Muaysai is home!!!!

 I don't even know how to start this blog post... I guess with tears and a very full heart.  We are now a family of 6!!!  We were finally able to take our daughter home!

Trav and I traveled to Bali prior to picking up little Miss and had a blast!  It was a much needed time of connection before the adoption.  Locals laughed as we joked this was our third honeymoon/babymoon. *Cheesy love pictures available below.  Of course our luggage didn't arrive until the day we left for Thailand and even then, Trav's bag (with some of Muaysai's things) was still missing. We learned that we can really travel quite a bit lighter than I ever thought possible.  I was just praying and hoping all the things we had specially packed for Muaysai would arrive in time for the adoption.  The final bag arrived the day before we took custody of Muaysai.  A giant thanks to all the family members who made this whole trip possible by taking care of our three kiddos. ❤️ 

We flew from Bali to Thailand on June 25th, arriving at 9pm and had to be in the lobby ready to go meet Muaysai at 7am on June 26th!  We traveled to her orphanage (for special needs children) in Bangkok with another couple who was adopting Muaysai's friend.  God's provision has been so evident and I truly believe that experiencing this traumatic process with her BFF, Nok made it that much smoother.   I am so grateful for all the ways we were able to see His handiwork through this process. We had the most surreal moment of watching these adorable little girls walk towards us on this long outdoor corridor that just made time freeze.  The girls embraced us with smiles and truly looked so full of joy.  I didn't expect it.  They were shy of course, which was expected but the ease in which the starting interacting with us, well mainly the dads :)... was so refreshing.  We just sat on the floor and put stickers on eachother, smiling and exchanging tearful glances.  The girls traveled with us to our hotels with the social workers in order to learn about where they would be going and then returned to the orphanage for one more night.  

The next day, June 27th we arrived at the orphanage for a fantastic déjà vu experience, only this time the girls were walking faster toward us and with even bigger smiles.  Muaysai embraced me with a big hug and love just seemed to overflow.  We went back to the hotel and sweet thing dry heaved and cried head into the bedsheet for about 30 minutes and so did I.  It seems the gravity of what had just happened hit her like a ton of bricks.  She then sat up, wiped her tears and reached her arms up to be held.  We will be unpacking this trauma for a long time, but I am so amazed at her resilience.  Her smile is contagious and her relationship with her little friend, Nok is so precious.  She would scream, "Ratchanok!!!" across the hotel every time she spotted her.  They had these adorable little conversations under their breath to each other in Thai and I was just dying to know what they were saying.  We were able to get the girls together almost everyday for the two weeks we were there and it was so special.      

We stayed in Thailand for a couple weeks in order for Muaysai to get used to the routine and while waiting for all the meetings necessary for the adoption to proceed.  A board meeting, US Embassy interview and visa issuance meeting were needed to before we could leave country.  Since Muaysai is not technically a Thai citizen despite being born in Thailand she travelled with an emergency certificate instead of a passport.  This part of the journey was not without a couple snaffus (sp?:) with her birth place being wrong on her EC and then my name being printed wrong in the Hague Convention certificate.  Thankfully the US Embassy in Thailand and our HS Thai social workers were on top of helping remediate the issues swiftly and we were able to travel home on time! Phew!  We were able to sight see with Muaysai a few times with Muaysai and had fun riding long boats at a small local floating market, visiting the Sea Life Aquarium at SIAM, and shopping at JJ Market, the largest in the world with 34 acres of shop stalls.   We walked below a VERY large Buddha, visited a local orchid farm (my favorite flower) and had fun riding a Tuk Tuk from Chinatown to the flower market.  We were also able to visit the Children's museum a couple times which is a must for anyone traveling with small children in Bangkok.  It's free and has so many areas to play.  Muaysai loved to go out and about.  She would take the little car magnet (from my visual schedule magnets) and show it to us everyday to let us know she wanted to go out and about.  Girl had been stuck in her orphanage, mind you through COVID and wanted OUT! HAHA! 

We left Thailand July 11th and arrived home 7/12 via Qatar and LA with 7 hr, 16 hr and 2 hr flights. HOMEWARD BOUND has never been more exciting.  We missed our kids!  Thankfully, Muaysai was an amazing traveler!  She had zero meltdowns and got so excited for each plane ride, emphatically yelling in Thai at each airplane.  Unfortunately Trav and I both contracted some sort of tummy bug (I think from the water in the Qatar airport.  Trav was out for 24 hr :0) which has made jetlag that much worse.  As if adjusting to the 14 hr time change wasn't enough. ;)   We are starting to settle in, even though our bags aren't even fully unpacked!  Just like everything, it's a process. :)   We are so thankful for how our children have instantly bonded with Muaysai,  they are so tender and gentle.  It is obvious she is loving being doted on and is carried almost everywhere!  We are catching her up on the attention and love she has missed over the years and she is loving it. 💕  We are grateful to the orphanage staff who truly loved her and miss her, but it is evident she has never known a family unit.  International transracial adoption has so many layers of trauma that we will continue to unpack as she grows, but we are so thankful for all those who have and will help us navigate this process.  She is home and it will grow on her more each day.  She is adjusting better than I expected which makes me feel there will likely be rocky roads ahead, but we are here for it.  I have been reflecting on my own parenting and I am so thankful that Trav and I already have 13 years of parenting (and 3 kids) under our belt.  It's been refreshing to know now what really matters.   I feel we have a better grasp (together) of what matters and what doesn't. If you are familiar with TBRI (trust based relational intervention) you know connection is what matters, not how your kid behaves, but how they feel connected to you (and in my opinion, the Lord), because then (generally, not exclusively) behavior follows.  Now I might know this with my head, but pray for my heart to maintain the patience necessary to follow this method with ALL my children. :)  Ok, moving on... 

We are HOME with Muaysai and my heart is FULL.  All my babies are under one roof.  I know this is the honeymoon phase of our new family and I'm bracing for the tough times ahead, but it feels real good!  Please accept my sincerest thanks in being part of our adoption journey, from financial to prayer and emotional support.  We are so grateful.  We know the real journey has just begun!  I wish we could share her picture on social media, but that isn't possible until the adoption is official, which will be anywhere from 9 months to a year.  Please do text or email me (or any family member) if you'd like actual pics! (JUST don't post them!:) 

Thanks again, we have no more words... just ❤️ .

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Muaysai to bond as closely with me as she has with Trav (already improving!)
• Our oldest three children, that we would be able to find regular intentional time with each of them 
• Return to work plan for me as I figure out the right balance for our newly expanded family
• Muaysai's health (constipation, teeth and sensitivity with the end of her stump on her prosthesis)
• Muaysai to continue to expand her English skills as she prepares for kinder (she understands more than she speaks, but has had no previous exposure to English)
• Muaysai to overcome her fear of our dog, Thor.  He is really the most gentle, but 120 lbs of dog for a child that has no previous animal exposure is a lot! :)
• Our transportation situation.  Our burb is great, but continues to need work and is the ONLY vehicle that can fit our family of 6! :)  Like... it needs work this week! HA!