About ten years ago we bought a new dining room table - a nice table, but so big even without the leaves that I was sad how empty it felt when just our family of 5 was dining! In fact, we couldn't even close the circle holding hands for grace before our meals as the two kids at the end could not reach across. I have complained periodically that our family was incomplete and so loved it when cousins and grandparents joined us so our table was full! Well, Saturday morning finally fulfilled this silly desire of mine to fill our table and close the circle of hands as we pray together!! After 22 hours of flight and layovers, and only 3 hours of sleep in some 30+ hours, Amy joined our family of now 6 Everetts and enjoyed pancakes and sausages with chopsticks!
It was a delightful first day home and Amy is a bundle of curiosity and awe and smiles! Lucy (jhe jhe), Matthew (gu gu) and Jack (dei dei) have shown a capacity for giving love that I wouldn't have guessed kids were capable of and we are all enjoying this adventue tremendously. She loves our dogs, especially Maggie, which she calls "Maunkey" - this cracks us all up and I'm sure will do the same for those of you who know our Maggie.
Amy is selectively enjoying American cuisine, and has slowed down her eating to 1/4 of what she consumed in China -she especially likes KFC.
We spent Mark's bday at Camp Spalding today and Amy loved the water, trampoline, water slide
(if we caught her at the bottom) and wanted to try the blob! (We did not let her - thank goodness it was against Camp rules).
She has now decided her new siblings are far more interesting than either of her parents but she has warmed up to me some especially from 12:00am - to 4:00am each morning for storytime!!! Yes, we are all quite jet lagged and Dr. Suess in the wee hours will hopefully switch to a reasonable hour!
Thank you again for all of your comments, prayers, encouragements and interest! We are so blessed to call you our friends! (and family).
Sadly, although we wil try to combat the cultural norm, the pace of life has already changed and the luxury of time that we had in China to linger and reflect on our time with Amy and then blog about it has become scarce. However, for any of you that did request and are interested, we will try to post blogs periodically on Amy's transition to America, and life with the Everett family.
With much love and gratitude for you and God's faithfulness,
teri
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4 comments:
Thanks for the update. Amy looks so happy! I really enjoyed following your journey and Amy will always have a special place in our hearts after meeting her almost a year ago. I am so glad she's home!
Oh My Goodness!!!! What a great time for you all. The four kids look so happy! God is so good! Thanks for the update, all the blog entries have been such a gift to us. I know it will be hard to keep up on it now that you are in the fast lane, but I will check every week just to see if you've had time. Enjoy every minute of your family time. Print the blog entries out and make a memorie book for Amy so when she's older she too can look back at all this and see how God has loved her.
Love you all, Cheryl and the Schmitt gang.
Teri, Mark & kids..as I read your "full table" entry, I could not help but sing the little ditty, "He sets me down at His banqueting table, His banner over me is love"...and LOVE is what is radiating from your whole family right now..even in the odd hours of sleep and wake time! We shall treasure the images at the airport as we watched Lucy and Matt cry as they greeted their parents and little sister, Amy..and Amy's ready hugs for her siblings!! and the fun of watching her explore the sweet playmobile toys her brothers BOUGHT for her!! wow..such love..and Lucy putting little pretties in her hair at Mark's B'day dessert party/ Amy sharing her ice-cream with Matt and Betsy!! we continue to pray for good adjustments for all and daily improvements in communications for all family members with Amy..I LOVED her little love pats on my face on Saturday!! and she even let me hold her..that was honey on this gramma's heart..GOD has blessed you so fully..may you continue to see his blessings in the ups and downs in this blossoming relationship with your new little angel sent from Heaven...love ya..MOM
Teri and Mark and Crew,
I am just letting the tears roll down my face as I linger over each photo and picture your full table.
My heart is just overflowing with joy for all six of you.
When you get the time, come by and let Amy see our goldfish. We would love to meet her and see all of you in your new configuration.
Praise God from whom all blessing flow.
Judy and Sam
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