Day +64: A week of clinic visits

Elijah reclaimed his special spot in the red circle just outside of the elevators at the BMT clinic. He loves it there! There he can watch all four of the elevators as they go up and down...and if he is lucky, someone will ask him to press the button for them!

 The week went by fast as we head out each morning to the BMT clinic. Bloodwork, weight checks, Immune system boosts, flu shots, and special nebs keep us busy every day. Elijah and I have adjusted well here at the apartment..it really helps that Elijah thrives on routine...he reminds me of "what's next" all day long. We are busy, but doing well.

There are moments as I am doing all things that need to get done..moments when the thought..
"I can't possibly do all of this" come to mind. Lord willing, we have about 5 weeks living in two households... There have been some tough moments along the way. But their have been many, many more unexpected blessings that God has given us to enjoy...

The tender moments between Elijah and the other children will always be some of my favorite memories of all time. Each of the kids have shown such compassion and love towards their brother...and what could be better than that?

I am truly blessed...

birthday pics!

Some birthday pics!

Happy Birthday Hope!

I always knew that Hope was a beautiful name...but as the years go by, I am even more convinced that God had chosen that name exactly for her. She came to us with that name at 10 months old. Her birth mom named her..we did not choose it, but we could not have chosen a better one.

Hope is the oldest of our children to be affected by FASD and ADHD. There have been times over the years when I focused on the things that our kids with those diagnoses could not do well. There have been times when I spent moments worrying about their futures...wondering how they could possibly survive in this world without skills that seemed necessary to survive.

And then there was Hope...she has graciously allowed me to learn along side of her. She is sunshine..that is all I can say. The gifts that God has given her, not in spite of, but through her disability, are gifts that will carry her far in this world. She has a spirit of joy..she spreads it where ever she goes. She holds her friends and family near to her...she does not miss a chance to tell them how she feels about them. She is caring and compassionate and stands up for the underdog even when she may put herself at risk of harm or ridicule. She is fun, carefree and ready for an adventure at every turn. I need her in my life..she balances me.

She has shown me that the future for our kids with FASD and ADHD is bright. Although there have been many struggles that Hope has faced, she has not lost hope for the future...and neither have I.

I see a teenager who loves the Lord and is committed to serving Him in all that she does.

I see a girl who is not afraid to face struggle and disappointment to follow her dreams.

 I see a girl who has matured in ways I was not sure would happen...

I see my daughter who God made created for a very special purpose...and with each passing year,

I stand in awe at the placement of each child into our family...he knew just what all of us needed.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Hope!!