I kept another human alive and healthy for an ENTIRE YEAR! Granted…there were no bottles, midnight wake ups, diarrhea blow outs (that I am aware of) or close calls such as a fall down the stairs! But to us this is no short of a miracle. I wonder if most parents feel this same way?!! If you are a Mom or Dad and reading this…give yourself a big ole self hug…from me to you, because you DESERVE it!
November 6th, 2013 marks that day that we joke that we kidnapped Sam and Damon. Since our gotcha day will officially be September 25th, 2014 the official “Kidnapped You Day” will forever be November 6th. I will never forget that day, the feelings, the emotions, the nervousness, from all sides. I knew we were doing the right thing at the right time when Sam walked in with a big ole fat lip and fell immediately asleep. We had no idea where he had been staying or if he had been eating. When he woke up 15 hours later and started talking I knew again that we had done the right thing. Tales of violence, neglect, and survival spewed out. It was obvious that I was nervous…but he was scared.
After a year of deep breaths we have fallen into a calm normal. Do not get me wrong it has been a marathon and not a sprint. There were so many things that were off in Sam’s behavior, but not because of anything he could change on his own. Not anything that we could change overnight. But slowly and surely we have started to click, communicate, and laugh. Again do not get me wrong…this is not everyday. We still have some major challenges ahead of us…driving…first job…first love…keeping his room from turning into an episode of hoarders. But I am genuinely looking forward to all of these challenges. Because the good news is that Sam is living. He is getting to have a semi-normal high school experience. As normal as you can get living with your Cuz!
And here is the best part! Much to his dismay he loves the youth group at Church. Yeah maybe because of the cute girls, but whatever it takes! The Bible teacher at his new school has taken an interest to him. I talk constantly of religion and God working in his life. I am not sure if it is us hitting him from all sides or God. But GOD IS WORKING. I cheer for the day that Sam says to me…I get it now. So yall keep praying for us. It is working.
I thought it would be fun to post some highlights from the last year..as much for me to remember as to entertain yall…
1. Seeing his style evolve…First time to the Crabtree mall…I said…get whatever you want…who have thought it would be so hard to get him to spend money. It was humbling! All he had fit in a carry-on suitcase. Everything. My socks alone would fill this suitcase up! We both care way to much about our clothes now!
2. Registering for school….who is this guy? Doesn’t even seem the like the same kid!
3. Learning what Sam likes to do. It has been awesome to try new things with him.
4. Sharing music…this kid loves music…playing it…listening to it (18 hours a day)…seeing it live. If this continues he will be well versed in music as an adult.
5. Unexpected relationships…lets just say this kid has affected quite a few of us in a positive way. It has been an honor to see my friends step up and step in to support the both of us. There would be too many pictures to post here so if you want to see more…visit my instagram! @cegladybug
6. His mechanical skills….I have never seen a kid take apart and put a bike back together so many times. He is as skilled as some of the technicians we have worked with. In a few years he will know more than them….
7. Visits with family. We have had some priceless moments with both sides of our families. His family visits have been so rewarding and I am so excited to see his relationships blossom. I hope that I am setting a good example for him! Side note about Sam’s affinity to kids. He is a magnet but is unsure. It has been adorable to watch him with kids smaller than him! One day he will be a strong family man.
8. Speaking of relationships…this guy now has not one but two best friends. I have a feeling these are life long friends in the making. It is has been so fun to welcome Keve and Yoel into our lives. They are great young men and really good friends to Sam.
9. Camp…I am so thankful that we were able to get Sam into camp. He has plans to go back for both sessions next summer. First as a camper…then as a counselor in training. This is a HUGE deal. I am so proud!
10. I love to read…and for some reason had a feeling Sam would enjoy it as well. Finally we are starting to get him reading more. He may be in for a surprise when I challenge him to see who can read more books this next year!
11. Butter….oh Butter-bean! We were chosen by Butter and I know I still need to blog her story. But just know..she now runs our house. She is a force…and obsessed with Sam!
12. Photography….this is already more than a hobby for him. He is now the official photographer for Leap of Faith and has been shadowing at most of the Jleer photo shoots. He shoots all my product shots. This is a love we share and I can see it being a powerful force in his life.
13. Boating…camp offered Sam the chance to set goals and one of them was to get his boating license. He passed up other fun activities to focus on this goal. He achieved it and I would say his reward has been great. He is still learning but man I love having a chauffeur on the boat!
14. Support….the support that we have received over the past year has been AMAZING! The one thing I was confident about going into this was that I had surrounded myself with people that would be strong for both us. Well you guys have not let us down! Whether listening to me go on and on about him, letting us crash cookouts and bowling parties, letting me go on vacation, or just sending a message asking how we are, even reading this blog…the support has been phenomenal. While I am not surprise how proud I am of the people that have stepped up…I AM thankful and humbled.
15. Love…I not the best about expressing my emotions, but I LOVE this kid. He is amazing in so many ways. He surprises me, challenges me, and makes me a better person everyday. I can not imagine my life without him and without this experience! So cheers to 1 year and many, many more!
