, it is time to introduce him to friends. Time for us to show him off!!

As his daddy has been traveling a lot lately, we have had a horrible time setting a date for the party. With the holiday season upon us, we picked the only time that would actually work. Sunday, December 5th at 4 to 6 p.m. Hoping for a nice turn out. Excited!

Buddies

Our Pug, Attila, is notoriously anti-social. He is sweet, in his own way. But, mostly, we are the only ones who adore him. He is odd. He is hyper. He doesn't mind. He is a food fiend. He won't cuddle and rarely does he allow you to touch him. Very strange duck, he is. So, then comes Greer. Attila loves him. Could be because a rare morsel will fall from the high chair. Mind you I mean rare morsel as our little guy doesn't let food go missing often. Whatever the reason, Attila has mellowed. He allows Greer to put his hands in his dish while he is eating. They share toys. And, Attila follows him everywhere. At night when I poke my head in to cover Greer up before I hit the hay, Attila is at my feet checking him too. It really didn't register that the two were always together until recently when I was looking through some pictures I had taken of Greer. There he was. Attila the Killa. Mellow as a mouse. Contently sitting beside his new buddy.

The Whole Fam Damily

First family photo. Our little family of 4. Love it. Family of 4.

Turning the Corner

Finally, little man has turned the corner. Last Thursday he awoke like every other day, with a scream. He was genuinely upset all Thursday morning. More crying and screaming than usual. So, at my wits end, I called the Pediatrian and begged for and appointment. At 3:30 we went to see the doctor. I was assuming his ear infection had returned and he was once again in pain. Nope, turns out he was in perfect health. So, we went home and I lost it. I cried and cried. What the heck man??? Why was this kid so upset ALL the time?? Of course I fully understand the adjustment he is going through. But he is the current center of the universe and whatever, whenever has been our motto. We have, for the most part, stayed home during this transition. I have established a daily routine for him that we have followed since day one. So why was this happening. It had been three weeks. Then, miracle of miracles, he turned that corner. On Thursday night the smiles came out and haven't left. He has been a joy. He has become such a fun baby. He is funny and charming. He giggles all the time. He is now happy. Happy I say, happy. Thank you Lord.