We are thankful for...Laughter

Elijah and I have been home a week. We have been very busy! With unpacking our things, settling into new routines, getting accustomed to the care it takes to keep Elijah germ free and healthy, and helping the other kids adjust back to all of us under one roof, there has been little time to tell you all about it.

We are home and so very happy.  I am tired. The med routine right now involves care every hour. All 24 of them. Elijah has smiled more in the past month then I have seen in a long, long time. He is so glad to be home and so am I.  Our home is a healing home and I love living there...

Our Thanksgiving was all that Thanksgiving should be. Filled with thankful hearts, children and laughter. The 22 pound turkey was in the oven by 8 am. Then friends (who, between the three families have 21 kids themselves,) shared with us side dishes, desserts and lots of love. We could not have felt more blessed.

The kids made placemats for each other and shared what makes them thankful. As we shared the blessings we have been given this year, we found our hearts overwhelmed with praise. And then we shared a meal. Together. Just our family..Elijah can't be in crowds and we must minimize the risk of germs..so it was just us...minus two. Tyler and baby Evan had a placement at the table...filled with words of love for them. We talked to Tyler on the phone who had forgotten it was Thanksgiving...it isn't celebrated in Kenya. He called to see if we could help his friend who had been robbed. We talked about how much we missed him at the table. And then we talked about how long it has been since we have held our sweet baby Evan...we talked about how we are not made up of  a body with a soul but instead with are souls who simply have a body. Evan's body is no longer with us..but his soul never dies. We talked of  how thankful we were to have had him in our lives..and how we will see him again.

We marvelled at what God has done in our lives this past year. We talked of all the blessings we have received all throughout this year..even in the midst of struggle and uncertainty. We couldn't keep our eyes off of Elijah as he sat alongside of us...each of us aware of how incredibly amazing it is that he is here with us...There is nothing like a Thanksgiving when God has performed a miracle and the evidence of his healing is sitting right beside you. Each day is a day like no other for our family...

And then we laughed...and laughed. We somehow ended up with a surplus of whipped cream at our dinner. We decided we could eat our jello without it and would surprise the kids with some crazy fun.  And there is nothing like a whipped cream fight outside on a gorgeous Thanksgiving day. It was warm and wonderful outside..and the whipped cream started flying..we had a wonderful time..and there was nothing like the laughter of the family to make us feel at home.

It was a wonderful day...it's so good to be home...and we are so thankful...so very thankful..