Day to Day Activities and Crying In the Night

Latest Picture of Maxim's Feet - Look Back At February 27th Post to See the Progress Made!
First "Signature"

Helping To Prepare the Garden

We continue to be amazed at how Maxim has adjusted these last almost four months since becoming a Campau. Lately, he has been busy in many ways, including helping to plant some of the things in our little raised beds that Daniel built. I am so glad he can experience even a small garden. We usually have several long rows planted on Daniel's parents' acreage but this year they are resting their land so we're learning about raised beds and square foot gardening right here on our urban lot. Daniel's parents brought us some wonderful manure/sawdust from a nearby farm where there are many horses, so we could add that to our sad soil. I guess we'll see how it goes. The thought of having some produce right outside our door is very appealing but I don't think we can come close to the elder Campaus' fertile land on our first go-round. Anyway, Maxim will get to see the whole process. The girls explained to him while he was eating breakfast this morning that Daniel and I were outside getting ready to plant. Maxim expressed delight at growing corn, noodles and chicken, but of course had to accept from the girls that, out of those three things, only corn would be planted here. Then, like many little kids, he wanted to go right out and see the corn growing. He will have to learn, like everyone else, that gardening is a lesson in patience.

Joel shared with me this morning that Maxim cries quietly in his sleep sometime almost every night. I feel bad that I have slept too deeply to hear it. I asked Joel what he does when this happens and he said he felt it was better to let Maxim sleep, but he lies in his own bed just feeling bad for Maxim. Who knows what's going through this little guy's head during the night. I wonder if it's during the night, when he has no wakeful contact with the rest of us, that his mind goes back to the orphanage in Tsyurupinsk. I wonder what he misses, if anything. I wonder what he envisioned when the idea of having a Mama and Papa was first broached with him and how we have measured up. In our busyness, I'm sure we are not always the Maxim-centric household he may have thought we'd be. When we discipline him, as every child needs at times, I'm sure we don't convey everything as clearly as we would like to and he must be confused at times. I hope that he always sees, hears and feels love and encouragement from us. When we are just seizing teachable moments to fine-tune his pronunciation, for example, there are occasions where we ask him to repeat something more than once, not to frustrate him, but to grow his ability to express himself clearly, for his own benefit. He doesn't always like this, and is sometimes not cooperative. Later, though, I hear him stopping himself mid-word and correcting a particular pronunciation on his own. He wants to please, no doubt. I just hope that as time goes on, he comes to know that he doesn't need to work hard to please us in order to be loved. Maybe that has crossed his mind. Who knows. These are just some of the things I have been pondering today since Joel shared with me.

The other day, Maxim was painting with water colors, which he really enjoys. I had turned away for just a moment and when I looked his way again, he had just finished writing his name (MAXIM), unprompted, all by himself. I was so proud of him. After that, he wrote it a couple of more times on other artwork, sending one of them to his Aunt Heidi. Not many days after that, our friend Thelma came over with her grandson Quinten so the boys could meet each other and as Maxim was drawing, he wrote his name again but in a completely different way. Starting at the right side of his paper, the completed writing was in this order: MIXAM. Interesting.

The casting of Maxim's feet continues although Dr. Reinhart has not seen much improvement for awhile. Maxim will be casted one more time this week and then not again until his hip reconstruction on the 15th. It sure is coming up quick on us now. One bit of good news is that our Michigan State disabled childrens insurance has now officially started for Maxim, retroactive to his very first appointment with Dr. Reinhart back in February, so we know we are covered completely for all the upcoming surgeries. Thank you, Heavenly Father, our awesome Provider!

On another note, no pun intended, Brina and Joel are finished with band and orchestra for the year. Brina was in Advanced Orchestra and it was so neat to hear them play at their last concert. They really blended well. You can never get the whole feel for the music until then, as a parent, because all that is heard at home is one individual student's practice all year. Next year, I'm just going to park outside their classroom more often and listen in. Joel's concert band went to State Festival this past Friday and they got a rating of "I" which is the highest possible rating. For those who have not experienced these festivals, it's not a competition. It is an opportunity for musical groups to be evaluated by skilled judges and then rated on several different aspects. First they go to district festival, to be evaluated at the same time as other bands in their section of the State. If they do well there, they are invited to go before judges once again, at state festival, with the best from various districts across the state. So it is always an honor to go to State, let alone get a good rating.
We're always bummed, though, because State Festival means the year has ended and there's no more band for us until next Fall. It creates a beautiful empty spot on all of the Wednesdays on the calendar for the summer, which is nice in a way, yet we miss it.
Brina's Final Fiddle Concert for the Year



As I write this, I have to say the biggest reason for taking so long for an update once again, is I have way too many things on my mind. This blog is meant to be a picture of one household's journey to adoption and beyond; intended to continue, most likely, through Maxim's main surgeries and recovery. I hope that it is an encouragement and mostly a testimony of what God can and will do. It's not about us; it's all about Him. That's all I have hoped to convey. Yet as He continually teaches me and molds me and stretches me, there are things that come up which I think must be written down, yet I'm afraid this blog is not the proper forum. I may be wrong; not sure. Maybe what He teaches and reveals to each individual, is all meant to be proclaimed, interwoven, together somehow. Maybe if we try to compartmentalize what He gives us, too much, we only end up adding to the confusion this poor old world already deals with.

What do you think, any readers out there? As I ponder specific deep social issues, what it is to live an authentic follower-of-Christ life, learning to be a good steward of time and talent and relationships, etc., may I just pour it out here or is it best to write on another blog/other forum? I do not claim to know all the answers to the things that weigh on my mind at times, but if the Giver of Wisdom, who promises to provide wisdom when His people ask, blesses me with even a tiny taste of it, I am afraid I would be dilinquent if I chose to be quiet. I am afraid that too much of what we see around us in this crazy world is due, in part, to true followers of Christ being too quiet. I am afraid to be a part of that and yet I know I already have been. Maybe the extremes we are seeing in policies and the society at large are a symptom of us having been a weak or completely invisible witness. Heavy stuff, but I want to hash it out thoroughly in my prayer life, for sure, and definitely in writing, maybe here.

As Maxim's mom, and the mom of all my children; as Daniel's wife; as a professing follower of Jesus Christ (Yeshua), with brothers and sisters throughout the Body, am I adequately conveying love, commitment, compassion, patience, generosity, diligence, and all of those qualities one would hope others see/hear every day? Can others see/hear boldness and faith and love? May it be so, only by God's grace.

TO KATIA, who wrote a few days ago, thank you for sharing your son's story. I would love for you to send a photo of him. It is so true that some things in life are terrible, but then we find strength (a gift from God) and even start to laugh sometimes in the middle of it all. May Fabian continue to be blessed with courage and strength.