Well, well, well…here I finally am.
Goodness gracious, I honestly feel like I have just lost an entire week of my life. While driving some ridiculous number of hours today I was counting on my fingers (because my math skills are totally pathetic) and reminding myself that we really did just get back from the Ukraine two and a half weeks ago. It feels like three months. Seriously. I feel like I have been living in fast forward. Where oh where have the last few weeks of my life gone?
Monday was insane trying to box up the last of our belongings. Tuesday was even more wild as we packed the moving truck. My word–we got three quaters of the way done and realized that there was no way on God’s green earth that we were going to fit the remaining bulky items in the truck. Absolutely no way. We frantically started making phone calls offering furniture to anyone who needed it. The Lord was good to us–He led us to the right people–those who really needed the things we were giving away. He’s just so good like that. It felt so wonderful to off-load things–it’s all just stuff.
One little angel fell asleep in an empty room–the hustle and bustle of everything around her was just too much.
Tuesday night we camped on the floor. We had such good intentions of getting an early start on the road on Wednesday morning. Of course that was next to impossible. So much still had to be done. We finally managed to roll out of Colorado after noon. To say that we were exhausted is an understatement. We made it to our first stop around ten that night.
It has taken us four days of traveling all day and late into the night to get to Lexington, Kentucky, where we are tonight. A moving truck, two other vehicles, four adults, seven children and two dogs means frequent stops. Tomorrow we have another full day of driving, and then Monday, just a couple of hours. I finally feel like we are getting there–closer to our home sweet home in Virginia.
The drive sure has been beautiful. It has been a blessing to be able to see so many states in this stunning country. I have lived here for six years now, and have seen very little of the country. So many things have made me smile along the way–God’s glorious creation, the crazy number of cows in Kansas; historic farm houses and delapidated barns that must have so many stories to tell; tiny churches in the middle of nowhere; lush green grass that I have not seen much of since living in Colorado; the temperature thingy in my car that told me it was 92 degrees today (I cannot remember when last I have had such a hot day); my need for those 5-hour kick-butt energy drinks–something I have never done before in my life, but extreme fatigue has definitely set in after months and months of nothing but craziness; I feel like I could sleep for a week; the amount of stares we get when we pile out of cars with kids and dogs in tow; the amount of money I could have earned by now if I got paid every time I heard “you really have your hands full.”
The kids have been great in the car. They have taken turns driving with either me or Anthony (in the moving truck). Harper is very content while driving. She does not mind being confined to the car seat at all. Hailee seems to be getting used to it. The first couple of days were hard. She hated it. One thing’s for sure, by the end of this marathon journey she will absolutely know what it means to have to sit in the car seat for extended periods.
For these little angels, who have only been home for a few short weeks, so much is brand new. I’m sure they must be wondering if all they are ever going to do is be confined to a car seat. Life sure has been anything but normal since they got home.
The joy of going barefoot (something that is absolutely necessary in our family) and feeling the grass on tiny toes.
The feel of soft grass on chubby fingers.
The joy of sitting outside and loving the warm sun on their sweet little faces.
Big sister has been incredible. How she adores her two baby sisters. She has been such a huge help to me on this trip. How blessed I am with my first adopted daughter–the one who showed me that adoption is worth it!
Along the road we’ve found times for family fun–the joy of just being together no matter where we are.
We have had some major breakthroughs with Hailee over the last few days. I tell you, this little girl, written off as a burden to society and locked away in a tiny room for the first five years of her life, is breaking out of her shell big time. She’s already learning at a rapid pace–things I thought would take months and months to overcome are happening before our very eyes. So amazing. I’ll share more tomorrow.
For now it’s off to bed–another long journey awaits in the morning.
Love and biggest hugs to all of you, dear friends.
