Boredom is the enemy.

We are coming up on 5 weeks home. With all the holiday celebrations and lack of school until next year, boredom has revealed itself to be a dangerous enemy. We have spent a lot of time working on figuring out new things to do to teach new patterns of activity to fill our day. Many things we do are not interesting to our new daughter and somethings are difficult because of the language barrier. Thankfully we have gotten thru the Christmas celebrations without issue as Joy had never celebrated the holiday in China. She was happy with her gifts and thankful for the generosity from family. 

Grief is a deep, fluxuating constant that is always there and never lets one know when it will surface. Most times the worst time is at night when all is quiet, or during the day when there is "nothing to do". Grief cannot and should not be burried or ignored. We know the waves will arrive, just not when. We do the best we can to comfort, show grace and talk through the waves of grief, anger, questioning and rough patches. God is so good and even through the rough days He gives us strength, teamwork and grace to make it thru. 

Joy, jessica and Jared are adjusting as well as can be at this very early period. Sibling relationships and the dynamic of 3 instead of 2 is working itself out and forming new patterns of life in our home. I am so thankful for their hard work and grace as Joy adjusts to the family. Jessica was born to be a middle sister and is taking to the new role with grace, energy and a teasing big sister expertise. :) 

We thank you all for continued prayers for our family. For all the stress and change and grief and growing pains we have had over the past 7 weeks, we know it will be many more months and even years before our family heals and adjusts. Pray for wisdom as we seek guidance to parent well. Prayers for dr appointments and treatments. Prayers for Joy to realize just how much we love her and realize she can love us and accept us without feeling as though she is betraying the love and care she received from her foster family in China. 

Please also pray for Joel, as we learned shortly after returning from China that He was laid off from his job. We know God has a plan, yet this timing seems harsh for us! We know we can trust Him and pray that you will lift us up before the Father and that a new job opportunity will show itself! 

All in all we know we can praise Him through this storm.