Coming Up for Air. I think. :)

Wow. It's been quite an interesting time here in the Bergey household since Johanna, Gabriella and I returned home. I DID expect it to be "harder" for awhile, but didn't exactly plan for how it has all played out.

I'm okay, though. God has been working on me this summer, teaching me to let go even more of "my" plans, "my" needs, "my" schedule. Beginning with two adoptions this year, then THREE adoptions in one year, I knew I would need to be flexible to HIS plan for our family. I tend to get overwhelmed at the immensity of the things that MUST be done....but I am learning (albeit slowly at times) to just take one day at a time.

When we found out about Johanna, and a week later committed to adopting her, I knew instantly that my summer would be very BUSY. And it has been! But I'm finding that if I just take ONE day at a time, and do what needs to be done for that day (and not think too long or hard about what is yet to be done) everything DOES get accomplished, and Momma is not overwhelmed :)

I've tried to keep this mindset the past two weeks. This Flu has been very difficult, in part because I got it first and it literally wiped. me. out. But there isn't time for Momma to be down, and so many little ones have needed me to "hold you!" After Nathaniel's trip to KidMed (pediatric urgent care) on Monday evening, Noah took a turn for the worse on Tuesday. We took them both back in to KidMed, and, as it turns out, they both have ear infections and pneumonia, among other things.

They were put on IV's for meds and fluids and spent all evening at KidMed. Again.

BUT---Praise the Lord---they are finally looking/acting better today! Their little bodies are still very weak, but they actually ate a little today! Nathaniel lost 5 pounds in less than a week, so he NEEDS to start eating.

Brent is still sick, and the two older girls have not gotten sick. Perhaps by next week we will actually ALL be healthy and fully able to enjoy each other :)

I'm so very thankful to two families from our church (the Tuckers and the Wingfields) who brought us meals this week. While adoption is certainly not the "same" as giving birth, I have honestly had a harder time the first two weeks home after adopting than I do postpartum with my babies. So having a couple of meals brought to us was a HUGE blessing!

Johanna is amazing. Today she wrote on Google Translate, "I love my mother. She is a good mother." :)  I am so proud of how hard she's trying. I cannot imagine having every aspect of my world changed in an instant. The smells, the sounds, the language, the people, the food, the schooling, the authorities......all of it is different now. Johanna is a very brave girl and I'm so thankful we said "yes" to the call of the LORD and brought her home.  He has a special plan for her life and I'm so glad I get to be a part of it!

I'm also very proud of Eliana. Her world has also been changed drastically this summer. She's been so gracious, so mature for only 9 years old. Ellie has literally shared EVERYTHING with Johanna. Her room, her toys, her clothes (they are the same size), her family. Everything. I've seen some sweet growth in my once-firstborn daughter through this process and I love her all the more for it.

Johanna likes to win when she plays a game. Today I played a new game with the girls, then left them to play it alone the second time. Turns out, Johanna was cheating and won.

Ellie and I were talking tonight about what happened. She said, "Mommy, I knew she was cheating. I just let her because I figured she wanted to win really bad."

Love these precious learning times with my children! Thank you, Jesus, for the blessing of being their Mommy :)

Have a good night, everyone. Thanks for sticking around while I just about drowned dealt with all the stress of the past two weeks! :)