Well one issue down and many more to go.  We finally got our daughter's name changed on her social security card.  After almost 3 weeks!  I had taken her to the Social Security Office, sat there with her for an hour and a half.  When we finally saw someone, we were at the counter for 3 minutes.  I was told I had to have the original court orders. I had copies.  My husband and I tore the house apart and had no idea what happened to the "original" court orders.  A couple of friends of mine, one who works at the court building and another who has a friend in the court building, helped me.  After 3 weeks of conversations and phone calls, we were told, "No one has the original they are filed in the court."  DUH!  So I took my daughter out of school again, fortunately we only sat for an hour this time.  I explained everything to the man at the counter and he said, "Yeah that guy is new and is going through training right now."  Wow!

Many don't know all that is involved with adopting children.  I certainly didn't.  My husband and I would l never change a thing, our daughters are truly a blessing.  We could not even imagine where we would be or for that matter where our daughters would be if God hadn't brought us together.  To be trusted by God with these two beautiful girls is amazing.  To see what they came out of and where they are now is hard to even describe.

After 10 years for our oldest and 5 years for our youngest it is still hard for them to trust new circumstances and people.  Our extended family still is strange to them.  For our oldest if she doesn't see you weekly, she tends to treat you like a stranger.  This can be difficult for the average person to understand.  The girls learned early on, that people were not to be trusted and only they could protect themselves.  To this day, my oldest will question me when I am driving, where I am going.  

I had someone the other day say, "I don't understand what is so hard about responding to a simple hello."  I responded that most of us have not experienced the kind of rejection, neglect, abuse, etc that these children have.  I know I did not grow up in an abusive home, but as the youngest of four, I learned early on that I had nothing worthy to say, because I could never get a word in edge wise.  So I spent most of my childhood and adult life being very quiet.  But most will tell you I have made up for that now.  

Anyway, I'm not a psychologist, but sometimes I think I play one at home, the girls are very complicated.  God is truly trying to teach me to not  "......lean on my own understanding, but trust in the Lord..."  I always thought I did trust the Lord until this year when I keep saying, "But I don't understand......"  and God reminds me, "I told you,it's not your job to understand, your job is to be obedient."