Overflow of Love

I just had to write this post today! Today, I was seeing so much of what our family is now and what it will continue to be in the future. It's been such a great transition, but today just seemed extra good. I can't really even describe what I'm feeling (so I guess it doesn't make sense that I had to write a post:)). Love, love, love for sure! Hearing the sounds of wrestling/tickling in the living room while Shane and I finished up our dinner- loved the laughter coming from all 4 boys. Jonah and Landon truly love their brothers and it makes my heart so happy. I'm sure it was helpful that they were so included in the decision making process with this adoption. They've been excited about and telling people about their brothers since February.
Sometimes I look at my 'little ducklings' as I like to call them when they're following me around a store, and think- oh my goodness, 4 boys??? Are we crazy? No- we're not crazy (at least for today it doesn't feel like that:)). We have followed God on this amazing journey and He's brought us these boys from half way around the world! These boys who need a family and who need brothers and a momma and poppa! They have 2 biological brothers in Ethiopia who are about Jonah and Landon's ages. It makes my heart ache for them that they've been separated, but God gave them 2 brothers in America too. They didn't have a momma in Ethiopia, but God told me in my heart as soon as I saw them, that I was their momma! Actually, I think he spoke to my heart before we even got the referral- opening my heart to 2 kids definitely before we were ready to say yes to that. I remember the day we got the referral and how surprised we were! Shane had said we would only do siblings if God dropped it in our laps- and He did! We saw their pictures in the evening and the next day, Shane went to the mountains for a work thing for 2 nights, forgetting his cell phone. So we didn't talk really for 2 days about it. I knew he was processing it all as he likes to do. In the meantime, I was walking around with these pictures of the boys, showing them to everyone I could. When he came home from his trip, I asked him what he thought of the referral, but told him that I've been carrying around these pictures for 2 days and these boys are my sons already!!!! He agreed, thankfully and the rest is history!:)
If anyone is reading this and is afraid of adopting older kids, especially boys (and really, these boys are only 3 and 4!), please consider it if you think God has opened your heart to it. I look at their faces and it breaks my heart to know that there are lots of little boys who will wait and wait and wait in the orphanage because once little boys hit 2 years old and definitely by age 3, they become hard to place. I certainly don't have it all together and I definitely don't think I know everything about this just because we've been a family for 3+ weeks, but I do know that these are the boys God has for our family. He gave them to us- He is entrusting them to us, just like He's entrusting Jonah and Landon to us.
OK- sorry this got to be a rambling post. I guess I had a lot to say. I think I have more too, but it will have to wait for another post....
Oh, one more thing:). Last year, I spent my 35th birthday serving the kids in Kenya at a track meet- I thought nothing could top that! But, one year later, my birthday is here (tomorrow) and I am celebrating with 4 children- 2 of whom I had no idea would be here just a few months ago. God and Africa have blessed me like crazy these last 2 birthdays!!!