..."Brackish and Incandescent"...: Home

It was a long day of travel yesterday. We wondered how Abram would do with his first plane rides. Sadly, I did not have the camera out to capture the delight on his face as the jet raced down the runway for takeoff. He squealed with glee! He sang most of the arduous travel day...dancing a bit, laughing a lot, and quietly waiting when waiting was in order. The old hymn, "Sunshine in my soul today..." kept flashing through my mind as I marveled at his stamina and positive outlook...so soon after his life was turned upside down.

He took to giving us kisses and asking us for kisses yesterday. Oh my...he is like candy...I declare.

His eyes are very light sensitive and he definitely has poor vision. To what degree, we'll have to determine when we go to the pediatric ophthalmologist later this week. When it is bright, he likes to have his eyes closed, or extremely squinted. When we're indoor, he loves to explore on his own, sometimes getting very close to things so that he can make out the details. He sees color and shapes very well and his other senses are ultra sharp. His sweet and cheery outlook astounds me as he is constantly confronted by things that to me would be scary...especially when it is bright out and hard to see.

One of our teammates prayed the last week at our meeting that Abram would have a strong sense of "safety" with us. I have thought so many times through this journey, even on the roughest of grieving days, that he does feel safe with us. He trusts us implicitly, and it is proof of how cared for he was by his foster parents. He welcomes hugs, touches, kisses, and when we tell him we love him...he enthusiastically replies that he loves us too...

This morning, everyone woke up to meet their new brother. We'd arranged for everyone to miss school today (except for poor Daddy who slogged it out for the rest of us at school.) Abram was initially a bit afraid. We got in after dark last eve and he'd slept with Daddy and I, but when he woke up, I was away in the restroom and he had 2-3 new siblings staring at him in the bed. He cried quietly, and hid his head a bit...but it only lasted a few minutes, and he was ready to go out to greet them all.

Daddy had prepped them well to give him his space, and to remember that his sight is an issue with their first meeting. They sat all around him, many of my boys gently reaching out to touch him and encourage him with their gentle words of welcome. It brought me to tears again. Love, acceptance, welcome, belonging...expressed by each sibling to their new little brother. He felt that warmth and within minutes was eager to open up a little toy fan I'd purchased for him on the first day together. (Magpie had showed him on Day 2 that there was a secret chamber in the fan, one that when opened, had a stash of jelly beans. He showed me 1000 times from Day 2 to Day 4 that he had that stash of jelly beans. ) Within moments of being surrounded by his new big family, he opened that secret stash and eagerly began to pass out single jelly beans to each of his siblings. I was so touched. Next he opened his prized "airplane water" that he got on one of the flights yesterday that he insisted not be drunk, but instead kept securely in his backpack. He opened the water and immediately began to offer each sibling a drink. It was a revealing experience for all the kids with their new little brother...they were all instantaneously smitten. Each one of them murmuring appreciative words and agreeing, "he's so sweet", "he's good!", "he is so cute!"

I'll attach some photos of the Love Fest....and some travel shots, too...

I cannot imagine how the Father could trust Daddy and I with such glorious riches as these children...I am profoundly grateful...living right in the middle of another miracle...