A Series of Firsts...

Hi it's David.  Happy November!  It actually snowed here last night during trick or treat hours!  Sadly, that wasn't a first for us.

We have been out a little more doing normal fall activities and we have been learning a lot about the children.  For example, we took them to an apple orchard and learned they thought it was an all you can eat fruit buffet!  They really did enjoy the hunt for the best apples so that Mommy could make her famous apple pie, because we all know there is nothing more American than that :)

We carved our first pumpkin together earlier this week.  Their favorite part was scooping out the pumpkin brains.  They had their first roasted pumpkin seeds as we roasted them in the oven.  And last night was their first "American" Halloween.  We have so much candy that Willy Wonka called and asked if he could borrow some.  The kids really enjoyed the experience and certainly gained confidence in saying trick or treat as their buckets were filling up.

These are just some of the firsts that we have experienced, some have been big, some have been small, some have been frustrating and some have given us things to ponder for later.  I have to remind myself from time to time that a good deal of what we do is new to these kids, so they may not know what to expect, how to act, how to respond or what to do.  We took a trip to a state park and I could see the anxiety on some of their faces after we had been driving for awhile and not arrived at our destination.  We have to remember to take a step back from time to time and let them absorb what is going on.  They have been doing so well adapting that we just take for granted that they will be OK.  This is still a life altering experience they have to process on a daily basis.

I personally struggle with sitting back and taking things slow.  I keep praying for patience and I do not see the opportunities that God is putting in front of me to be patient....

Until next time....