I really can’t believe almost 4 years has gone by since Pearlie and I entered the world of international adoption and the journey our lives have been on. I started this blog back then to connect and hopefully stay connected to the wonderful souls that were feeling the same feelings I was feeling and who could relate to my perceived successes and failures along the way. I’ve watched kids come home, along with mine, and kids that haven’t.
The last 4 years of parenting these 2 kids has been a roller coaster of…Man, I’m the greatest parent and most connected to God right now, to…Dude, I suck at this, and if I can get through the next 18 years without causing too much harm to these little ones and not rack up big therapy bill, it will be a miracle.
Kaia is my princess. I know, I hear you sighing. Really? A princess? Although we have yet to buy her any kind of dress up outfits or “princess dolls”, this girl has it in her “enjoyment Guatemalan DNA” that Princess’ Rock. She plays as rough and hard as her brother, but let me tell you, here heart is as fragile as a glass slipper. As a Dad, I often get torn with teaching both my kids on protecting vs. sharing their your heart. I’m a feeling guy and teaching my kids to feel their feelings, tell the truth, and trust in the process is tough if I have my doubts about all that.
Mateo is “chill”. He is only 4 months older than his sister, but sometimes it seems like he’s years older. His personality fits for being the older child. He’s a guardian and watches out for…everybody. Mateo, is an opposite reflection of how is sister is ALL girl, with him being ALL boy. His love for baseball and hockey was programmed into his head at an early age by me and his Mom spending hours watching these 2 sports in person and on T.V. So in case you were wondering, you can guide your kids interest, especially if they are the family’s interest.
It amazes me sometimes when I stop and think about it that these 2 are not biologically related. They are as adopted to each other as they are to us. Yet, spending 9 months together at Eagles Nest (orphanage in Guatemala), and now day in and day out in the same house, their bond and love for each other is thick. As babies they had their own “language”, before they could speak to us. And now as 3 year olds they read each other’s mind and finish each other’s sentences. They are as tight as I’d hoped they’d be…maybe more.
We’ve jumped right into it these last 3 years. Sometimes we landed on our feet and other times not. The best part of all this is that we ARE jumping…moving…living life and experimenting with how everything God lays out works in my life and theirs. It’s fun and I can’t stop laughing, crying, smiling, and loving.
Peace…it’s good to be back and writing. – Jeff
