Adoption Transition-Adoption Bonding

For those of you who might have happened upon me due to the blog post title...welcome! Per introduction, we are a Christian family who is radically following God.  Part of our following Him has led us down the road of  adoption. In April (2010) we came home with our eighth child, the seventh we've adopted.  Our girl is Ethiopian and we recently found out that she is 13 years old. 

I'd be negligent if I didn't tell you that everything at our house is taken to God in prayer.  Adoption transition is no different.  We pray: as a family, as individuals, and we ask our friends to cover us in prayer.  Without God, I can not tell you how bonding happens.  What I can tell you is that God is with us, that He has let her and us bond in ways I never even imagined would be possible in so little time.

By inviting God into our home and asking the Holy Spirit to come and help us, we have had such a beautiful time over the past few weeks of becoming a family of 10.  There have been hard spots, but as we sought God (hard) we have found Him so very faithful. 

The things that seemed impossible to overcome, vanished away at his touch.  (an example being:  anger and some hostility towards homeschooling.  By prayer and love, our daughter has now embraced the idea of being homeschooled and is now saying it is *good!*  Actually she says that she loves it.!!!)

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions that I might help you with.  Honestly, God has all of your answers, but I would count it a privilege to stand with you in believing Him to come into your situations with His Power and Presence. 

Here are some of the many things that God has led us to over the past few weeks...all of them helped in our bonding and growing in love with one another...

Cooking...

Our Ethiopian teen loves this! And of course great for any age child.

Teaching us

some Garage dance moves...

helping us to understand and embrace her culture.

Sitting and enjoying the day ...

lazy...

no agenda other than to enjoy one another

Painting nails. 

Actually my oldest (19) volunteered to take this task on.  She even (out of love) did toe nails.  (which if you know my oldest, was an act of God!)

Walking together...

enjoying a slow pace and some conversation.

More cooking...

Look at that smile!

A homeschool field trip...

visiting a farm.

Making injera (the bread of Ethiopia)

Doing homeschool...

learning cursive for the first time.

With her siblings at her elbows.  All of us have something we are studying and learning.

(I had planned on no school for a while, but this child is hungry to learn!)

Being silly...

with friends and family.

Culture...

learning how we celebrate birthdays as a family. This was her sister's ninth birthday...we headed to Chuckie Cheeses. (not something we normally due, but something that let everyone have a bit of fun!)

Crafting...

she is one of us after all.

Touch and time...

the importance of this is huge! Here her sister is painting her nails, after taking her out to buy the nail polish...a little sister adventure!

Relaxing together...

Rest is important over the first few weeks.  We all find ourselves exhausted at times.

Braiding...

She has slowed down to bless her tiniest sister.  Cornrows are a part of their culture and are now a part of our family!

Family...

Getting to know her grandparents.  A blessing and one she loves!