ONE YEAR LATER...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On May 30th - one year ago - Joe and I arrived to Detroit Metro Airport carrying precious cargo - our Ethiopian sons, Muaz & Bereket. We were united with our children & began a new chapter in the life of the Asperger family.

It has been quite a ride for the past year - we doubled the children in our family, sold a house, bought a house, moved and began driving a passenger van ('Blessing Box'). I now have mastered the necessity of 'head-counting' my blessings when we go anywhere and cook twice the amount of food for dinner (growing boys...& I know it is just beginning!). We have doubled the amount of homeschoolers in our home & begun the life of multiple sporting activities. And one year later, I praise God that we are catching our stride and running the course He has set before us with great pleasure & perseverance!

God has hand crafted a family for us that is beyond anything we could have ever asked for or created on our own. It is exactly everything we never knew we wanted/needed/loved. Each and every hour of the day for the past year have been filled with parenting experiences that I cannot even put into words - blending families...molding characters...building trust...bonding...growing in love for one another...praying...establishing respect....learning...crying...grieving...anger...tenderness...discipline...forgiveness...learning some more...talking...mending...praying some more...thanking God for His provision...joy...sorrow...& love, but the greatest of these is love...

And there have been times that I think all of these experiences have occurred during the same hour...what a privilege to weave the character of God into the hearts and minds of all 6 of our children through each of these joys & challenges. It has been so important to remember that nothing is a surprise to God and He walks before us and with us through each life moment He ordained for us before He breathed life into our lungs....

What a year...what a God...what a family...thank you Jesus for the Asperger 8