A New Season ...

I have had many thoughts and things I wanted to write down, but have found little time to actually execute my desires! So here is a feeble attempt to share how the last few weeks have been ...

Esther is doing remarkably well. She is such a happy girl, and very easy going. She is the easiest part of my day! Feeding and changing diapers is so much less challenging than convincing a two-year old that slivers really do need to come out, or agruing with a four-year old that scrambled eggs aren't "disgusting," or shepherding a six-year old into serving and putting others first. So, at this point Esther is a piece of cake! The kids ADORE her. Like Wai Tim keeps saying, it is like Christmas morning at our house every day when Esther first wakes up. It is good she was accustomed to being around so many other children at the orphanage, so the craziness of the three kids doesn't feel overwhelming to her. And it is fun to see Esther start to recognize them and light up when the kids come around to play with her.

We were only home a couple days after getting back from Africa before heading back to Chelan so Wai Tim could start working with his dad in the orchard again. I think we have been home 8 days out of the last 8 weeks! I'm beginning to forget what our house looks like. Our plan is to return home on Saturday, so we can have a couple days to get Titus ready to start school. His first day of school!!! So exciting ... scary, too, but very exciting. He'll be going into 1st Grade. I have those "rookie-mom-sending-her-firstborn-off-to-school" fears and I have no doubt tears will be shed on that Wednesday morning I drop him off, if not before. Veteran mom's can laugh all they want, this momma is nervous. Have I done enough? How do I help him navigate through the currents of school, friends, fears, hurts, joys? Is his heart etched with the truth? At the same time, I'm excited to see how he'll flourish and be able to put so many of his amazing traits to use in new territory. This is a bit of a new season for all of us ...