Father God, it's been 3 months since my last confe...I mean Post.

Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride. - Bette Davis in All About Eve (1950)

So it has REALLY been 3 months since my last blog. I have a great excuse. We have been growing a child. Adopting an orphan. But most of all we have been walking with the Lord. We were called and we showed up. We have learned that we are ENOUGH. We are REDEEMED. We cannot change Ambriel, BUT we can change the way we react to Ambriel.

So I will break it down a tiny bit so you can understand what it has been like in the Niles household for the last three months. First some photos...so you really get the picture!

Yes. When you parent a hurt child you pull your hair out a LOT...sometimes they pull your hair out. But most of all at the end of the day...you feel like a tornado hit your hometown. Where do you start.

Where do you start? I am not a professional....but I play one every day in my very own home. Here is where I start:

Cry out to Jesus. Yes. I do NOT call my Mom. I do NOT  call the Social Worker. I do NOT call anyone until I have spoken to GOD. My counselor. He knows my heart. HE knows our daughter's heart. He has Got this.

WE pray . WE wait. But most of all We LISTEN. We walk blindly in faith. We say NO to things that we REALLY want to do, so that we can say YES to adoption. Just this month my husband and I accepted two different ministry positions and one week later had to step OUT of them. Why? I will tell you why, God said so.

Let's break down the last three months....here is a peak into our tiny world:
January: Discovered that our daughter is hilarious after nitrous oxide (dentist appt) .
Our daughters decided to have a sleepover - together- they both survived!
Bryan and I took a weekend away to a local bed and breakfast. It was wonderful!
We were yelled at and begged to quit on her, then I was physically attacked.
We took both girls to a spa salon for young ladies!
We prayed.
that's 5 days...and there are 31 in January. But we still had people tell us how great Ambriel is coming along!
February: We had a small flood in the backyard when our daughter left the hose on.
She got Honor Roll.
She started new meds and told us she feel like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
We signed her up for softball.
She helped Cora rearrange her room.
She told us after her birthday comes she is leaving.
We prayed.
That's 6 days of our life and there were 29 days in Feb. :)
March:
She gave her life story at a Bethany Christian adoptive parent training
She broke a door. We tried to have her admitted to a residential facility due to behavioural issues.
We hit our 6 month mark for her placement in our home!
We celebrated her birthday :)
We went on a family retreat to a monastery.
We wanted to quit.
We prayed.
that's 5 days....and there were 31 in March.
April: now remember we are not even finished! :)
We did not quit.
She travelled to Florida with her last set of foster parents and her Brother.
We signed the Order for adoption
She asked us to "unsign" the order of adoption.
She created a costume for Cora that represented a career for a project.
She achieved Honor Roll.
She called me a Bitch
Her medicines have been changed.
 
This is a sample of our life. Together my husband and I have 4 children. This daughter would be enough to keep us busy. However we have one 22 year old daughter who has disappeared up in Richmond and is deciding not to return phone calls, emails or texts. We also have a 22 year old son who in living out back over our garage. He works and pays his bills and would love to go to Africa to work with orphans, but I have not had one hot minute to sit with him and discuss HOW we will get him there! Then we have our 6 year old daughter who braves the sun and the rain and the thunder and the snow that is our life. She is the one to follow. She leads by example. Hugging her sister and helping her throughout her day.
All of our children are a godsend. They each challenge us in their own unique way! If I had to compare each one to a cartoon character they would be:

Zac: forever young and always with a skateboard

Morgan: studious, wise, in the background!

,

Cora: Bouncy, joyful, always on the GO!

Ambriel: Brave, Skilled, Beautiful

so there you have it. But wait. If Bryan and I were super heroes we would be:

Wonder Twins! :) in the form of an ice slide! :) this is how we roll in our house. We are united. We follow God. We love our supportive friends and family. WE will get thru this. Our family is growing....so if we miss a call or a birthday party, we don't mean to...we are just a tiny bit busy growing a girl from 0-13!
Thank you all for your prayers and love!
Tracy