Happy Birthday!

So, we got our little guy for a while while he was four, but Thursday he turned five.  Of course it is bittersweet.  We are so happy we had him for his fifth birthday and for all of the ones to come.  We are so sad that we missed his first, second, third and fourth birthdays and that all of them took place in an orphanage.  We love celebrating our children's birthdays and it is a time for us to remember the day they were born and celebrate how far they've come.  For him, we don't know anything about the day he was born and we know that whatever happened in the six months to follow, it involved a surgery and a great loss.  It's just different.  Happy and sad and full of joy and grief.  There is also and will always be a wondering about the mom and dad in China and how they feel this time of year.  Do they miss him?  Do they remember the day?  Do they count the years and know how old he is?  We don't know.  We probably won't know this side of heaven, and someday he will realize that he won't get to know either.  We love him so much and don't want his life to be mixed with so much pain and grief, but we can now add joy and hope and Jesus to his life.  We can add hugs and kisses and cake and presents and family around him to help him to know that he is so very loved.  Loved by us and loved by his creator.  Our sweet little boy is five now and we are so happy that he is here in our house and that we can celebrate him together this year.

Praise the Lord.  Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.  Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.  Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD.    Psalm 150