Homecoming

Finally Home!!!
We've been imagining this day since June 2011 when we completed our initial adoption application.  Little did we know that our boy was just a couple months old then and living in the loving care of his foster mom. But God knew exactly where he was and the exact day that he would come finally come home....

Special signs made for Daddy and Elijah

Very excited big brother and big sister

 Seeing their plane land

lots of amazing fiends and family waiting in anticipation

 

finally home!

no hesitation to shower baby brother with hugs and kisses

**A huge thanks to Mitzi for capturing so many special moments at the airport!**

The first week home has been great for Elijah.  He's been playing lots, eat and sleeping very well.  So far, we think he likes us:)  Ethan and Addison have done well taking on the role of 'big brother' and 'big sister', showing him around and helping adjust to our routine.  We've had some extended family parties and he's been a trooper meeting so many new people.

 trying out the zipline

 with Nana

with great grandma Bo 

with uncle Bear and aunt Joy

getting a little faster at the bike riding 

Journeying On,

Good Bye G-tube!!!

After 3 years, 4 months and 29 days this girl said goodbye to her gtube today!!  Addison has gone over three months without using it all and has had adequate weight gain, which are the only requirements for removal.  We weren't sure that it would be removed today, so I told her we were just going to talk to the doctor about it.  But when she heard they were taking it out she was beyond exciting declaring she was finally a big girl:)

Many tears, hours of therapy and many meal times have helped get us to this amazing milestone today. However, I'm convinced that God heard our cry to heal our girl of reflux, oral aversion and gtube dependence.  Not only does Addison eat now, she enjoys eating.  That is so like our God....he didn't just heal the way we prayed, but far beyond our prayers. More abundantly than anything we've asked or thought (Eph 3:20).

PS-I have a post stirring about our new little man, I just have sooo many pictures to sort through first:)


Journeying On,

The Picture We Wanted

The day before our twins were born, we heard lots of statistics and scary medical conditions. I remember desperately wishing that we could have this picture...

Wishing for just a snap shot of the future.  For just a small window into what their lives would be like and desperately wanting to know that they would be okay.

While the Lord gave us peace long ago that everything would be okay, today we got to see that picture. A perfect picture of his faithful goodness.

They walked into school like they owned the place:)  They played, laughed, talked, learned and even ATE on their first day of preschool.

And to top it off, they did an art project with hand prints on their first day. As soon as I saw their big toddler hands stretched out on the paper, my mind went back to their tiny feet and the precious keepsakes we have to keep us humble, thankful and fully dependent upon him.

And this is only because "(He) is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us; to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!"-Ephesians 3:20-21

And best of all, Daddy got to be a part of the special day 

from the other side of the world!

Journeying On,

Happy Tears

While reading the story of Bartimaeus earlier in the week, my question asker (Ethan) wanted to know why Bart was sad and crying at the end.  Addison also seemed to be a little troubled by this.  And so began the discussion of happy tears.  

After giving a short description and a few examples, I asked them if their hearts had ever felt so joyful and happy that they might have happy tears.  They were quite for a second and then Addison spoke up saying, "I think maybe when we get daddy and baby Elijah from the airport my heart would have those tears."  

This girl gets it.  She understands happy tears and the longing in her heart to see her daddy.  She knows that when she sees her daddy, her heart will be filled with joy that only he can bring.  

Praying your heart is full of joy today...the kind that only our loving, heavenly father can bring and sustain.

PS-Addison (and all of our family) will get to have happy, welcome home tears on the 28th about 2pm:)

Journeying On,

A Precious Gift

The day we met our sweet Elijah 

we received the most precious gift from his caregivers

2 discs full of precious pictures

We know this is unheard of in the adoption world and we are beyond blessed by this treasure

precious moments we couldn't be part of in his life

but snapshots of many milestones...

first weeks of life

pushing up

rolling over

sitting up

crawling

walking

dancing

two birthdays

playing

growing 

and two years of love

Journeying On,
Sara

Initial Biopsy Results

Tuesday afternoon Ethan and I headed to Vanderbilt children's hospital to see his doctor there and have a bone marrow biopsy.  This kid was chill the whole way there:)

He wasn't a huge fan of the IV, but so thankful they got it on the first stick as he can be a tough one to get sometimes.  Then we saw the doctor who gave me the standard talk I've come to hear.  "Ethan's a ticking time bomb" and words like "these low counts are usually indicators of something more going on in the marrow" and "we'll know 1-2 days after the biopsy if he's developed leukemia yet".  For the first few minutes after these conversations, I'm a bit down as the gravity of Ethan's condition sinks in again.  But then I remember that we haven't seen this doctor is over a year and a half because Ethan has been stabilized by the great Physician in an inexpiable and miraculous way.  He should already have had cancer; already have had to go through a bone marrow transplant, but he hasn't.  And each of those days since July 2011, since his diagnosis, has been miraculous.

Got a good nap in with the help of the sedation team

The routine goes that they call a day or two after the biopsy to give the general results.  The detailed report of how many of his cells are being affected by the Monosomy 7 comes about a week later.  Today they called to say, "still no leukemia!" (and I'll note the nurse had amazement in her voice:)

Our family is rejoicing in the graciousness of our God.  Some on this side of the world, and a few on the other side.  And we're counting down the days until we're back together.  Thank you for praying and rejoicing with us in this continued miracle.

Journeying On,
Sara

Our Hearts Overflow

Although its been pretty quite on here while we're sharing over at Our South African Journey, I wanted to take a minute to convey how absolutely overwhelmed our hearts have been today.  July 23rd will be a day of celebration in our books. (well, it's already a huge day of celebration because its my nephew's birthday-happy birthday, sweet Jackson! We would be there to celebrate with you, but we're busy getting you a life long playmate) :)

It's Gotcha Day! So today we became parents for the third time (I feel really old when I say that) to Elijah Sandile Raby.  So we celebrated....thanking God for His sovereign and protective grace that has led us to today.  Adoption is a miracle.

Another miracle of today is that Ethan has a virus!! For a couple of weeks Ethan's blood counts have been pretty low and today his virus finally caused something detectable-an ear infection. Even more of a miracle is that his CBC showed a significant increase in his platelets, which is fantastic! While I know it hasn't been fun for my mom to spend so many hours at the doctor this week, we are so thankful and at complete peace with the care our kiddos have been getting from their grandparents. And let me just say that FaceTime is a wonderful thing!!!

Because his numbers dipped low and because it's been a while since we've seen his doctor at Vanderbilt, Ethan has been scheduled for another biopsy there on August 6th. He will also be having weekly CBC tests until then.  His next blood work is on Friday (26th), and we would love to see some super high numbers.  We are incredibly humbled and thankful for the many praying for our E-man, and we want to give you reason to praise while you keep praying for him.

Journeying On,
Sara

Our South African Journey

Our South African Journey is a new blog we'll be posting on while we're in South Africa. We wanted a special way to document our days here and Jared wasn't too keen on posting to the flowerish blog:) Thanks for wanting to journey with us, we're so blessed by you  care for us and are looking forward to sharing all God is up to.

Journeying On,
Sara

Wheels Up and a Bit of Turbulence

Well, it's taken miracle after miracle, but we've finally made out of town and in route to South Africa. These miracles started Friday afternoon when our final piece of paper from immigration made its way to our mailbox. After it arrived we learned it had to be notarized, authenticated by the Knox county clerks office and then state sealed at the secretary of state's office in Nashville. Nothing like cutting it close. We're so thankful it came and that we had some amazing volunteers to drive it to Nashville on Monday to get ready to go. So, here's how the Lord has been at work in orchestrating these events. The adoption agency wanted us to leave on 14th, but tickets were so much cheaper to leave on the 16th that they made an exception to let us come later. If we hadn't requested a later departure date, we wouldn't have our immigration paperwork. Praise Jesus!

Are delayed departure was also in the Lord's plan because last wednesday Ethan had his monthly blood work, and for the first time in several months it had dropped down. With the delayed departure, we were able to take him back in Monday afternoon to repeat his labs. Unfortunately, they were still low. We have reason to believe it could be a small virus that he is having trouble fighting off, but because his condition is unchartered territory, it is always a bit unnerving when the numbers drop. After the doctor and I discussed rechecking him on Friday and left the room, Ethan reached up for me to hold him. As I looked at his sweet face, I became teary at the thought of all my sweet boy has been through and how sick he could become. Just before I started sobbing on the poor boy he grabbed my face and said with the biggest grin on his face, "Mommy, why are you not smiling?" So I smiled at him as he began to sing, "a joyful heart is good medicine, good medicine, a joyful heart." Out of the mouth of babes...

So on Monday afternoon, we set aside our massive to do list and plans for packing, and we cried out to the Lord. The unknowns are always so great with Ethan's little body and the thought of leaving the country with a sick boy at home was just overwhelming to us. We had to come to the point that we laid it all on the table. Ethan, travel to South Africa, adoption of Baby South Africa, our family, etc...all of it had to make its way to the alter at the feet of Jesus. It was a hard and emotional afternoon as we sought so much wisdom, direction and peace from the Lord. And it shouldn't have been a surprise to us that we began to be totally overcome by peace. Peace that Ethan has always been and will always be in the arms of Jesus. Peace that our journey to adoption is happening exactly when it should be. Peace that the Lord has not brought us to this place to leave us, but to show himself as absolute Provider, Healer, Protector and perfect Planner.

So with inexplainable peace, we said goodbye to Ethan and Addison, letting them have tons of fun with grandparents over the next few weeks, and we boarded a plane on Tuesday morning to start our journey to South Africa. We depart praising the Lord for the amazing details he has worked out and great excitement for meeting Baby South Africa. But we also take with us heavy hearts for Ethan's health and prayers of pleading for sustained health and complete healing over his little body.

Journeying On,
Sara