Patience is a Virtue

I have been struggling lately.

Struggling to slow down and release my expectations and standards.

Our Little Bud is the one I'm struggling with.

Of our 4 children, he is the one I am most challenged by. He doesn't see the world as we do. He is showing a lot of signs of being on the Autistic spectrum, erring more toward the Asperger's side.

As he was our foster child first, we have notice a lot of changes since he first came to live with us, and were always told that Looked After Children display signs of Autism as part of their attachment issues.

As any mam knows though, a mama knows her child, and with the last psychological assessment telling us he had a secure attachment, this just doesn't ring true. Little Bud has been with us almost 4 years now, and home educated for 4 months, and it is this close-up, 24 hr living that has brought it to the forefront.

It's hard to remember all this when trying to patiently think of an alternative way to explain a feeling that is obvious to everyone else, but he misses completely. Or trying to coax an ending out of a boy who does not know how to create, only copy. 

Part of me wants a diagnosis, but I fear it would just be for my own justification. There is nothing they can do for him, and I have support at church, and he doesn't need another label on him. 

He's perfect just the way he is, even if he does try my last nerve.....

Who said the Christian life was boring???!

Life gets so busy sometimes.

Now that we have officially adopted Little Bud, he has begun his homeschooling adventure with the big kids at The School in the Back Room!!

He has taken to it so well. He loves it and asks to start if I take "too long" in my quiet time in a morning!!!

We have had his celebration hearing at the courthouse, where he shook the hands of all the attendees like he was an grown man!! (He's 7 next week!) 

We also baptized our eldest son, our second born, Haribo this past weekend!! He was radiant as he came out of the water and was richly blessed with cards and words of encouragement.

It made both Hubby and I think back on our own journey with Jesus. we would never have pictured then, 6 and 5 years ago respectively, when we were baptized, just how far the Lord would take us, and the adventure it would be. 

I am so thankful that I have Jesus in my life, making the difference. 

May I always ask "what can I do for You today Abba?"

Weekend Links

Ahhhhh. I am finally sat down!! 

My lovely dogs decided it would be funny to destroy a 15kg bag of flour while we were at church today! Needless to say, I spent a while cleaning it up, and cleaning them up!

I had to laugh, or I would have cried. 

I chose to see it as an incentive to mop my floor, which has been on my to do list all week.

So this week, I have not had much time to peruse the blogosphere, but came up with these crackers:

The Boy tricks me down a rabbit hole @The Common Room - made me giggle, it's all in the tone....

Squash Comparison @ Domestic Serenity - Very VERY true! 

and 

A day in the life @ KOTH - I love this series, but this one especially spoke to me, as we have been waiting on God for our adoption of Little Bud!

Only a few, but worth the read.

Different.......but not

The first day as Little Bud Gee........ and he has been a little toe-rag!!!!

You know how it is, right? Temper, tiredness, and rules! Not always a good mix.

Anyway....

We were visiting with some friends today and on the way there (a very long walk) we got to talking. My 11 yr old, Smudge, was saying how much his feet were hurting. This turned into a full blown conversation on how amazing our bodies are and how God made us.

I love that we get to bring God into our every day life, and it made me realize that even though I sometimes doubt, I am making a difference. I am making a difference right where I am, to 4 future grown ups, who will go on to influence their worlds. 

Being a mama is the best job in the world. 

Please Jesus, help me get it right......

It's Official!!!!!

It's finally happened!! 

Little Bud is legally ours. 

This morning, the judge granted the adoption order to make the child of my heart into a legal member of our family. 

3.5 long years in the making, to say we are pleased is a GIANT understatement!! 

We have full parental rights, and he is ours as if he was born to us.

Life can be planned and lived properly for the first time in years. 

Praise my Abba in heaven for blessing us and entrusting us with this little boy.

We take very seriously our responsibility to train this child in the way of the Lord. 

Thank you Jesus!!!

He's ours!!!!!

:-)

D day (or A day to be exact)

Tomorrow is the big day. 

Tomorrow is the day our family of 5 officially grows to 6. 

The Judge will approve tomorrow what we have known in our hearts for 3 1/2 years; that Little Bud belongs to us. 

It has been a long drawn out process, with many twists and turns, with many frustrations and setbacks, but we are finally there. 

When we first realized that we wanted to keep this little broken foster child that we had waited and waited for, we thought that it would only be a short time, as God had given him to us, right?! 

WRONG!! 

This has been one of our biggest blessings, but it has also been one of our biggest challenges in waiting. In believing. In persisting. In growing. In waiting, again. 

But every bit of it is worth it, as we wait one more day to receive what Abba Father gave us 3 yrs ago. 

The honor of being this amazingly resilient little boy's family.

Summer is here!!!

Summer is here!! School is out!!

It's always hard having 1 child at school, with the others homeschooled, but I love it now, when summer comes, as I have all my babies in one place!!!

Little Bud is currently at school, because he has been staying with us and couldn't be home schooled for legal reasons, but now, as it is the summer holidays, the fun begins!!!!

So no more early mornings, dragging him out of bed, no more cutting a day short to go pick him up, and best of all, NO MORE PACKED LUNCHES!!!! Well, not unless its for all of us.....

I have been lacking motivation lately, as I mentioned in the last post, so as we have a full house and no more school to worry about, I feel a summer clean coming on. DH goes back to work tomorrow :( but it means I'm probably a bit more inclined to get stuff done, so we shall see....

The summer days stretch ahead, so what are your plans for these lazy days? Learning? Beach? Road trip? Holiday? 

Taking Time to See the Bigger Picture...

So we had some frustrating news today. 

The adoption of Little Bud has stalled due to a report not being filed on time AGAIN!!!!

It frustrates me when other things, that I have no control over, go wrong, when we have been waiting so long for this!! 

It has put me in a bad mood this afternoon, and I knew it. I was grouchy, snapping at the children, and I shouldn't have. 

Mama had to take 30 mins to herself! 

As I sat watching the clear sky through my bedroom window, on this HOT summer's day, feeling sorry for myself, I began to think about what a great life we have; how lucky we are to have this little boy in our lives, and that the piece of paper will not make him any more or less the son of my heart.

I had to take a deep breath and realise that God is in charge. He has been all along, and He will not let us down. He brought Little Bud to us, so He will keep him with us. 

It is an honor to show this little boy God, and to love him as our own. 

My boy is awesome, just like the God who made him!!