Thankful

As far as we know, Claire's first court date went okay. We haven't heard anything back, and we've been holding our breath praying they don't request any additional paperwork. It's still looking like February or March until we travel. I have to admit that the past five months have been about a million times harder than the past two years. Over the course of the process, I have always justified the delay in completing our family by saying God was just waiting for the perfect little girl to come along. Well, now we have been matched, we know who she is, and I just don't understand why it's taking so long to get her home. It's so beyond my control, but I'm not taking it well at all. It's been really hard on me for the past few months managing a stressful job, a son in school, keeping up with my house, going back for my Ed.S, and going through the emotions of trying to complete Claire's adoption. I cry all the time when I'm alone because I miss her so much even though I've never met her. I feel so incomplete.

Despite all of the hardships lately, I am so completely thankful for my sweet and beautiful son who brings a smile to my face every day! Yesterday we were on the way back home back from the grocery store and we were talking about syllables in words. We were naming Thanksgiving words, and he would clap out the syllables. We were having a fun little drive (yes, this is fun to us...yes, I am in education...can you tell?) and I said the word "thankful." After telling me there were two syllables, he named everything he was thankful for.

Here is Connor's list almost word for word as best as I can remember it. I wrote it down as soon as I got home:

I'm Thankful For....

1. Mommy and Daddy. They love me.
2. My family. I love them so much.
3. Toys! They're fun!
4. My friends who play with me.
5. Food. I'm never hungry....well sometimes I get hungry, but I just get food.
6. The nice people I meet. I like when people smile at me.
7. I'm glad we can be free. People in other countries can't be their own boss.
8. The beautiful world where I can run and play, be a super hero, climb in my tree and sit there, and just look around.

He's five and he blows me away! I have no idea what if anything we've done to raise a son with such an incredible heart, but he definitely has one sweet little soul! I love him so much and I am so thankful for my sweet, sweet boy!