TIKI'S BIRTHDAY

Tiki is SEVEN today, we think!   We're not sure birthdays are celebrated in Rwanda and there is no record so it's just a guesstimate. In fact, his  adoptive parents chose this day as the day to celebrate his arrival into the world because there is no record of his actual "birth" day.  02/03/04 will be his special day now the rest of his life.

We're all  VERY THANKFUL that THIS birthday is being celebrated in the US with his "new " family.

What did we do before BT?  (before Tiki)  He has added light and joy to the whole family.  His smile is genuine and huge. He is the happiest little boy I know.  He makes us stop and look at things with new eyes, things he's never seen or experienced before.
(At Thanksgiving I put "dressing" on his plate and he asked me, "What is dressing?"  "This! it's good, you'll like it."  Tiki, "Do you put it in a bear?"  How can you not love that?)

He amazes us with his ability to learn so quickly.  In just a little over a year he has mastered the English language complete with slang and difficult American nuances.  He knows that we have many words that have two meanings.

He is secure and brave. He is kind one minute and mischievous the next, we wouldn't have it any other way!

 He enjoys life to the MAX!  Whether it's his first time fishing or snowboarding, he dives in with both feet, fearless.

Adopted grandchildren are just as amazing as the kind that arrive the old fashioned way.  That tremendous feeling of drowning in love when you see a grandchild for the fist time is repeated when that grandchild is introduced from another country.   A grandparents love knows no boundaries when it comes to size, age, race, or origin of birth. 

I encourage folks my age to NEVER discourage their own children from adopting.  Sure, I've heard it said, "but, you never know what you're going to get."  And my answer is, "So?"    Every child that enters your life is a blessing beyond comprehension.  EVERY child is unique and wonderfully made.

And you may just get a TIKI!  What a prize!

I look forward to watching Tiki celebrate many more birthdays.  I can hardly wait to see what his interests will be as he grows and matures.   One thing I know, there will be no stopping him.   He will  run headlong into life and make us all smile, laugh, and recall how much we love him.