We had a great next couple of visits. We did the "lunch" thing, hung out at the house and played. Lots of fun! We were blessed by a friend of ours Donna Heinz who gave us an adorable Dora the Explorer kitchen with accessories, baby dolls with a doll high chair, doll bassinet, doll bathtub, and a variety of other items. We also have a friend Laura LeMay who was so kind to give us some items like a child's table and chairs, a cute vanity, and a doll house. All of these toys were a big hit with Sarah and she loves playing with them every time she is here. We are not used to doing all of that "girl play" but we are certainly getting used to it!
We also were able to put together her bed for her new room. We decided to use Evan's top bunk and painting it white. It works perfectly because it already has a rail (due to it being the top bunk) so she is safe to sleep in it. I then was excited to go out and pick out some bedding and some necessities for her room. I ended up finding a great quilt that is a beautiful pink and light green with flowers and butterflies (pink AND butterflies...I am in heaven) as well as sheets, a cute hamper, baskets for some toys, and a lamp. It is really looking like HER room! Just this evening we had another friend Susan Scott who offered to give us a dresser, desk, and shelf unit of white whicker to use in her room. Wow!
We were so excited at this point to have Sarah's family over for Thanksgiving. When I asked Nanna if she were interested in coming for Thanksgiving I wasn't quite sure what she would say. I suspected that it may be a little much to try and merge our families so early. However, it ended up working out just perfect. Nanna came with her daughter (who is our 16 year old son's age), her significant other "Paw Paw," GG and her significant other "Herb." So along with Sarah we had a full house! It was so nice to host this year and we were a little concerned about making the main course as we hadn't "done" Thanksgiving before as the host, however everything turned out great. Nanna and GG also brought pies and side dishes and it turned out to be a great meal!
Sarah ended up staying the night with us that night. She loved her NEW ROOM. She slept like a champ (as usual) and was very enamored with her "letters" which are the foam puzzle pieces that we have assembled like a rug on her floor. She didn't miss a beat the entire time she was with us during this overnight stay.
Since then we have done several other day visits that were much like the others. We were able to spend a day in the mountains with some friends getting their Christmas tree. We loved going out to lunch, doing a little shopping (for some new sunglasses...LOL), and ice cream in Blowing Rock with a romp in the park. Sarah was happy to see the "giant mountains." What a great day.
Finally, this past weekend, we began our full weekend visits. We picked her up on Friday and she didn't go back until Sunday. We had a very busy weekend planned! Saturday for lunch we did a special "lunch with Santa" program through the Piedmont Club. GG had set up the event for all of us to attend. We dressed up and took pictures. GG, Nanna, Jay, Sarah and myself all were in attendance. Lunch was delicious, and Sarah managed to acquiesce and sit on Santa's lap although we were not getting a smile out of her no matter what! At least she sat for us. We then got a babysitter (yes, it has been quite awhile since we have had to do THAT) so Jay and I could attend the youth leader Christmas party. She loved having Jordan play with her for the night and didn't miss a beat. Then we did our normal Sunday routine with church, lunch, etc. It is nice to know we are getting into some routines!
So, these have been our adventures to date. My hope is that I can continue to keep this blog current so we can share all of our blessings with our family and friends. We know this is not going to be an easy ride. We know we are going to face challenges. We know there will be some feelings of loss by Sarah as she adjusts to her new normal. She has asked about her mommy several times - saying she can't find her and that she is lost. It breaks our hearts to hear those words from her, however we know it is completely normal. We vow to be honest with her "Your mommy is in Missouri and can't be with you now but she loves you!" but not to make this adoption the center of her life - defining who she is. She is a gift of God and she will bless everyone she comes into contact with. We are humbled and delighted that we get to be part of HER STORY! One more step...
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