18 Months into Adoption and Update

I hope to eventually begin blogging at non-milestone points in our life, but that's how it is right now!
Before I update our 18 months into adoption, I want to update on my other peeps! Hard to remember I have a husband and 2 other kids, I have been in the trenches for a while now..... Well hello there other family members, lets talk about YOU!

First, Timmy.
Well, holy cow babe. You started a real live company. It just took off in a huge way. I honestly am a little numb, blown away, and shocked at the ridiculous success. Interject for a second- totally not shocked at you babe, just our track record. Over the years, I have gotten used to hardship and difficulty with all our 'adventures' we embark on.   It has been the darndest thing. Tim literally quit his job on a Friday and his phone (Summit phone just activated!!!) started ringing. We didn't know whether to be terrified or excited!! We had no idea what would happen. Tim didn't moonlight or take customers, in fact, he went from his commercial field back to residential and light commercial so not even the same people base. There has been an outpouring of support from everyone we know to help this baby take off. Thank you for all of our people for spreading the word, we owe it to our Summit Fans!!!

Tim has just been the greatest. We are still trying to figure out our new work/life balance (all you business owners are probably laughing at this, but it is really important to us). He could literally work around the clock if he wanted to. So, we have to stick to our boundaries with it. And then also be flexible during the peak season. His hard work ethic, honesty, and all of his knowledge has been the heart of why this company is what it is. We have big plans to launch, grow, hire more people, and give a lot. We have made the company's mission to support Young Life Marietta. We believe pouring in right where we are and it matches our passion for the young lives that are being raised right around us. We are so flipping excited that God has us on this path and his hands are on this thing one thousand percent!! I am so incredibly happy for Tim. He started this industry back in 2009 and his first job was making $10 an hour ripping out duct work. He is by far one of the most honest, long suffering, and patient people I have ever met.  So proud of you, Tim.

David has turned into a real person. At some point, your little baby becomes their own little person. Dave has always been a handful, but he is about to be 9 now! David is all heart. He is a man's man and like his daddy, is good at a lot of different things. He is a natural at really any sport. Oh, and he is giant. He is a whopping 75 lbs and 54" tall. Tim's dad and older brother are giant, so I think David is going to be the biggest in our family. He eats like there is no tomorrow. And he is like a solid tank. Could easily level people. Whew..... Davids energy level and his self confidence is what I love about him. He is friends with kids that are funny and attracted to the trouble makers because they make him laugh. This has made this mama not happy about that, but I do choose his friendships outside of school at this age. David sees no race or disability in people and he will stand up for himself. He would rather be running through the woods all day rather than sitting in a school desk, but David will be very successful. He already has an entrepeneurs heart and has started working on a little side business he is going to start. He has a chore chart he is diligent to do, but always negotiates pay. I kind of love that ;) One of the sweetest things recently is that David has made it his personal mission to teach Zach about sports and games. He actually gets to be the big brother with Zach. Because let me tell you, Mackenzie will not put herself under the authority of him.....

Speaking of my Mackenzie, I'm pretty sure this wild yet angelic child is taking over the world by storm. She is as vocal as they come, smart as a whip, wise beyond her years, and passionate about many things. She is a favorite at school because of her attitude, concern and care for others, respect for teachers, and doing everything perfect. She broke up many fights in kindergarten, put older students in older grades in their place, and always jumps in to save someone. She kind of thinks she is the older sister, as she will get both my boys in check and even ask their teachers about their behavior at the end of the day. (Lord have mercy). I like to say I have to work with Mackenzie a lot on her "strengths out of control." She sees things black and white. She will point blank ask people if they are a Christian and if the answer is no it is followed with, "Well, why not?" I had to have her back off her Jewish friend this year in fear I would be getting a phone call from another parent. Ay yi yi. Did I mention this sister is barely 40 lbs? Tiny, tiny, tiny. She is so so small, but tells people she is tiny, but mighty. Ready or not, world, Mackenzie is coming. Can I get a mom to mentor me for the pre-teen years?? I need to start getting help, like now.

Oh, Zachariah.....
Still wake up many mornings like I am out of a coma. What just happened? Not one person can understand really what it has been like nor the struggles we went through to get him in our home, get him adjusted, and raise this child. Our struggles were literally moment by moment when we brought him home. And now.
Un-recognizable.
A different child.
Healed.
Confident.
Calm.
Happy.
Cognitive.
Those are the words doctors used to describe him 2 weeks ago. I took him straight to the doctor when we adopted him. I had obviously been behind with everything in life, so I was overdue for his annual appointment. The doctor was blown away.
He not only said that he no longer recommended or would be referring Zach for testing on the Autism spectrum or any other test for that matter, he said that he anticipated a full healing and recovery for Zach. That he has never, as it is un-heard of, seen a child hit so many milestones, grow, develop, and thrive within such a short period of time just by changing his environment. 

And of course I left the office weeping. We still have a long road to go with him. He is behind in most areas. But now, we see he is and will continue to catch up. When we first got him, our main goal was to give him a home. His future looked obscure. Now, we can honestly see hope and our goal is still complete integration and full healing for him. Our biggest struggle is still trying to navigate through the politics of our school system and having a special needs child immersed into the culture of where we live.

We adopted a child with special needs and blindly believed they were not real and environmental and he would change. It is a miracle our prayers are being answered and this is definitely a calling that God had on our life. We are so incredibly lucky for our support system. We have immersed ourselves into our community and have so many incredible layers of support, from our business to all of the fans of Zach. We literally could not do it without people.

So, as far as myself, trying to keep this household running as smoothly and efficiently as possible is my main goal. I am helping Tim run Summit with just a few aspects of the company, I average out one corporate event per month with the job I have had for 5 years now, and I am just trying to continually push our life towards simplicity and relationships.

We have taken the kids to do some really fun things that I am going to update the blog about! This season of life is really fun to travel with our kids and experience things together. It is a crazy time in our house with Summit at its peak season and we are one month away from having a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grader!! More to come....

Because of the Lords great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. Lam 3:22