Pure & Lasting » Life and Ethiopian Adoption Blog

It has been one of those days. Algebra seems to get the best of Alain and then of us. Sweet boy is trying so hard and really doing well, but imagine trying to learn algebra for the first time from a teacher who doesn’t speak your language (and isn’t actually a teacher!). It is amazing to me that he had done so well. Today, we got a couple more grades from his school. 97 in science and 96 in English (as in he can tell you if a noun is a direct object, predicate nominative or an object of a preposition. Can you do that?). Craziness. Our lives have been overturned. Honestly, some days it is overwhelming. Then, I look at that face. I remember his story. Or, like today,  he decides it is a good day to tell me a new story. And seriously, I love this craziness and I LOVE this kid!
-Jenn

From our spring break trip, Alain’s first time in the ocean. More on that soon :)

The morning of my birthday, Alain and I decided it would be a great time for a hair experiment. At the orphanage, Alain was not allowed to grow out his hair, so we are letting it grow. We are all learning as we go. I spent many hours that morning combing, conditioning, and twisting each strand of his hair. It really isn’t long enough yet, but we both wanted to see what it could do. It was a long process, but I learned a lot for when it is long enough. The twists did not last nearly as long as they should considering how much time it took to do them, but they were so cute. I am so excited for his hair to have more length. I may have to add a whole category to the blog about Alain’s style :)
I feel like I should have some deep thoughts about my birthday, but this morning we are cooking, cleaning and studying. I am hoping that the deep thoughts about adjusting and becoming a parent for the first time to a 16 year old are coming soon. For now, we are doing really well. Loving our new life and our boy. Here are a few photos of the “do” and us on my 31st birthday! By the way, Alain’s super awesome red shirt is from Here Comes Hope. You can get it here. I’m sure you will be seeing more of it. It is his favorite shirt by far :)
-Jenn

That is a lot of twists! He was so excited to have his hair done. Part of why it did not last long was because he would not stop touching his hair. Introducing Emmy. One of the three youngest pigeons. My crazy awesome family! Me and my Momma!!

Not long after Alain got home, he started talking about pigeons. Yes, you read that right, pigeons. The boy wanted pigeons. He would point them out on the billboards as we drove down the highway. Almost everyday, he was asking when and where we could buy pigeons. It is the only thing that he has asked for. I like bird designs on fabric, little pretty fake birds to sit on my mantle, real live wild birds that fly to the feeders and then leave, but owning birds was totally out of my league.
We started searching for pigeons and not just any pigeons, homing pigeons. Alain wanted the kind that you can release and they will return to you. I had to admit, that was a pretty awesome trick. Finally, we found a woman locally who raises these pigeons and Alain spent his first savings of allowance on 8 pigeons. He was/is so excited. He and Chris built a pigeon cage/home in our backyard. First thing every morning, he is out there feeding, cleaning, and loving these pigeons. Cracks me up, but it really is good for him. Right now, one of the females is sitting on eggs! He can’t wait for there to be baby birds. Here are some photos of his first day with pigeons.
-Jenn

Preparing their new home. For those of you who have asked, he isn’t ALWAYS smiling, but his concentration face is pretty awesome too. Settled in to her new nest :) On the left: Part of his “I have birds” happy dance :)

Before Alain was here, I had a conversation with Tara about Alain’s hopes and dreams. She said that coming to America was beyond his biggest dreams. He was so excited to have been approved for his visa. I kept that conversation in my mind as we were preparing Alain’s room. I wanted his room to be a place where he felt safe, happy and could dream even bigger dreams. Studying in America is the very beginning of the big life that God has planned for Alain. The other day I asked Alain what his big dreams are. He quickly replied, “To drive.” He LOVES any kind of driving. Bicycles, shopping carts, strollers, lawn mowers, video games and the best so far, go-carts. To drive is freedom. To drive is power. We have talked about other bigger dreams of returning to Rwanda and making a difference in the lives of children like him, to raise awareness and tell his story, but for now, to drive.
-Jenn

Many afternoons, you will find him cruising the neighborhood on his bike.
The highlight of his time here so far, go-carts. A couple more, just because. Alain and his iPod. And Alain right after Chris gave him $10 to pay for the three of us to watch a middle school basketball game. His excitement is infectious.

Now that I’ve pretty much caught up with the photos from Rwanda, I can start posting what we’ve been up to since coming home. After coming home, our first big family outing was to the zoo. Oh, the irony of bringing Alain here from Africa and then taking him to a zoo in San Antonio to see animals from Africa! He LOVES animals and we will be wearing out our season passes. Some of our extended family joined us. It was a great day of hanging out and getting to know each other.
Our family has embraced him before they had met him. Now that he is here, I love watching them love Alain. Makes my heart so deeply happy. Alain has a family. I have cried happy tears almost every day since he has been here. It is a crazy beautiful life. If you are dreaming of something big, something crazy, pray and then jump! Life is beyond your imagination when you obey.
-Jenn

Makes me laugh every time I see this photo. Alain and Pop. :) Aunt Casey. LOVE this photo. Love my sweet Momma!