Said better than I could.

Then there are times (many times) when someone else can articulate my thoughts better than I could.

After the Airport.

Little Lion has been a part of our family for almost 18 months...we've made great strides as a family. I can't imagine him not being with us. But there are still days when it seems like we've lost all of the ground that we've worked so hard to gain.

And Sprocket...we've been in and out of the honeymoon stage. I'm thankful (beyond words) that he has been the most flexible of all four of our kids. And even so, there are days we need to hunker down and cancel plans so that we can keep our world small and give him the security that he needs and there are nights when we are consoling a restless crying (or screaming) toddler every 30 minutes (we are in one of those weeks right now).

I'm not seeking sympathy or a pat on the back. I am no super woman I assure you nor would I change our circumstances. We had done our research beforehand, we knew, as my friend says, that it's not all butterflies and lollipops. We have grown so much deeper as a family, I have come face to face with my selfishness and pride that I had previously been able to overlook, our marriage is richer, the times when we've been driven to our knees in prayer helps us to remember it's just not about us and indeed we can't do this on our own. The transformation and redemption I've been blessed to tangibly witness in a 3 year old takes my breath away and makes me want to weep with gratitude.

No, I certainly wouldn't change a thing.

When friends ask me about adopting because they are considering it, I warn them that I will be completely honest with them. I don't sugar coat things. And yet I also tell them it's a wonderful thing and that I hope that we can adopt again.

If you're in the process of adopting, are an adoptive parent, or know someone adopting please hop over and read After the Airport. It is well worth your time.