Bonding

O.K. I had to take a picture because it just says so much about our "fab four"! Griffin is practicing the piano and the other three are right there on the couch as close as I would let them get. I thought wow this is a wonderful photo op to show how the bonding is happening. I have come into the living room to find all four of them on the couch watching t.v. together. I remember growing up my siblings and I would all be on the couch with my Mom and my Dad would be off in another chair.

It is really hard to convey how incredible things are going. God has blessed us richly. Now I don't want you to think it is "Leave it to Beaver" around here everyday but I guess if you know that show you know it wasn't all perfect. Sometimes the Beave got into some trouble by making a not so good choice but Wally tried to help. Who can forget Eddie Haskel? We have our Wally in Jared and Griff plays the role of Eddie Haskell pretty well.....Tori has the Eddie Haskel personality but doesn't verbalize it as well as Griff. Alex , definitely adds the girl drama.

Alex has difficulty expressing herself and her feelings. Breck and I talked with her today and tried to encourage her to not keep her feelings stuffed inside her but to talk to us. I can't even really begin to imagine all Alex must be feeling. She just turned 11 and is now living in a new city with strangers really trying to make sense of her life. Tonight after prayers she asked me to come back in and told me she was afraid things would try and get her. I assured her she was safe and that Dad was a very light sleeper and would hear anything or anyone so there was nothing that could harm her. I also encouraged her to ask God to fill her head with good thoughts. She then told me she had asked Jesus to fill her heart and that she used to not believe in Jesus that much but now she does. To show me how much she stretched her arms out as wide as they would go. Tori then piped in and said she too used to not believe in Jesus but now she does a whole lot! How precious these two little girls are to us.

The boys are thrilled and love all of the play options they have. Earlier today I heard them voting on what they were going to play......school........restaurant.......then Jared had the bright idea that the restaurant could be in the school..the cafeteria...Alex and Griff both wanted to cook, Tori wanted to be the P.E. teacher and then Alex said we have to have a math teacher so Jared of course said I'm good in math I can do that! Griff didn't think there could be two "cookers" so he started looking bummed, I told him I would be the Principal so you could boss all the teachers and the "cooker" around so I of course showed him how that was done. He smiled and thought maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.

We are learning how to be a family of 6. The boys have always been great encouragers for one another but I don't get the sense that has been the case for the girls. They were both doing their best to survive. We are continually encouraging them to "treat each other the way they want to be treated", "think before they speak" and be each other's biggest cheerleader. We do not want them tearing each other down so we do our best to put the kibosh on ugly talk. It is challenging at times trying to treat everyone fairly and not give more to one than another. We keep encouraging them to talk to us and let us know what they are feeling. I'm telling you if these girls and boys learn how to communicate effectively, they are going to be great mates one day. Each one of them have so much to offer each other and we are praying God will open their eyes to see that.

Jared is maturing and showed Alex how a sibling should treat another sibling by keeping his word. He is really a remarkable young man and is so truly excited about having the girls. Please continue to pray for us whenever God brings us to mind.

Thanks for stopping by!