Reflections on the last year

Val and I were at the Americana Hotel and water park on the weekend with the kids and a flood of memories and emotions came up.  It was around this time last year that we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and got the phone call that would change our family forever.   The following day we were on a flight to Georgetown to meet our new son. Its hard to believe its been a year since we met Keem, although in many ways, it feels like he has been part of the family a lot longer.  It is amazing to see how he has grown from a shy, quiet toddler who clung to Val’s neck for dear life, to the vibrant, outgoing happy little boy that he is now.  Words can not describe how thankful we are to God for all he has done in Keem’s life and in ours!  People ask us all the time, “how is he adjusting?” and we are happy to say he is adjusting extremely well.  He is a very resilient boy.  Some of the biggest adjustments were for us and this year has not been without it’s challenges.  This has been a season of personal growth and togetherness as a family and these circumstances have served to remind us of God’s faithfulness and need to depend on him.
It has been beautiful to see the older kids in our family open their hearts to Keem so easily.  We  love to see Keem often snuggled on the couch with one of them, usually Ryan and Jack, or the way Izzy and Kaylie mother him, like he has been with us forever.
We are also very grateful for the friends and family that have supported us. Your encouragement and prayers have been overwhelming and we hope that this continues as we continue raising our family. We especially enjoy our conversations with other adoptive couples, who can relate with us so well.
There are so many things we love about Keem.  He is so affectionate, which helps overlook his mischievous  side.  We love his peculiar eating habits.  He has little use for chips or cookies, but a voracious appetite for fruit and curry.  We love his daredevil antics in the swimming pool.  We love his quirky mannerisms, the stomping or air guitar when he is excited, the way he asks to have his food cut and the tiny thumb that never leaves his mouth.