If you have been readers of our blog for awhile, you’ll notice that there are some changes.  First of all, there is a new website.  Second of all, there is actually a post. (Actually, that may be the first thing you noticed).

We got through our adoption, and I realized that my blog was really pretty much about adoption.  So no more posts were coming.  But what we have come to realize is that life moves on after adoption.  Life happens and lots of it.  So we are going to be blogging more about our family.  And by we, I mean that this will be a family blog.  I will blog, and my sweetheart will blog… when time and laundry allow.

We will post our funny pictures, we will tell you what’s happening in our lives, and we will tell you about something that is sort of a dark spot in our adoption and our lives after adoption… something that we didn’t quite expect even though we knew things like this may arise.  That something went on for several months, mainly in despair.  But we finally got a name for it… Attachment Disorder.

Two of our four children are adopted, and one of those is just different.  We will never discuss his background-where he came from, or some of the issues as to why he has this diagnosis.  But we will discuss how we have dealt with it, because of two reasons:

1. It feels like a hopeless endeavor.  Living with a child who hates you and fights you and wipes off every. single. kiss. you give is beyond frustrating.  Wondering if there is a problem with you, your child, both of you??? What???  Especially when there are all sorts of happy adoptions happening all around you.
2. We have been told by everyone we go to for help (and our list continues to grow) repeatedly that we are far ahead of most parents at this stage, that we are doing the right things, that we were the perfect parents for him because of our ability to deal with the situations, and that we should start a class to help others.  Honestly, we don’t see that.  We see ourselves in the trenches, but with it being told to us by those who would be the ones who would know… we have to conclude there is something to it.  So we want to help with strategies and suggestions, and help.

So life is happy.  Life moves on.  Life is much more difficult than it was before, and we don’t do all the things we had thought we would be doing.  We haven’t had a vacation yet (although we have been camping often), although we are gearing up for one this summer. (Along with lots of camping).

But we have never tried to pretend that life is all sunshine and rainbows.  It never is.  But we know that we are doing this NOT for us, but for God. We do this because God told us to do it.  Plain and simple.  So no matter how difficult it becomes, or how boring it becomes, or how enjoyable it becomes, we must remember that it is all for His name.

We close with some happy pictures.  Because even though sometimes it rains, we are just like everyone else and tend not to take pictures during those times.  But we totally love the happy.