A week has passed since the moving truck left and slowly but surely we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! There are only a few boxes that still need to be unpacked in the house and then we'll tackle the garage but for the most part, it is starting to feel a little more like home.
I'm happy to report that Brooke has finally made a friend! Her name is Anna and her family bought the house right behind ours. The girls are the same age and will be going to the same school. Anna's family is Vietnamese and she is really fascinated with the fact that Brooke's sister looks more like her than she does Brooke. :0) The other day the kids invited Anna to stay for pizza and while they were sitting around the table eating I overheard them asking her about her families religious beliefs. Baker asked if they were Christians and she told him that her parents believe in God but do not go to church. The kids started telling her all about our church in Prairieville and how much fun it was and then they invited her to go to church with us sometime when we find a new church here. I don't think I've ever been more proud of them. I pretended not to be listening and left the room because I knew I wouldn't be able to hide my big, proud mommy smile. Of course after she left we had a few weepy moments since it got them thinking a little too much about Prairieville.
This weekend our street had a pig pickin'. Now for you folks who are not aware of what that is...a whole hog is roasted and everyone brings a dish to share. It was a lot of fun and we met lots of neighbors. There are a LOT of two year olds on this street including
Brea
and I found it funny that most of them referred to her as the "baby". They were quite a bit bigger than her and she seems to be more the size of a couple of the 8 and 10 month olds that were at the party. It was pretty hot here so I kept
Brea
under a tent and in front of a big fan for the most part since her medicines make her sensitive to the sun. Danny came over every few minutes to check on us and see if we needed anything and someone overheard him asking how she was feeling in the heat and asked if she was sick. Well, one thing led to another and when word got out that she recently had a heart transplant, she was an instant celebrity. Everyone was amazed at how healthy she looks! They wanted to hear her story and it was a great opportunity for us to talk about our adoption journey,
Brea
's transplant and our faith. We left the pig pickin' with several invitations to visit different churches that various neighbors attend and two or three neighbors talked to us in depth about adopting from . Who knows...maybe another little Chinese girl or boy will come home to because of this move. If so, all the headaches, tears and heartbreak over the last few weeks will have been worth it.
Brea will have her first appointment with the transplant cardiologist in
Charlotte
on Wednesday. I’m excited to be driving just 3 hours one way instead of 8! I’ll be sure to update the site once we are home and to let everyone know how she is doing.
Baton Rouge
was full of things we loved and things we were not so fond of. Here are just a few that come to mind...
Things we loved and miss dearly...
1. Grilled Alligator, Yummy Crawfish pies and Doughbash (sp?) cake.
2. The bath like water in the pool...the neighborhood pool here is freezing!
3. KLOVE...we haven't been able to find it here yet.
4. The comfort of knowing our wonderful medical team (Dr. Brummond, Dr. Lucas. Dr. Harris, Ms. Danielle (PT) and Miss Julie (OT)) were just minutes away and our transplant team (Dr. Frazier, Kathy and Janet) were just 7.5 hours away. It is scary trying to set up all new doctors and build new relationships!
5. The rain...it hasn't rained since we've been here and there is nothing more relaxing than a rainy night. We are under water restrictions and there are heavy fines if you are caught washing your car or watering your grass or plants. Baker says I just need to give them Miracle Grow because if I grow anything and it lives it is a miracle!
6. Most of all...our wonderful church family, friends and neighbors. We miss you all more than you'll ever know.
Things we are NOT missing...
1. The swarms of mosquitoes that came out every evening to nibble on me, Brooke and
Brea
. They never bothered Danny and Baker!
2. The HEAT and HUMIDITY...it has been hot here but no where near as hot and humid as
Louisiana
.
3. The old school that the kids went to! We loved their teachers but the building was old and the air conditioning didn't work half the time in Brooke's classroom and it always flooded when it rained. Their new school is only two years old and everything works!
4. The traffic.
Wake
Forest
is a small town and you can get just about anywhere in minutes. You never know what you'll run into with
Baton Rouge
traffic so you always leave extra early just in case.
5. Last but not least...we don't miss the flying cockroaches that live in the trees! I'm not sure the kids or I will ever forget our first run in with a flying cockroach!
On a much more serious note...Danny has a co-worker in
Baton Rouge
who lost his wife last week very suddenly. She was only 36 years old. She leaves behind a young son and a teenage daughter as well as her husband. Please keep this family in your prayers. The funeral was Saturday in
New Orleans
and now that everything is over the reality of their loss is going to really start to set in.
On a final note...I just finished reading a wonderful book called Saving Levi that was sent to me while
Brea
was in the hospital. It is a Focus on the Family book about a Chinese orphan boy who was badly burned and the American woman who helped him and later became his mother. If you've ever felt God burdening your heart with a cause then you will relate to this author. Her testimony is powerful and in so many ways, Levi's story reminds me of our own story with
Brea
. God provided for Levi when there was no other hope just as he has done for
Brea
. He answered the prayers of many just as He has done for us. God surely has big plans for Levi just as I'm sure He does for
Brea
! If you want to read a truly uplifting, true story about faith, love and devotion this is the book for you!
I've taken quite a few photos in the last couple of weeks but I haven't come across my cord to download them just yet. Once, I do I will post them.
Goodnight from our home to yours.
