Elani Day!!!

Today was one of the sweetest of my life. The joy I experienced in being with Abby and our three girls as we brought Elani into our family was about all I could take. Giving Elani a hug and being with our girls as they grabbed onto her was priceless. There is no doubt Elani had many caretakers in the orphanage but I doubt they got after it like our girls. "Can I get her bottle?" "She needs a blanket!" "I get to hold her next...you held her last time!" "Dad - that's not how you do it. You need to tip her back." "Mom - be sure to burp her!!" "She has a wet diaper - mom she needs a diaper change!" "She's thirsty." "Dad, I said that's not how you do it!"

I could write a novel describing today but I'll keep it short. Here it goes. We went to the social center in a van with our guide and one other family from Arizona who was receiving a little boy. And amazingly we arrived at the center just as Elani did and we rode the elevator with her. Then they took her into a play room and spruced her up a little before we got to hold her. Elani was carrying the little bear we sent her a few months back. That about melted us. The picture above is of Abby and the orphanage director. She was a wonderful lady.

The picture below is just after we got off the elevator and they took Elani into a play room to get her ready. Malea is peeking into the room and could not wait to hold her. She kept saying, "She's sooooo cute!" The girls were giddy with excitement and they were so wonderful with Elani. When Elani was ready for us they gingerly went up to her and patiently got to know her. She let the girls hold her pretty much right away. Elani did not say too much but she seemed okay with the whole thing. The orphanage director said they have been showing Elani our family photo album every day (we sent her an album a few months back in a care package) and they had told her what was going to happen. We're not sure how much she understood but I think she had a bit of an idea.

As I write this I am in our hotel and Elani is in her crib. She was singing away and tossing around for a while but now it's quite; she just nodded off. And beside her on the floor is Malea who wanted to sleep near her baby sister. I get teared up at the sight of them in one room together. One, whose been dreaming of this day for over a year now and who could not wait to have a baby sister and the other, who has no idea how excited we are to love her but she'll learn about it every day (beginning tomorrow at about 6:00 AM with three faces six inches away as they stare at her in her crib hardly able to wait until she wakes up). The moment her eyes open I can already hear it. "I get to hold her first!" "She wants her bear." "She needs a drink!" "I'll get her rattle - you got it last time...remember?" "Dad - that's still not how you do it!!" And from that point forward and for the rest of her life she'll be bombarded with love and affection and, after seeing firsthand today, a LOT of well-intentioned advice from her three sisters. We're in full swing around here and are rockin' and rollin'. We are now a family of six and it seems.....perfect. God is good. He has provided in wonderful ways. And he continues to bless. It is by His grace we are able to do what we do and it through His provision that we have experienced an abundance of joy on this day. Now I will pray that he provides for my needs as the full realization of five women in our home begins to take root. There is a storm of activity around here as the girls take care of Elani. I am temporarily dispatched on various missions. Getting a bottle ready. Buying formula. Buying dish soap (no joke). Making a bed up. Etc. The flury of busy girls lets me know when I'm needed. And you know what? I wouldn't change it. Oh, I need to go. I think the ladies are calling to me. Something about heating up a bottle. Later.