The biggest surprise!

The past 5 days have gone so well and have been full of more home-cooked meals around the table, fun preparing food together, and relaxing and having fun outside than this family has seen in awhile!  We spent all evening after their birthday celebration discovering that Hopscotch is a universal game, these Chinese girls can hula hoop effortlessly and almost with no movement while their new American family looks SAD in their attempts, they can jump rope backwards, (but mom can still make it down the driveway and back jumping rope and almost have enough oxygen at the end...)  Jenna still remembers her girly days making hopskotch "marathons" down the entire driveway that proved to be hilarious fun as well as a way to work off the birthday cake!  Our neighbors, the Thames, spontaneously came over to join the fun with some fresh blueberries and lemon-blueberry bars for us, and we honestly hadn't spent any time with neighbors in quite some time.  Tony sat outside with Jenna and read a book while Jenna made her chalk masterpiece and the girls and I made dinner.  As I took this new pattern emerging and pondered it, I thought that it can only be in God's Kingdom where the first is last and the greatest is a servant, that you can actually add 2 more children from an entirely different culture and language, become a large family, and actually slow down and relax more!  I love the dynamic that younger kids adds to the family, and I have part of my faith in that verse of "Blessed is he whose quiver is full of them (children)" turning to sight in this 2nd week home.  Once again, join me in praising the One who has given His life to restore us to abundant life!