Don't Need Anything

Dear Nathan,
We had your first Thanksgiving today at Uncle Brian and Aunt Kim's.  You had fun just running around, doing your Nathan thing.

Mama made the mistake of putting gravy on your "masha-tatoes".  This caused a slight meltdown (did I mention you didn't nap today?) and you were insistent that I get you "different masha-tatoes".  You were so miffed, you even climbed off your stool and started for the front door to go get "different masha-tatoes".  Your determination is inspiring, Son.

We resolved the Great "Masha-tatoes" Incident of 2010 and you thoroughly enjoyed the rest of your day.

I think this was your first introduction to "pie", which may be one of the most beautiful words in the English language.  You were quite impressed and I so enjoyed watching you delight in your pie.  Don't worry.  There's more were those came from.

You've changed every thing in my life and I couldn't be more grateful.  As I type this, you're snuggled up next to me on my bed, sleeping soundly.  I'm so happy to be your Mama, Little Man.  I have loved to learn about the world all over again through your eyes these last 10 months.

I've been working on making a book for you and your friends from the O, outlining all the things that happened to get you home.  I've been putting it off, but I figured I'd better get it off to the publishers before Christmas.  Now that you're home, it's so easy for me to forget what we went through to get you onto this soil.  Working on this book this weekend has been a good reminder of all I have to be grateful for.

My thoughts today are also turned to our friends still in Haiti.  The ones who didn't get to come to a place with pie and beds and Mamas.  As I've been assembling this book, I'm looking at the pictures from the news articles we've gathered about the earthquake, and I marvel that anyone is still surviving in that country.  The destruction is horrifying and I'd bet if I were to go there right now circumstances would not be much different than they were 10 months ago.

I'm thinking about Harry today, and how dependent he is on us to get that new orphanage built.  Mama needs to get going on fundraising as Bel Haiti's reserves are pretty drained and Harry still needs money to survive.  We also still need funds to build the new facility.  (They're working on the excavation for the wall right now - but since it's a wall around all 8 acres, that's quite a project.)

We're so blessed, Sweetheart.  We had so many years waiting for you to come into our lives and now you're finally here.  We can give back to help those that still have cause to mourn.

We don't need anything that we don't have, you and I.  We have a house and heat and electricity and water and beds and sewage and roads that are maintained and mail delivery and grocery stores and income and opportunity.  We have pie.  We have hope.  We have a bright future.

And really, that means we have it all.

I love you,
Mama