almost 6 months (part 1 ;)

 

On March 30th the twins will have been home for 6 months!

How did that happen?

Almost 1/2 a year down...that's just too crazy. 

 Because literally they are leaning something new everyday- it still feels like they just got here!

 

They still question everything and there is so much more that has not been seen or experienced.

I am soooo looking forward to summertime w/ them!!

 

If I think back to when we were about to go to Ethiopia on our second trip to bring the girls home I had so many crazy feelings!

 

Of course I was totally excited- I couldn't wait another second until they were home. 
 I also felt like I was jumping into a river that I had no idea where it would take us.  I had a lot of fears- how would my 3 younger kids do, what would going from 3 to 5 kids be like?  would the twins even like me? will they ever learn English?  how in the world am I going to home school them?   were they going to come home as trauma victims and need therapy?  I'll stop there because the list gets crazier and crazier!

 

If I had a glimpse into March 2013 I would not have believed it.

 

 

God is so good.  He is merciful.  He is peace.  He is healer.  He is love.

 

I look back at pictures of the girls from last year and they look totally different to me.  Yes they grew like beans when they came home but their whole faces changed-  the early pics we have they look scared- terrified even!  God broke down the walls so fast!

 

October was defiantly the Honeymoon.  All we did was tickle, laugh, and play games.

 

Then the holidays came- in a way it was a distraction from the craziness.   There were defiantly some overwhelming days for the twins but we all survived. 

 

The snowy months of January and February were a blessing.  The newness and culture shock passed- the holiday whirl ended- and we were able to just BE. 

 

These were the months were we all really melded.  There was  no need to lay with everyone in bed for hours.  We started enforcing vegetable eating and following through with discipline.  The novelty of cleaning things  wore off and the chore charts became my sanity saver.

 

I am astonished at how quickly they learned English.  I don't even know how it happened.  They were quiet for 2 weeks...on week 3 they started using a few English words here and there and we would smile- laugh and praise them for their effort.  Then everyday they just leaned more and more words and started putting them together.  We are still in the "me" stage- they don't speak 'proper English' - it goes like this right now,

"Jacob, me use your game first?"  "me go with daddy to store?"  "yuck, me no like chicken, why black?  smells bad" 

They have 100% comprehension, and if they don't understand what we mean they ask and we explain.  Once a day they will tell me something that I have to really think hard and try to figure out what they are trying to explain- and then the light bulb goes off and we laugh together about it.

 

I don't know if twins come as any more opposite- from food tastes to personalities they are extremes!  

(although part of the mystery was solved when they recently told me that before going to the orphanage they got spilt up- 1 girl went to their uncle far away and another girl went to their aunt far away -still in Ethiopia but different regions where they spoke a different language.  the twins didn't see each other for a year and they were raised in very opposite settings and had opposite experiences- which defiantly molded them into what we are seeing now!  I love when I get new pieces to the great puzzle!   I cant believe some of the things these girls had to go through already- they have so many stories!!)

I keep encouraging them to talk to each other in Tigrinya so they don't loose it. They mostly speak English to each other- which again amazes me that I have to remind them to speak their native language! I don't think they will loose it. They listen to the Bible in their language on an audio at night sometimes, and they read their Bibles in their language too- so as long as they are reading, listening and occasionally speaking it- I think they will keep it.

 

 Everyone knows Helen is the shy one.  She is the taller one.  She is ambitious- strong willed- creative/ artsy.  She's great at math and loves to draw.  She likes things fair and square and has a compassionate heart.  She cant stand sad things and refuses to go to bed if Mike has not come in to tuck her in.  She is the one that is usually holding my hand or pulling me out of the door to go home if we are out.  She has the most beautiful smile- it honestly makes me stop in my tracks.  I tell her she needs to use it more in public where she puts on a grumpy face to avoid outside contact w/ the world at all costs...although she is slowly progressing in this department ;) 
She is so girly- loves pink, dolls, ballerina's, babies, and gets easily grossed out...she's a complete princess.

  She is very affectionate- her favorite spot is curled up on one of our laps and I think she needs 10,001 hugs a day to stay alive...which I don't mind.  She is our lovely dovey who leaves daily love letters around the house for us!

Helen hugs for the most part of her day :)

snow lover

 

 

Jerusalem is...hysterical.  She is so fun and such a blast.  She is the most easygoing kid I ever knew.  She's supper coordinated- athletic and loves to play.  She loves to joke and laugh- she is constantly hiding and popping out on me, which she just thinks is hysterical!  Mike and I have cried laughing at her facial expressions she makes- I've never met a funnier kid!  She's thoughtful, considerate, and has great manners.   She loves to read and is so bright.  She's more social and is more willing to chat with you and make friends.   She loves music, singing, and reading her Bible.  She is so full of joy and she is such a blessing to us!

Princess obsession- teaching herself piano already

Jules favotite spot to be

 

 

 

 

to be continued ;)