She's officially ours!!!

  Today has been quite the eventful day. Kannika slept great last night. She only woke up about 4 or 5 times to make sure we were still there and went right back to sleep. She woke up this morning pretty happy. She wasn't crying and she took her bottle well. We got ready and had breakfast downstairs she was still happy. Then the social worker came to get us and take us to the DSDW board meeting where the Thai government would officially sign her over to us. She immediately wanted the social worker. She wanted to sit by her and not really with us. I knew this was probably not good. Then to make things worse she was looking at pictures on Darryl's phone and saw her foster parents. She didn't cry she just kept looking at them. After that she was kinda grumpy the rest of the time we were there. The good news is the Thai adoption board was very excited we were adopting her and had no problem granting us custody. She is officially ours today (at least in Thailand we still have to finalize in the US which will be in 6-12 months). 

  We came back to the hotel and she napped for about 2 hours. Then she woke up very grumpy. She cried a lot of the rest of the day. We did our best to distract her by going outside to the pool. She wanted nothing to do with the pool and cried out there. So we went to the park we wen to yesterday. She didn't cry to much there but she didn't want to play either. It probably didn't help that I was now on high alert and jumpy because after seeing no creepy, crawling things the whole time we've been here I saw a centipede or millipede, 2 geckos, and then A SNAKE crawling ON the playground equipment right near the slide. Then Darryl had a spider crawling on him so since she wasn't playing we decided to leave. After that we dinner at a great little restaurant across the street called the Mali. It has great Thai food for about 3 dollars a plate. We have been there a lot this week. Here is a picture of the one dish I got. I was so surprised when it got there. I had no idea it would actually be in a pineapple. 

  We had a good dinner. Kannika was still not her normal happy self but she wasn't crying and that was a relief. The rest of the night was more of the same. She would cry then just be quiet and sad and refuse to look at us. We did get to read her a book and she didn't cry so that was nice. I got to run on the treadmills downstairs too. It was a nice break and good to get back to what I am used to. Except that the treadmills here only show the speed in Kilometers per hour and there is no button to switch to miles per hour. I ended up setting it a little high and running faster than expected. They also don't have much air conditioning in that room so it was REALLY hot in there. Bedtime went well. She went right down and her mattress and didn't even try to get up. She fell asleep in about 10 minutes. She is really a champion sleeper. 
  I wanted to end today by saying I am so thankful for all the people praying for our transition and for the constant reassurance God gives us. Our little girl is sad and it's hard but not as hard as it could be and just knowing people are praying helps to lift me up. Also I got to read and have a short devotion time today and that always helps. I need God everyday but sometimes He makes it a little more clear. This is one of those times. As I hold her when she's crying or lay there while she falls asleep I just pray. Not just for her but for our other children and for my own life and walk with God. I don't say that to make myself sound good but just point out that there is never a reason not to worship and praise God. In the midst of everything today He gave me a renewed grateful spirit for the fact that we even have the Bible to read. I take it for granted sometimes that I can just open up the Bible and read it.