I love adoption!

In response to recent news on adoption, today has unofficially been declared a day to express positive experiences with adoption. Adam and I still feel very much like new parents and Levi and Judah are still transitioning in some ways, but from the moment we began this process, these two little boys were born in our hearts. Before we knew their names or beheld their faces for the first time, they were being grafted into our family and a love for them was growing in us that is unexplainable. As biological and adoptive parents alike know, not every moment is magical. There are sleepless nights, poopy diapers, crying spells, fits, and more but NONE of that makes me say I no longer want to parent my children- that isn't even an option. Someone once told me that they weren't sure if they could love an adopted child as much as their biological child and in my heart and mind, I know that sharing DNA doesn't make love greater.

I think we were wired for adoption because we were made in the image of God. Ephesians 1 says this about God, "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ." I'm not saying that everyone should adopt, but I do believe it is a natural expression of the love of God and something Adam and I were created to do.

There is a beautiful children's book by Marianne Richmond called "I Wished for You," and this excerpt so beautifully states exactly how Adam and I feel.

"All families are different. What makes a family is their LOVE for each other...I wished for you, and you are always and forever my wish come true."

I would like to add that NOTHING can change that.

3 Months Home...

I realized today that our little family of four has been home for three months now. In some ways it seems as if it has been much longer and in others, it seems like we just got back last week. We took the boys to the Dr. today and they are up to the 50th percentile for both height and weight...when we first came home, they were in the 5th, so this is major progress!!! Both boys are walking- actually, it's more like Judah is walking and Levi is RUNNING:) The day before Levi walked for the first time the Dr. said he wasn't ready but I think he walked out of sheer determination to outrun his brother! The boys are learning to play together and on their own and we have been enjoying the great outdoors- taking them outside alone is a bit of a challenge because they want to run in opposite directions, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it one of these days (or purchase a leash).

When I think of the great and awesome job that Adam and I have been entrusted with in being Levi and Judah's mom and dad, I realize that I need to be more like Jesus. They are such a gift and while there are times when it is easy to forget what a blessing they are, like when they are spitting their dinner all over me and refusing to eat or screaming in the middle of the night, I try to keep the miracle of their journey to our family at the forefront of my mind. God has a great and wonderful plan for them and I cannot wait to see it unfold. If you think of it, pray that Adam and I would be the parents that God wants us to be and that Levi & Judah would grow into men who accomplish HIS purposes in their generation. They are truly amazing and my heart is overwhelmed with joy!

These pictures show the transformation in our boys since we brought them home- they are getting HUGE!!!

Spoon-tastic Fun:)

So my little men are learning to feed themselves with a spoon and oh it is such a mess! I am a self-professed neat freak and having 2 little ones has forced me to do some letting go- I am so grateful I have plastic flooring that is easy to clean:) Here are some fun pics for you to enjoy! This fiasco ended with both boys in the bathtub, but we had a great time working on their new skills!

Happy, truly happy, but exhausted:)

I know I have somewhat fallen off the face of the earth when it comes to blogging, but as you can imagine, life with two one year olds is quite busy. Adam and I are incredibly grateful for how well the boys are doing with settling into life in Michigan. Both of them have struggled with some upper respiratory issues and we have been using a nebulizer off and on, but they are healthy for the most part! Judah has been walking for a while and Levi started a few weeks ago. They say mama, dada, ball, and more (I think). Levi also shouted out something that sounded like "all done" today after dinner, which was oh so very cute. Eating is somewhat of an ordeal...they pick and choose what they like on what day of the week and at what time and everything else ends up on the floor (somewhat frustrating for mom:). Judah has all the teeth but he doesn't like to chew so if it's too difficult for him to maneuver in his mouth, out it comes and then it gets thrown on the floor. Levi will eat just about anything (including entire animal crackers in one bite) even though he still doesn't have any teeth- go figure.

I went back to work part-time last week. I definitely had mixed emotions about being gone from them three days a week, but they are with daddy one day and my dear friend and her two little girls the two other days so they are really in good hands! In some ways it is nice to have work that starts and finishes because that really isn't the case at home:)

Both boys are so happy and playful. It's so fun to watch them explore, meet new people, interact with other kids, and take in the world around them. Judah still likes to be held most of the time and often cries if I leave the room to go to the bathroom or put laundry away. I believe most of it is pretty normal given his personality type, age, and background, but I would be lying if I didn't also say that it can be hard when I am exhausted and trying to make them dinner or do something else that needs to be done and he is screaming to be held...

Speaking of exhaustion- I am exhausted. There is so much joy and I truly strive to savor every moment, but especially today, I am tired. My husband is preaching on James right now for the high school group so I have taken the opportunity to read it again, which reminds me of how much I fall short of being like Jesus- especially when I am tired. There is nothing that reminds me of my need to be more like Him than being a mom and I am oh so very aware that exhaustion makes me the very worst version of myself. To combat all this I have been meditating on some great verses from James so here they are...

James 1

"⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

James 3

"¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

My boys take my breath away!!!

So my kids are irresistible...they take my breath away and I cannot get enough of them. Here's some more pics for you to enjoy!!! In my world it really is all about them:)

On our way to the winter retreat for our middle school students. Levi & Judah are professional travelers!
This is Levi's guilty look after taking Judah to the ground- Judah is always stealing his toys so he probably had it coming:)
This is classic Levi grin- he smiles with every part of his face!
Future drummer:)
Levi "hitching a ride" on Judah to ease the long journey across the kitchen floor.

More video

I was writing a message to Judah and Levi the other day in honor of their first birthdays and it struck me that our boys have grown and done so much in the two short months that we have had them in our lives. We decided to wait to throw them a birthday party until Feb. or March because December and January have been so incredibly crazy, however, I couldn't resist making them a birthday cake (even though they couldn't understand what it was for). Enjoy the video, but here is the run-down of all the ways they are changing...

• Both boys have learned to drink out of a sippy cup
• They are feeding themselves goldfish crackers and Cheerios
• Judah has taken a few steps independently every day since the 19th of January
• Levi is standing up on his own
• Judah had no teeth when we met him and now he has 5 with a few more on the way!!!
• Both boys enjoy a variety of foods and Levi eats everything like a champ even though he has no teeth
• The boys will sit on my lap and let me read them a book and they are learning to play with all kinds of toys- they are really SOOOOOOO smart!!!
• They are learning to play with each other:) I think it has finally hit them that they have the same person in their room every morning when they wake up! They chase each other around the house laughing and fight over toys whenever either of them finds something interesting! Levi has also been known to tackle Judah on occasion and I can't help but laugh- it's kinda cute:)
• Judah has had one round of medicine to treat his giardia- we'll find out in a week if it worked (Levi seems to have escaped without the pesky bug)
• Levi came home with an ear infection and also has undergone treatment
• Other than those two minor issues, no health problems to report (except for runny noses)- we will find out the result of their full medical tests from our family Dr. in a week or so

That's all for now! We are so excited for all the families in Rwanda picking up the new members of their families!!!

Sending Love,

The Dorband 4

Little drummer boy...

So our children are pretty much destined to either love music or be musicians. This is a video of Levi getting his first drum lesson from the drummer for our youth ministry. Hopefully it makes you smile:)