Yesterday marked one month of the Andersons being residents of Southeastern Arkansas, employees of Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home, and beginning to build the foundation of our new life here. I can't believe it has been a month. In one sense, it feels as if we have lived here and been in this kind of work much longer than 30 days, but I am also surprised often with "feels-like-yesterday-moments" or moments when I refer to Salina places of businesses as "our" and the same places in Monticello as "their." And I still have gentle waves of emotion. When I miss all the people. Because people are the irreplacable thing...no matter how many more you meet.
Our second week in the house went well. It was the second week in the house, though, when I broke the golden rule around here: Do not let them get to your feelings. Don't take the things they do or say personally. That was a breeze for the first week and the first part of the second. But then I got tired. And fixed a special meal that they didn't like. And said good-bye to both of our 8-year-olds within two days. And had one ounce too many of attitude from our Attitude Queen. And it was all up in my feelings. And I was feeling super personal. So I asked Michael for a few minutes to myself, closed the office door, shed a few tears, prayed with all my heart for strength and the wisdom to know what really matters. And I walked back out where life continued as normal. Then, I only had to repeat said steps once more before the end of the week. Our honeymoon has almost completely worn off with all the girls, which they say is a good thing - the faster they present their real selves and real behaviors, the faster you can help them make any real progress.
We really did have a great week. We went swimming a few times, caught up several appointments, had a CRAFT night where we got to crash our campus "Craft Closet" which is our own little bit of Hobby Lobby Heaven, and even braved going out to eat with the whole crew! We also had huge breakthroughs with our Attitude Queen who woke up one morning and said, "My attitude isn't getting me or you anywhere, so from now on, I'm going to do better." And she really has! It's been crazy the night and day difference we saw and are thankful for whatever happened in her alone time the night before in her room. AND it was our little one's 7th birthday on Wednesday, so this was a MASSIVE event. The girls hung streamers and banners and posters after she went to bed the night before. We baked a pink princess cake with white sparkle sprinkles and made sure she had a tiara to wear all day. Then, we had a party that night and played her favorite game: BINGO (with prizes, of course). She was excited she got to stay up late because it was her birthday, and the older girls were excited that the countdown to her birthday they had been experiencing since her arrival was finally complete.
This weekend we were able to go to Hot Springs where my mom, brothers, grandmother, uncle, aunt, and cousin were at my grandmother's lake house. It was a fabulous time of rest and catching up with everyone. Vera Lloyd staffers had told us that it helps to get out of town every once in a while for a weekend, and it is true. Our together time of rest seemed to multiply since we weren't just on the other side of a wall from all the acitivity of the house counting down the hours before we were in the midst of it again.
We covet your prayers as we open the door in about an hour again and charge into the lives of these girls trusting the Lord for His love and strength.
Our second week in the house went well. It was the second week in the house, though, when I broke the golden rule around here: Do not let them get to your feelings. Don't take the things they do or say personally. That was a breeze for the first week and the first part of the second. But then I got tired. And fixed a special meal that they didn't like. And said good-bye to both of our 8-year-olds within two days. And had one ounce too many of attitude from our Attitude Queen. And it was all up in my feelings. And I was feeling super personal. So I asked Michael for a few minutes to myself, closed the office door, shed a few tears, prayed with all my heart for strength and the wisdom to know what really matters. And I walked back out where life continued as normal. Then, I only had to repeat said steps once more before the end of the week. Our honeymoon has almost completely worn off with all the girls, which they say is a good thing - the faster they present their real selves and real behaviors, the faster you can help them make any real progress.
We really did have a great week. We went swimming a few times, caught up several appointments, had a CRAFT night where we got to crash our campus "Craft Closet" which is our own little bit of Hobby Lobby Heaven, and even braved going out to eat with the whole crew! We also had huge breakthroughs with our Attitude Queen who woke up one morning and said, "My attitude isn't getting me or you anywhere, so from now on, I'm going to do better." And she really has! It's been crazy the night and day difference we saw and are thankful for whatever happened in her alone time the night before in her room. AND it was our little one's 7th birthday on Wednesday, so this was a MASSIVE event. The girls hung streamers and banners and posters after she went to bed the night before. We baked a pink princess cake with white sparkle sprinkles and made sure she had a tiara to wear all day. Then, we had a party that night and played her favorite game: BINGO (with prizes, of course). She was excited she got to stay up late because it was her birthday, and the older girls were excited that the countdown to her birthday they had been experiencing since her arrival was finally complete.
This weekend we were able to go to Hot Springs where my mom, brothers, grandmother, uncle, aunt, and cousin were at my grandmother's lake house. It was a fabulous time of rest and catching up with everyone. Vera Lloyd staffers had told us that it helps to get out of town every once in a while for a weekend, and it is true. Our together time of rest seemed to multiply since we weren't just on the other side of a wall from all the acitivity of the house counting down the hours before we were in the midst of it again.
We covet your prayers as we open the door in about an hour again and charge into the lives of these girls trusting the Lord for His love and strength.
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