Every day is an adventure!

I always write this blog in Word and then copy and paste it over...leave it to this computer to not cooperate today! Like I don't have anything else to do but write a blog twice! ha!

As I sat down to write this blog about 10 months with Larkin, "Charmed Life" by Joy Williams started playing on my iPod. And how appropriate! Life with Larkin is unexpected and tough at times, but definitely what Joy would call a charmed life!

Since I wrote my 9 month blog, Larkin has started putting more and more words together to make sentences. And I am blown away! He gracefully rolled off his Mack truck the other day and said, "I fell down." I almost fell down because this was not a sentence that I remember working on with him.

We went to the zoo last Saturday and Larkin could name almost every animal there. We had only been to the zoo one other time. The boy is a sponge! And I love it! As a teacher, I want my child to be smart. Every parent wants their child to be smart. But as a teacher, I feel like we put extra pressure on our kids to be the best. And I want all of my students to be the best they can be. And if that means they are B or C students, then that is great! If that is the best they can do, then I am proud. And I want the same for Larkin. I am sure that school will be tough for him. English is his 3rd language to learn in 3 years. The village that he is from speaks a different dialect than Amharic. So he has had to learn a truer form of Amharic, as well as English. I think of his dialect as Cajun is to standard English. And then I laugh because I think of Swamp People-which Larkin loves, so it is a great comparison.

Our 10 month journey starts with Larkin's first plane ride since coming home from Ethiopia. As we were going to the zoo on Saturday, Larkin asked to ride in an airplane. And I am actually able to grant that wish. We leave this afternoon for a wonderful, fun-filled week in Colorado. I am so excited about low humidity and cooler temperatures. But I am even more excited that our 10 month anniversary gets to be spend with the people that were in Ethiopia with me as I started this journey.

Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for the group that God placed together. We immediately bonded over embarrassing stories and Texas shaped waffles....and more luggage than we ever dreamed we would carry! I sort of feel like I'm packing for Ethiopia again with all of the packing and repacking and weighing I have done this week. But it was worth it then and I know it will be worth it this time!

I came across a poem from another adoptive mom's blog and I just love it! I think about it all the time. The words are so perfect for our situation as parents. No, I did not carry Larkin in my womb. No, I did not give him his first bath or witness his first step, but I will forever watch him as he reaches new milestones and continues to grow into the amazing child that he is.

Okay, so here is the poem.

I didn't give you the gift of life, but in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real, as if it had been so.
For us to have each other is like a dream come true.
No, I didn't give you the gift of life.
Life gave me the gift of you.

Wow! I love the last two lines. Gives me chills every time I read them! I have such an amazing gift in Larkin. He is so much like each member of my family it is scary!

When Stephanie was little, she never wanted to wear clothes. And Larkin is the same way. I find random articles of clothes all over the house throughout the day. Now Steph is one of the most modest people I know. So maybe Larkin will outgrow this naked phase too!

And Larkin sweats on his upper lip. It is the first place he sweats. Just like my great-grandfather did. And he passed that to my mom and to me. And now to Larkin. Oh, Larkin would have loved Papa Taylor. They could have spent hours building things and wearing overalls! Papa would have loved that little boy.

Okay, I wasn't going to cry this month, but there goes that goal!

Happy 10 months, Larkin! Let's celebrate with an adventure!

Wheels up!