things i'm thankful for this year-

this crazy guy...:)



















and these 4 of course-
and i was especially thankful on thanksgiving that they sat at the table and colored for half of the day-
it was wonderful....





























and i've never been so thankful for or excited about mirrors :)
dave and i can walk around with a little more confidence these days just knowing there's nothing too startling going on with our outsides....















and PATIENCE. thankful for patience on mornings like this-
neiko's handywork.
every now and then he likes to empty his entire sippy cup of milk onto his high chair tray and then splash in it.















well, nothing new is going on as far as the adoption.
as the new year gets closer i am feeling frustrated that we aren't any closer to adoption then we were this summer.
our deadline is april 15th and then our guardianship expires.
i know it is in God's hands, and i am trusting in His plan, but i'm ready for some ACTION. for some steps forward or something.

at least neiko and i are each taking our own small steps forward.

i am reading a very informative and super helpful book on reactive attachment disorder. it is changing the way i parent neiko.
and i joined a group of adoptive moms that meet monthly- i went last week for the first time and it was awesome.
so amazing to be in a room full of women who can relate, and can give advice and support. we spent a good part of our time together just praying for our adopted/foster children, their birth moms, and our biological children.
and praising our Father for His plans for His children.
AMAZING.

and then neiko-
he is finally developing- at 16 months- the stranger anxiety that he should have had at 8 months.
i am secretly loving it.
i think it is a great sign, and knowing he needs dave and i to feel safe is just wonderfully normal.

and he is 16 months. 16.
i guess i've been calling him 14 months for 2 months now.
so we skipped 15 months entirely and he is now 16. :)

i totally know what i'm doing, ok?
i may not get ages right or even names right these days. i may introduce myself to you twice, and i may have a booger on my shoulder or a big splotch of something on my chest. i might ask you the same question twice in one conversation and i might be waaaaay too honest about my feelings at any given moment.
but i have things COMPLETELY under control. :)

yeah i'm totally kidding about the control in case you didn't pick up on that.....

but i do crawl in bed every night- after i've thrown out a stuffed horse or two, and brushed out the sawdust- with thankfulness.
knowing that i am blessed beyond anything i ever dreamed of. and that with the chaos comes more opportunity for growth and refinement.

i must have needed A LOT of growth and refinement.......