How it all began

As I watched Jimmy with Elijah the other night, I thought of how it ALL began with Jimmy. Our family that is. I didn't know that Jimmy was going to have Down syndrome when he was born. When Jimmy was born with Ds, everyone was surprised! But oh, how that beautiful little blue-eyed boy lit up my life and still does today!! To me, he wasn't really any different than any other little boy. He could do all the same things, it just took him a little longer to learn. Fast forward 17 years to 2004, the year Jimmy would be turning 18. I had two teenage sons and feeling a little sad that they had grown up so quickly. My boys were so rewarding to raise and I really missed having little ones in our home. Then adoption crossed my mind again. It had been in my heart for years but I really never seriously considered it until that year. I did some research and found so many beautiful, children from countries all over the world needing families. The more I researched international adoption, the more I learned the fate of the disabled children in orphanages once they reached the age of four (institution, with an 80% chance of not surviving their first year there). I knew then that I needed to bring one of these precious children home into our family. A child with Down syndrome. I began to get excited as I started imagining another little set of feet running through my house again. And before I knew it, I was looking into agencies and deciding on a country. Jimmy turned 18 in November 2004 and I began my homestudy in December. By June of 2005, we had Caleb home (at 2 years, 8 months old)and our lives were changed forever! What a little spitfire he is! And such a cuddle bug! He does run through the house but instead of hearing the sound of little feet, it sounds like a herd of elephants!:) He is so full of energy, smart and funny! And boy, does that kid keep me on my toes! It's never boring around this house....Caleb is busy, busy, busy!
Feeling like our family was not yet complete....a few years later I began thinking about adopting again (more like longing to adopt again). And this started the process in 2008 of bringing home another son with Ds. Our little Elijah came home in 2009. Elijah came home at the age of 2 years, 9 months (funny how close in age Caleb and Elijah were when they each came home) and what an answered prayer our little peanut is! Elijah and Caleb have become inseparable and also little partners in crime. And I wouldn't have it any other way! But I have learned, that when I hear a little giggle coming from Elijah that I better check to see what Caleb is up to! LOL!
So as I watched Jimmy with Elijah the other night, I look back and see how God's plan for Caleb and Elijah all started with Jimmy many years ago.




Thank God for this gift, His gift.
No language can praise it enough!
2 Corinthians 9:15 MSG