Future Para-Olympian

Elias was so so so excited to try out the prototype for his running leg this weekend! He's been anticipating this for a very long time and it was awesome to see him finally run with a "real" running leg.

Chase is especially excited because he was able to fit a knee on the running leg. Usually kids start out with just a straight bar instead of a knee. While it will be a little more difficult to control as Elias learns to use the running leg initially, he'll run much better and with correct form in the long run if he starts out with a knee now.

The first day Elias put it on he convinced me to wear it all day, including during his nap. Then he cried and cried when he didn't get to wear it to school the next day.

The running leg has also inspired his imagination about what it will be like when "he runs fast and wins a race and gets a trophy." He's been practicing a special run with his arms raised in the air like a champion.

And a champion he truly is.

I'm back

I'm going to jump in here on this blog and completely ignore an explanation for the 137 day absense. 137 days? Pathetic. Truly pathetic.

I'll get right down to business with an adoption update: There is no update. We are still waiting. I repeat- We. are. still. waiting. We never ever in all our lives imagined that we'd be waiting this long. I could write a hundred posts about this waiting and how we've dealt with it. (Sometimes with grace and sometimes with utter impatience and tears).

International adoption is never straight forward and usually full of lots of unexpecteds and twists and turns. There is usually a general timeline or order of things that one follows. However in our case, we've been waiting extra long because of our own choice. Crazy to some, but the right thing to do to us. Okay, I admit that sometimes crazy to us too. But we still believe that God wants us to continue to wait for an amputee child, so that's why we wait. At some point we may feel "released" to accept a referral for a non-amputee/special needs child, but at this point, we are certain that we are to continue waiting.

In the meantime, we try to live life as normal even though there seems like something/someone is missing. :-)

Here are some general going-ons:

- Elias turned FIVE. I'll post some pics of his awesome birthday party. I can't believe my sweet little boy is no longer little and growing up so fast. He's so smart and funny and challenging and loving and snuggly.

- Chase has a new job in San Antonio. It's a long, long commute, but he loves it and believes it is worth the sacrifice. He says he's learned more in a couple months than he has in years and really enjoys the challenge. We've been forced to simplify life because of this major life change and are better for it. Saying "no" to things and people is hard, but worth it for the quality of our family life.

- Elias is asking lots of questions about God and faith lately. From, "How can I really know God if I can't see Him?" to "Does Jesus poop? Does it smell?" Deep stuff.

- Elias has been loving school and has recently memorized all the books of the Bible, Psalm 100 and Psalm 23. It's so awesome to hear him recite these things, not only when we ask him to, but also while he plays with his cars or other toys.

- I continue to work with refugee women twice a week and love it. Elias goes with me on Mondays and it has been fun to serve with him at my side. It's not always fun for him, but it's been a good lesson for both of us to remember that serving isn't about us, but about the people we get to love and help. Our lives are richer because of our refugee friends!

Some random pictures: