The Best Summer

Our girl is having the best summer!  When I think back to the child who completed first grade in June, I can hardly believe she is the same person.  Angie has grown in so many ways this summer.  Since we returned from the conference in Denver, Angie has had a series of lessons in the Anat Baniel Method.  This treatment has literally changed our lives.  If you are interested in the ABM philosophy and its ability to change the brain in both children and adults, you can check out this link: http://www.anatbanielmethod.com.

Since Angie had her first series of lessons, she has begun to recognize her right arm and hand and her ability to use them.  This is so huge!  Angie now hugs us with two arms and holds our hand with "Righty".  She is beginning to use move her right arm when swimming.  None of this was possible before ABM.  Besides the motor changes, we are also seeing cognitive growth.  Angie is more aware of her environment and she is learning and taking in information at an amazing rate.  We are extremely encouraged by these developments and we have scheduled another series of ABM lessons in Portland for the end of this month.

We continue to move through the adoption process, as one might walk through frozen quicksand.  If it were up to us, Angie would have been adopted forever ago, but most (ALL) of the process is out of our hands.  Next week, her case will be presented before an adoption committee who will decide if we should be chosen as her adoptive parents.  Don't even get me started!  If she was not meant to be with us after eight years in our home, someone messed up a long time ago by leaving her there.  God must have thought I needed to practice my patience, but we will get there eventually and it will be worth every minute of waiting.

Last weekend, Angie spent time with Kirsten and Jordan.  She went to the zoo, played at a splash pad, and shopped at the Saturday Market.  Toby and I enjoyed a rare weekend with NO CHILDREN at home.  We are so blessed to have adult children who embrace Angie and love her as if she were their own.  She thrives on spending time with them and I think she appreciates the break from her "boring" mother.  I am proud of the empathy and compassion my children have, not only for Angie, but for anyone who experiences challenges or is in need.  They are exceptional people and are better for having Angie in their lives.  I would dare to say that about everyone who knows Angie.  

We will meet with Angie's school team soon to plan her program for this year.  Angie has a great team who is anxious to help her any way they can.  I am hopeful that this will be one of her best years yet, and again I am grateful.  We could not ask for a more responsive, creative team of people to care for and to support Angie at school.  God has provided for all of her needs, in every way, every single day.  Who could ask for more?