My son, Axel Caden, joins big brothers Adames, Aeden, and Armistace, as well as sisters Addington and Ashlyn.  He came to us a week ago from Kenya, Africa, after weeks of uncertainty, fear, and waiting.  Oh, that endless waiting!  There were times we thought we would never hear from Love Bundles, the adoption agency we worked with to adopt Axel, but then two weeks ago, the lady there called us to say that the adoption had been approved.

It was nothing short of a miracle!

We fell in love with Axel (then named Bimbo) the first time we saw his picture over a year ago.  We knew immediately that he was the one we'd wanted.  He was perfect.  He was beautiful!  And he was (hopefully) to be ours in the near future.

Axel had to go thorugh extensive medical tests to make sure he was suitable for travel.  Other than having only one arm (he was born that way), he was as healthy as they came.  He was immediately put on the adoption list, and we were the ones who were chosen to parent this sweet little boy with the huge black eyes, ebony skin, and short, close-cropped hair.

On our end of the world, we went through endless interviews, several home studies (to make sure we would be the ideal set of parents for this little boy), and even had medical checkups ourselves.  All came out well; we were given the green light to claim our newest son when he arrived from faraway Kenya, Africa.

The first thing we decided was whom little Bimbo was going to share a room with.  We decided on our oldest sons Adames and Armistace; they could show him the ropes of living in America and teach him English.  Aeden, meanwhile, could show him how to play games like football, baseball, or soccer.  Meanwhile our girls, Addington and Ashlynn could play with Bimbo and spoil him rotten.

We then went shopping for new clothes, toys, and such for our soon-to-be arrival.  We also decided to change his name and make it sound more American.  Both my husband and myself thought that Bimbo was a horrible name for such a beautiful little boy; we knew that if he'd kept that name he would probably be unmercifully teased by the kids at school.  We decided to call him Axel instead.  Axel Caden.  (We already had five kids with names that started with the letter 'A'; why not have another one?)

The day Axel came to America was a day of celebration, love, joy, and tears.  The kids took the day off from school so we could go to the airport and pick up our newest addition.  Axel was immediately welcomed on the spot, and we showered him with lots of hugs and kisses.  I am sure poor little Axel was overwhelmed by all the noise we made, but he took it in stride and soon he shyly accepted us as his new family; he knew he had a home he could call his own.

Now it's been a week since Axel arrived, but it is full of self discovery on all of our parts.  He is quickly picking up several English words, and he is also teaching us Swahili.  We are finally able to figure out what he wants or needs instead of just guessing.  We find out that he is a talented athlete and very intelligent.  He is only six, but he reads high school level books, and there are other signs that he might be gifted.

His obvious physical disability (having only one arm) has not slowed him down in the least, and we have learned that it is only a smart part of our newest child.  Instead we see the potential for greatness inside that tiny, thin body, and we have already claimed him as our son.  He is now ours, forever and ever.