5 Months Home!!!

I can't believe its been almost five months since I arrived home with E.  What else I can't believe?????  How absolutely stinking amazing this child is!!  I have gone through my journals from 4 and 5 months ago....when I was STRUGGLING to find something to write to be grateful for.  Now, I can fill pages. I used to pray and pray for her heart to change....then I started to pray for MY heart to change.....and by God's grace, it did.  God has helped me to react differently, to think differently, to LOVE differently.  And the result???? She is reacting differently, she is thinking differently, she is LOVING differently. 

Ok so the nuts and bolts part, here are the answers to the top questions I receive:

1) How is her English?  Her English is coming along very well.  She has started to use some of my favorite phrases...(but think with the rolling "R") ....."Seriously?", "I'm serious," "RRRReally?", "Silly goose."  It's quite funny when she says them...correctly.  And her own personal favorite "beekoz."  She is in a school that truly LOVES her and supports her and WANTS to see her succeed and PRAYS for her.  We are very blessed by her teachers, class mates and everyone that God has placed in her life at her school.  She now has friends, really great friends.  The communication was a HUGE hurdle.  I don't think I can express how huge that hurdle was for us.  It reminds you of a toddler that lays on the floor kicking and screaming because they can't tell you what they want.  Although she never resorted to laying on the floor kicking and screaming (that would be Me) she did become frustrated, well, we ALL would get frustrated.  However, since she can now express herself, her attitude is amazing......and she is SOOOOOO funny!!!

2) How is she adjusting?  Well since her English is developing, she is adjusting pretty well lately.  The first 2 months were HARD, like "What in the world have we done to us??? To her?" kind of hard.  But God, ever not so gently, reminded me of the times that I had those same thoughts about L, when I was a single mom..... at the age of 27.....taking care of an infant.... with colic at 2 am; or when I thought the same thing when we started all over when we adopted F, rocking a screaming infant .....at 2 am when L had turned 8 and could feed herself and cloth herself...and wipe herself.  This too shall pass.  And it has.  My girls are my life.  It is so amazing to be able to pick E up from school and hear stories about her day (we used to drive in complete silence, I'm serious, no exaggeration) or talk to her on the phone (without the need for charades).  She IS my daughter, I AM her mother, period!

3) How does she like the food?  Welllll, she doesn't...wellll, she didn't.   I can see her palette is changing and she is definitely more open to trying things.  She now packs her lunch for school everyday...... and most days she eats it.  I took her to the grocery store with me the other day, just she and I.  She picks up a pack of bratwurst and says "I like these."  I said "Oh ok."  She says "No, is question."  I laughed and said "I don't know."  So she throws them in the cart and says "I try."  To me...that is awesome.  And yes, she did try them and yes, she did like them.  For Easter we ordered paska, a traditional Ukrainian bread (my props to all you wonder moms that made it yourself), and a sweat lady from church made E paska as well (again, you got my props).  We do try to incorporate Ukrainian food occasionally and visit the Russian grocery store (its an hour away) about every other month.   If we don't eat at home, Wendy's is our go to spot for a chicken sandwich and McDonald's is our go to for ice cream. 

4)  How does she get along with her sister?  Wellll, she's 14 and F is 3, hmmmm, how do you think, lol.  No, but seriously.....they are sisters.  They love each other one moment and scream "Maaaaaam" the next.  L is a book nerd and E would rather be playing basketball.  All three of my girls have very different personalities but at the end of the day.....THEY ARE SISTERS!!!!  And Uno playing machines. 

Now please don't misunderstand, life is not all unicorns and gum drops.  We have struggles, um because they are humans and "unfortunately" not everyone thinks like I do (yes this is that part I can imagine you are laughing but in my head....it sounds legitimate).  She misses Ukraine, her friends and family.  I cannot and will not fault her for that.....goodness, I miss Ukraine too.  The first 14 years of her life.... I cannot fix that....and I want to....I want to FIX her past....but I can't. And with good English, comes the ability to share her past.......please keep her in your prayers.