one year home: time flies when you're having fun

It was nearly two weeks ago that we celebrated ONE YEAR HOME with Sam!  This post has been partially written since then, but due to brain exhaustion, I just have not been able to finish it.  There are some days when I can barely string two sensible words together at the end of the day, and it seems like every day of the past two weeks has been like that.  Those are the nights that I don't trust myself to talk, much less blog, because I don't know what will come out....a bunch of jibberish that makes sense only to my exhausted brain???

So, where are we today as we sit and look back the year it's been?  We are so far from that first day!

*I've never shied away from how hard those first few days were--how the grief and trauma was raw and hard to bear.  Now, one year later, we are free of all overt signs of grief and trauma!  Our Heavenly Father has healed Sam's heart and bonded us together in a way that only He can.

*Does he speak English?  How's his English?  Those are two of the most common questions that we've heard since we brought him home.  He picked up English very quickly; it's true that kids are like sponges!  One year later, he's using too many words to count and repeating everything he hears.  (I remember those early days when I would try and try to get him to repeat one word...now he's repeating whole sentences!)  We are working on getting all the sounds to work out because some are still a little wonky.

*Feeling right at home---those first few days home found Sam exploring this new environment he'd been dropped into.  Slowly, he became more comfortable, but he would still want to be in whatever room we were in.  If I was in the kitchen, he would have to be in the kitchen.  Now, one year, it is so apparent that Sam feels right at home here.  He is comfortable playing in his room while I am doing dishes and does this from time to time.  Just because he's comfortable doing this doesn't mean that he does ;).  He prefers to be wherever we are though, even if it's the bathroom!  The difference is that he's moved from having to be to preferring.  Big difference.

*When the fur flies.....Sam has three 4-legged playmates, and for the most part, he plays well with them.  But...there are days when he grabs onto the cat's tail and it takes a crowbar to get his hand loose!  When we first came home, it took Sam some time to get used to his furry family members, especially the canine who weighs more than he does.  One year later, Sam cries if we don't bring his 100 lb dog in for the night.  (They get along so well because they having matching fur ;).

*Anxiety sometimes creeps in---the overt signs of grief and trauma are gone, but there are times when Sam becomes anxious and upset over a new situation or when there are a lot of people around, and he isn't sure what's going on.  During these times, he gets a little clingy and wants to make sure he knows where we are.  Some kids are this way by nature, and maybe that's part of it for Sam.  But, it's also is a lasting effect of what he's been through.  To help this, we try and prepare Sam for what's coming next or who we'll see when we'll go to a certain place.  Cuddles and love from us help him the most though :).

*One year later, the amount of grace that God has shown us leaves me amazed at His goodness.  May I never lose the wonder of all He's done to bring us to this point.  To God be the glory!

celebrating our first Gotcha Day

 The calendar tells me it was one year ago today, but I remember it like it was yesterday.  It is a day that will be with me forever.  It's a day that I'll never forget.  The day that we took custody of our sweet boy; the hardest and best day of our lives.  I remember standing in our room at the guest house as Sam screamed for Ooma and looking at Jeremy with a panic-stricken, 'what now' expression.  Jeremy's response was a simple and matter of fact, "It'll get better."  In that moment, I couldn't see far enough down the road to see how right he would prove to be....

One year later...oh, how right he was!

How much better it is can be heard in the laughter and silliness of a little boy who squealed with delight as we played a made-up game with balloons and pool noodles.  {Around here pool noodles aren't seasonal items.  They're used year round for things like sword fights, cat chasing, hurdle jumping, surprise attacks etc.}

How much better it is can be seen in a mama walking hand in hand with the child of her heart, looking for "moos."  {code word for cows}

How much better it is was reflected on the faces of each member of WarrenFamily3.0 as we gathered around the dinner table and celebrated all this day means to us.  {Included were party must haves: balloons--albeit a little beat up, cheesecake, and presents}

How much better it is can be felt in the recesses of my heart which became completely overwhelmed as I reflected on all God has done; as tears streamed down my face, I was amazed anew at His incredible love and goodness.

How much better it is can be witnessed every day in the contentment of one precious son who has moved past the trauma/grief and spends each day with his Mama and Uppa at "Lucy Roux House" playing choo-choos and doing little boy things {read: meddling into that which does not fall into the toy category} ;).

To God be the glory; great things He has done!

cheater bulgogi, sneak attacks, and it's almost spring (right?)

It's been a crazy past couple of weeks, including the fact that it snowed/iced so much in the Deep South that we were stuck for days!  Apparently Old Man Winter does not care that the Deep South doesn't do snow or that the calendar now says March because there are still some snowy patches left in my yard.  Sam also doesn't care that it is March and very close to spring; he just loves to play in the snow.  He also loves to throw snow balls. At me.  His very own mother.  Let me just say that I did not return fire, but I can't promise that for next time...

Despite the fact that he attacked me from behind and pelted me with snow balls mercilessly, I still fed him one of his favorite Korean dishes, Bulgogi, for the Friday night special. Actually, it's a cheater version because it uses ground meat instead of something like flank steak, but he doesn't know that ;).  It takes fifteen minutes to get on the table, making it one of my favorite dishes, too.

P.S.  We're gearing up to for some major celebrating this week as we remember where we were this time last year.  God has been good to us, and there is much to celebrate!  Stay tuned.