It's a New Year 2004!

Wow! It's a new year with so many changes in our lives. We are a new family now with a new son (our nephew) in our home with a new life in his view. This is now changing us all as we strive to come together. He sees a new school, a new city, new friends, new home and a whole new life to live. With an opened horizon to set his sights on.

We have a new joy as all of us are gaining a new insight into how happy we are for him to have hope and a future with a real home, warm food and a stable place to lay his head. What joy it is for us as guardians to see and provide. Many of our friends are excited to see his growth and integration into our family, they have been supportive with prayers and encouragement to all of us.

As we pondered this new beginning we could only see day to day as happiness brought on thoughts of the past and now how to reconcile them. So many new beginnings as we slowly discovered areas that healing needed to take place in. Our nephew is a survivor by necessity, always needed to protect himself. So even though this is now 2009 I am really still reflecting on how this young man now has grown. Happy New Year to us all.

Swimming became a Break Through

Our nephew never participated to the best of our knowledge in any sports before his becoming a part of our family. Our boys were always involved with water sports so we thought to encourage him this direction. We reminded him that his father was a very good swimmer when he was a kid, he actually recalled seeing him swim and said he would give it a shot. So we set him up with a membership to our local health club and let him work out there before giving it a shot at school. This really built his confidence up before swimming with his peers.

Then the day came to make the switch to the school team for workouts, he did great and the other swimmers met him with open arms to encourage him. He went on to head up the breast stroke competition and did very well. Then he joined the water polo team and got to do some rough and tough swimming which he really enjoyed. So we look back on this time as a real break through for him and for us.

He always made sure that we were at the meets and games for us to watch him. The water gave him confidence and warmed our souls as we cheered him and our sons on. This was good for him in many ways giving him a chance to compete against himself and prove that he could take on things that were way out of his comfort zone. So I encourage you to find those interest with your guardian child that can create a break through moment in life.

Christmas 2008 in Mexico

Our Christmas photo in the back yard. My kids are so funny, they made me wear red... Then sent this photo to me telling me Merry Christmas! Now use your imagination in viewing the lush tropical gardens we are in next to the pool...