Looking forward to Christmas!

Christmas is just about here! We have so much to celebrate! Luke is beyond excited thinking about his first Christmas here with us as a family and truly his first Christmas ever! This little boy has amazed us all over the last few months. He is growing, maturing and blossoming into quite an amazing child! We have known Luke was special since the minute we first met him, but he is truly surpassed any hopes and dreams we have had for him already..... that says a lot as we had high hopes and dreams for him and he has only been here 11 months! So now we have NEW higher hopes and  even bigger dreams.  Luke has been a blessing to us as a family.  One thing I have noticed when we tell people we have adopted is we normally hear one comment that is standard and that is "how lucky Luke is to have us". Well several things about that statement are not quite true. ONE: it was not and never will be luck that placed Luke in our lives. This is something I am 100 % sure about. Our Almighty Loving God knew Luke  was our son and watched over him and kept him safe until we could be joined together as a family 11 months ago.  TWO:  we are the lucky ones, we are the ones that have been blessed beyond blessings fathomable! We are the ones who have been given a whole new outlook on life and a whole new love for each other as a family. We are the ones that have been showered with Gods blessing and his gift of a son to Tom and I and a loving brother to Aaron, Tommy and Paige.  As I have watched the relationships of our children develop over the last 11 months it has truly been an amazing miracle to watch. These children who didn't know each other and in the worlds eyes were total strangers completely love each other and have a bond so strong that it is incredible to witness. This is only possible through Gods love! Luke is one of the 4 apples of my eye! When I look at my 4 gorgeous children I see several things, first is that they are all beautiful children inside and out, second is that they all are Gods children and love the Lord with all their hearts, third is that they all love each other through the good times and the not so good times that comes with being brothers and sisters, third is that only Aaron and Luke have gotten moms height  :P 

Luke spent the day after church repeating over and over again what Pastor had preached about today. He kept telling everyone he saw that they needed to "Open their hearts and minds so that Gods love could be in their hearts and that they could want to Super Size Gods love" Luke prayed with me before bed and prayed for his family.. this child that 11 months ago was an orphan prayed for his family tonight prayed with all of his heart for each of his family members....As I watched Luke pray today and watched his prayers take on more and more meaning it is truly evident that Gods hand is all over that boy. This child that had no language, no education, no family and no hope of living much past the "aging out" age of 14 in China (the age when children in China are no longer able to be adopted) is such an amazing child that has touched the hearts of so many already in his short time he has been here and I know that God has BIG plans for Luke!

We are ready for Christmas!

      Me and My little (well he is just about 5 foot now so not really little) man!

 3/4 of the gang with Santa (Aaron was finishing out his semester at college so gets excused from crushing Santa's lap ;)

       Luke and his Sister, Paige. They are best pals and play together for hours every day!

Tommy, Paige and Luke 3 of my 4 amigos!  Love those little faces so much!

 

Aaron,  The 4th Amigo (he has been working hard at college and doing amazing there!!!)