Citizen Stanley!

As the holidays get closer, we can't help but be overwhelmed by how different our lives are than last year. Last year at this time, we had just returned from a pretty traumatic visit with Stanley. Mike, Stanley and I all sobbed as we said goodbye and we had NO idea when he would be home. We struggled to enjoy our first holiday with Dane all the while feeling guilty that Stanley was all alone. Watching other toddlers take pictures with Santa and even our nephew open his gifts on Christmas morning were cruel reminders that Stanley was not home. A year later, we will have two toddlers racing down the stairs to see what Santa brought them, two kids to cuddle on the couch with, and a whole new family of friends that have shared this journey with us. At the same time, we are completely aware that although Stanley is home, and in part, because of the earthquake, the same earthquake is the reason so many other people are not with their families this year.

Now that we are busy living this crazy life, we haven't been writing as much. Thanks to those of you who have written to see how we are doing. We forget how invested so many people were in helping us bring him home. Just this weekend, I crashed my sister-in-law's book-club. There were a few people I had never met and naturally the conversation turned to children- although, as often happens, they all knew all about our family. Lots of people we didn't know or had lost touch with over the years wrote letters or prayed for us- and it is only now becoming clear that we haven't really been able to thank them.

Since our last post, Stanley became a U.S. citizen!!!! , starting preschool, and we've moved! Stanley is talking up a storm, running around like a typical two-year old, and being a really good big brother.