Family

I am the kind of person that loves FAMILY. I love getting together with aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, nieces, nephews, my sisters, and my parents. I have a very close family. We see each other a lot.

This past weekend we enjoyed our annual Lake Weekend," we call it. We have been gathering at Navajo Lake for nine years now in mid July. We look so forward to it and our kids have gotten to where they know exactly what to expect and it is officially a tradition.

Trigg and Ivor loved their first "Lake Days," trip. They are so amazing, the way they just adapt, and act like they have been with us forever. They loved the boat and the camp fires and the relatives doting over them. Several times, I would reflect on the past year and how hard it was to get them here and how long I waited, but oh, how worth it!

Watching two children go from being orphans and living in an institution, to being in a family is amazing. They bloom. Their personalities have exploded. Ivor was always described as sensitive, and a sympathy cryer. He would fall apart when he heard other babies cry. I imagine that was pretty often, considering where he was. He is not that guy now! He laughs several times a day. He is silly and sweet.

Trigg went from throwing fits and losing his marbles over every little thing to pouting a minute and getting over it. He is witty and flirtatious. They are both stronger and happier. Why? Because they are in a family. They belong. They are part of a group of people who love each other. Even the best orphanage or care center can't replace that.

If you have a family, realize you have something that 147 million children in the world don't. Family is a gift. Appreciate your family members, support them, reach out to them, they are yours and you are blessed to have them.

Be Blessed,

Misty