Lots of news!  Lots of major happenings have hit our family unit, most of them good!  Let me fill you in:

First of all, we are due to get our newest child, a little boy we have decided to call Maddox Nathaniel, any time now.  Maddox is two years old and is from China.  He is as cute as a bug! It was instant love the first time we saw his face.  The children are excited, even little Canaan, our three-year-old!

Secondly, Greg got laid off from his work, but he has since found a new job that has better benefits and pay.  We couldn't be more happier for him; that will mean more money for our family, which will be good because besides the addition of Maddox, I am about to deliver our fourth (homegrown) child in just a few months from now!

I am having a boy.  So I will soon be the mother to five boys and one girl!  Baby Boy Eddleston will make his stage debut in January 2012, and so far, the pregnancy has been progressing smoothly, which has been an answer to prayer!

We cannot praise God enough for all the blessings that He has bestowed upon our family which began when we adopted Mukhtar over two years ago; the blessings continue TO pour in!  He has been very good to our family!

Now there will soon be two more darling little boys in our clan, which will bring the family to six children!  I just feel sorry for Muhktar, as she will be the only girl.  I just hope she can handle all this extra male testosterone! LOL

Mukhtar has informed me that she wants me to change her name.  She does not like it.  She says the other children tease her or have a hard time pronouncing it.  I told her it was a beautiful name.  Somehow, she wasn't convinced.  She told me that she wants to be called Grace, Just Grace.  Poor dear!  I feel so bad for her; I will have to talk to her teacher about the bullying from the other kids on account of her foreign-sounding name.

I will go to the school or talk to the other kids if I see to it.  She is already stared at because of her black hair and dark, dark skin; she sticks out like a sore thumb; but I personally think she is stunning.  She is so beautiful she could be a model or a performer!  

Mukhtar will soon no longer need physical therapy: she has progressed well to where she has only a slight limp when she walks and developmentally, she is nearly on target with the other kids her age.  This will please her because what child enjoys going to therapy??  Mukhtar does wear a ankle-foot orthotic brace on her leg, but other than that, she looks like any normal seven-and-a-half year-old.  

She speaks English flawlessly, with only a hint of a British/East Indian accent.  Like her therapies, she has come a very long way.  We are very happy for her and we know she is, too.

Well, the phone is ringing; I will have to answer it.  Hopefully it is our adoption counsellor, with the good news that Maddox is ready to come home to his Forever Family!  If so, I will be writing much sooner than what has been usual for me.  Until later, this is Ravenna Eddleston saying so long; may God bless you now and always!

~Roberta, mamma to Mukhtar, Canaan, Paul, David,  Maddox (soon), and Josiah (soon).  :)