Two Months and One Week Later...

It's hard to imagine that only 67 days ago we stepped off of a plane in Houston, Texas... and Sara Hanks officially became a US Citizen! When I think of all the things that have happened in this short amount of time... and how well Sara has handled those adjustments... I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that all our prayers for her were answered ... and then some. God is so GOOD. He not only prepared our hearts for Sara... he opened her heart and had her ready for an instant family. She has embraced not only the 5 of us... but she has opened her heart to all of our extended family as well.

Just to give you an idea of what all Sara has "done" or "endured"...

• Arrived home April 4th (during a horrific lightning/thunder storm)


• Immediately immersed into this crazy thing we call "life"... and began meeting family and friends... hit the Hi-Tech office first thing Friday morning


• April 9th... Rachel had surgery


• April 12th our beloved JD died... so it was a sad day and a rude initiation into real life and the end of any kind of "honeymoon" period


• First trip to church... and Mommy left her in Children's church - which proved to be quite traumatic that first day...


• First trip to the Pediatrician... and 5 shots, 4 tubes of blood and one blown vein later we discovered that we had a positive TB test


• Hence... our first CHEST X-RAY to be sure that her TB was not active


• Began wearing a bra (which she was SO excited about, she would show everyone... family, friends, co-workers... other shoppers at Target...)


• Began Homeschooling with Ali - which she LOVES. If she could do school every day of the week, she would. Also... sometimes when we get home and they have free time... she asks to do MORE school. (Good thing since we are going all summer long to get caught up....)


• First Family Photo Session... the kids did great and the pictures were AWESOME!!! Sara laughed and giggled the entire time!!


• First trip to the dentist (at least here in American where they actually NUMB you before doing anything painful)


• First trip to the Orthodontist to check about getting braces


• First BIG PICNIC at the park with lots of our friends from church


• Began her INH medicine... and what a pain in the neck that is. No food 2 hours before, nothing for an hour after... take it at the same time each day. ARGH! 9 months can't go by fast enough for Mommy...Did I mention the super sensitivity to the sun????


• Began her Orthodontic treatment with spacers put in


• Went to her first Family Reunion in Union City, Tennessee. Not really sure she totally understood the fact that she was in a new state...but we all made a big deal out of it for her, anyhow.


• The very next week made a second road trip to Memphis and Mississippi!


• Went on her first water slide!


• Ate Japanese food - and LOVED IT


• Daddy had to go away on a business trip to Dallas


• Sara got her braces on! (Sara also has just broken her brackets for the first time...)


• Had her first ever cookout at home...which she thought was fabulous


• Helped plant her first garden... and was THRILLED about it


• Ate homemade icecream


• Dog sat three different times (for dogs other than our dogs...)


• Went to her first movie in America... Kung Fu Panda. I laughed more at Sara laughing... than I did at the movie itself. It was very cute.

This child has amazed me from the first day that she joined us in Guatemala... and I am still amazed every day. She has a smile on her face (almost) immediately every morning (unless she was really really tired...ha ha). She attacks every day with a smile and wants to know what we will be doing... even if it is just staying home for the day. She loves her brothers and sisters - and while there might be the tiniest bit of jealousy or competition from time to time... for the most part they get along and play together very well. She also is willing to help (almost too much) with each and every task that we undertake. I try to limit her "work" ... as I don't want her to feel that she has to help in order to be loved, accepted or cared for. I usually let her help when it's more of a "team work" task that we are all participating in... or when we rotate the dinner time task of setting, serving and clearing the table. Sara has only had one or two days that were really difficult for her... but we have maintained an open dialogue about her life in Guatemala, and we talk about her birthmother and pray for her as a family each night. Sara has a photo in her room of her with her birthmother... and I hope that she never feels that she has to let go of that part of her life. Instead, I hope that she will be able to embrace her heritage and be proud of where she came from... and who she grows to become.

On this day - her two month and one week anniversary of being home... Sara's braces were officially put on! She was so excited. It was quite the event!! But for Sweet Sara - this is how she sees everything... as an adventure. It is truly remarkable and fun to watch the world unfold before her eyes!! The first few weeks she was home, she would ride around in the car, wide-eyed and yelling out "Look Mom!!!" as we passed every amazing site. Things that we all take for granted... cows in a field, a newborn foal nursing from its mother, a squirrel running along the fence, a crane wading in a pond... things that we have seen so often that we forget to appreciate their beauty. I have watched her world unfold - and I have once again seen these things for the first time, as well. It has been an inspiring journey ... and I have been so fortunate to be able to watch it unfold firsthand.

Sara is a truly amazing child... and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. I am honored that God has allowed me to be her mother. It has only been 67 days with her here in our home... but she has been in our hearts much longer. Either way... I can't imagine life without her!!